Demonstration of the LUCA process for the separation of americium(III) from curium(III), californium(III), and lanthanides(III) in acidic solution using a synergistic mixture of bis(chlorophenyl)dithiophosphinic acid and tris(2-ethylhexyl)phosphate

Modolo, G.; Kluxen, P.; Geist, A.

doi:10.1524/ract.2010.1708

Journal Article

Demonstration of the LUCA process for the separation of americium(III) from curium(III), californium(III), and lanthanides(III) in acidic solution using a synergistic mixture of bis(chlorophenyl)dithiophosphinic acid and tris(2-ethylhexyl)phosphate

Modolo, G.FZJ* ; Kluxen, P.FZJ* ; Geist, A.

2010
Oldenbourg MÃ¼nchen

Radiochimica acta 98, 193 - 201 (2010) [10.1524/ract.2010.1708]

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Please use a persistent id in citations: http://hdl.handle.net/2128/18330 doi:10.1524/ract.2010.1708

Abstract: The LUCA process was developed at Forschungszentrum Julich for the selective separation of Am(III) from an acidic solution containing the trivalent actinides Am(III). Cm(III), and Cf(III) as well as lanthanides. A mixture of 0.4 mol/L bis(chlorophenyl)dithiophosphinic acid and 0.15 mol/L tris(2-ethylhexyl)phosphate dissolved in 20% isooctane/80% tert-butyl benzene was used as the extractant. The process was carried out in centrifugal contactors using an optimized flowsheet involving 7 stages for extraction, 9 stages for scrubbing and 8 stages for back-extraction. Very encouraging results were obtained. A high feed decontamination factor was obtained for Am(III) (> 1000), and recovery in the product after stripping was higher than 99.8%. The Am(III) product was contaminated with 0.47% Cm(III). More than 99.9% Cf(III), Eu(III) and > 99.5% Cm(III) inventories were directed to the raffinate and the contamination with Am(III) (< 0.08%) was low. The experimental results were in good agreement with the predictions of a computer code.

Keyword(s): J ; Minor actinides (auto) ; Lanthanides (auto) ; Americium (auto) ; Curium (auto) ; Partitioning (auto) ; Solvent extraction (auto) ; Centrifugal contactors (auto) ; LUCA process (auto)