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A Pulse Radiolysis Investigation of the Reactions of Tributyl Phosphate with the Radical Products of Aqueous Nitric Acid Irradiation

Journal Article · · Journal of Physical Chemistry A.
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/jp802169v· OSTI ID:935229

Tributyl phosphate (TBP) is the most common organic compound used in liquid-liquid separations for the recovery of uranium, neptunium, and plutonium from acidic nuclear fuel dissolutions. The goal of these processes is to extract the actinides while leaving fission products in the acidic, aqueous, phase. However, the radiolytic degradation of TBP has been shown to reduce the separation factors for fission products, and to impede the back-extraction of the actinides during stripping. As most previous investigations of the radiation chemistry of TBP have focused on steady state radiolysis and stable product identification, with dibutylphosphoric acid (HDBP) invariably being the major product, here we have determined room temperature rate constants for the reactions TBP and HDBP with the hydroxyl radical ((5.00 +/- 0.02) x 109, (4.40 +/- 0.10) x 109), hydrogen atom ((1.8 +/- 0.2) x 108, (1.1 +/- 0.1) x 108), nitrate radical ((4.3 +/- 0.7) x 106, (2.9 +/- 0.2) x 106) and nitrite radical (< 2 x 105, < 2 x 105) M-1 s-1 with TBP and HDBP, respectively. These data are used to discuss the mechanism of TBP radical-induced degradation.

Research Organization:
Idaho National Laboratory (INL)
Sponsoring Organization:
DOE - NE
DOE Contract Number:
AC07-99ID13727
OSTI ID:
935229
Report Number(s):
INL/JOU-08-13987
Journal Information:
Journal of Physical Chemistry A., Journal Name: Journal of Physical Chemistry A. Journal Issue: 28 Vol. 112
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English