Actinide states

The trivalent actinide state resembles that of the lanthanides. In an aqueous solution some M3+ ions exist (Am3+, Cm3+) ions the U3+ ions is readily oxidised by air or more slowly by water. Tetravalent U and Pu are reasonably stable in solution, whereas Am(IV) and Cm(IV) are readily reduced and exist only as complex ions in... 

Actinides are the most troublesome and hazardous HLW constituents due to long half-lives and toxicity. Most of actinides have multiple oxidation states U, Pu - III, IV, V, VI Np - IV, V Am, Cm - III, IV. Th exists in the tetravalent state only. At high temperature (1200-1500 °C) corresponding to conditions of the actinide waste forms fabrication tri- and tetravalent actinides states are the most typical [34]. In these forms they are close to Zx, and Ca in... 

Evidence other than that of ion-exchange favours the view of the new elements as an inner transition series. The magnetic properties of their ions are very similar to those of the lanthanides whatever range of oxidation states the actinides display, they always have -1-3 as one of them. Moreover, in the lanthanides, the element gado-... 

In the actinides, the element curium, Cm, is probably the one which has its inner sub-shell half-filled and in the great majority of its compounds curium is tripositive, whereas the preceding elements up to americium, exhibit many oxidation states, for example -1-2, -1-3. -1-4, -1-5 and + 6, and berkelium, after curium, exhibits states of -1- 3 and -E 4. Here then is another resemblance of the two series. 

The many possible oxidation states of the actinides up to americium make the chemistry of their compounds rather extensive and complicated. Taking plutonium as an example, it exhibits oxidation states of -E 3, -E 4, +5 and -E 6, four being the most stable oxidation state. These states are all known in solution, for example Pu" as Pu ", and Pu as PuOj. PuOl" is analogous to UO , which is the stable uranium ion in solution. Each oxidation state is characterised by a different colour, for example PuOj is pink, but change of oxidation state and disproportionation can occur very readily between the various states. The chemistry in solution is also complicated by the ease of complex formation. However, plutonium can also form compounds such as oxides, carbides, nitrides and anhydrous halides which do not involve reactions in solution. Hence for example, it forms a violet fluoride, PuFj. and a brown fluoride. Pup4 a monoxide, PuO (probably an interstitial compound), and a stable dioxide, PUO2. The dioxide was the first compound of an artificial element to be separated in a weighable amount and the first to be identified by X-ray diffraction methods. 

Experiments seem to show that the element possesses a moderately stable dipositive (11) oxidation state in addition to the tripositive (111) oxidation state, which is characteristic of the actinide elements. 

Ernest O. Lawrence, inventor of the cyclotron) This member of the 5f transition elements (actinide series) was discovered in March 1961 by A. Ghiorso, T. Sikkeland, A.E. Larsh, and R.M. Latimer. A 3-Mg californium target, consisting of a mixture of isotopes of mass number 249, 250, 251, and 252, was bombarded with either lOB or IIB. The electrically charged transmutation nuclei recoiled with an atmosphere of helium and were collected on a thin copper conveyor tape which was then moved to place collected atoms in front of a series of solid-state detectors. The isotope of element 103 produced in this way decayed by emitting an 8.6 MeV alpha particle with a half-life of 8 s. 

Actinide ions of the 111, IV, and VI oxidation states can be adsorbed by cation-exchange resins and, in general, can be desorbed by elution with chloride, nitrate, citrate, lactate, a-hydroxyisobutyrate, ethylenediaminetetraacetate, and other anions (11,12). 

Special techniques for experimentation with the actinide elements other than Th and U have been devised because of the potential health ha2ard to the experimenter and the small amounts available (15). In addition, iavestigations are frequently carried out with the substance present ia very low coaceatratioa as a radioactive tracer. Such procedures coatiaue to be used to some exteat with the heaviest actinide elements, where only a few score atoms may be available they were used ia the earHest work for all the transuranium elements. Tracer studies offer a method for obtaining knowledge of oxidation states, formation of complex ions, and the solubiHty of various compounds. These techniques are not appHcable to crystallography, metallurgy, and spectroscopic studies. 

The actinide elements exhibit uniformity in ionic types. In acidic aqueous solution, there are four types of cations, and these and their colors are hsted in Table 5 (12—14,17). The open spaces indicate that the corresponding oxidation states do not exist in aqueous solution. The wide variety of colors exhibited by actinide ions is characteristic of transition series of elements. In general, protactinium(V) polymerizes and precipitates readily in aqueous solution and it seems unlikely that ionic forms ate present in such solutions. 

Table 6 presents a summary of the oxidation—reduction characteristics of actinide ions (12—14,17,20). The disproportionation reactions of UO2, Pu , PUO2, and AmO are very compHcated and have been studied extensively. In the case of plutonium, the situation is especially complex four oxidation states of plutonium [(111), (IV), (V), and (VI) ] can exist together ia aqueous solution ia equiUbrium with each other at appreciable concentrations. 

Actinide ions form complex ions with a large number of organic substances (12). Their extractabiUty by these substances varies from element to element and depends markedly on oxidation state. A number of important separation procedures are based on this property. Solvents that behave in this way are thbutyl phosphate, diethyl ether [60-29-7J, ketones such as diisopropyl ketone [565-80-5] or methyl isobutyl ketone [108-10-17, and several glycol ether type solvents such as diethyl CeUosolve [629-14-1] (ethylene glycol diethyl ether) or dibutyl Carbitol [112-73-2] (diethylene glycol dibutyl ether). 

A number of organic compounds, eg, acetylacetone [123-54-6] and cupferron [135-20-6] form compounds with aqueous actinide ions (IV state for reagents mentioned) that can be extracted from aqueous solution by organic solvents (12). The chelate complexes are especially noteworthy and, among these, the ones formed with diketones, such as 3-(2-thiophenoyl)-l,l,l-trifluoroacetone [326-91-0] (C4H2SCOCH2COCF2), are of importance in separation procedures for plutonium. 

Absorption and Fluorescence Spectra. The absorption spectra of actinide and lanthanide ions in aqueous solution and in crystalline form contain narrow bands in the visible, near-ultraviolet, and near-infrared regions of the spectmm (13,14,17,24). Much evidence indicates that these bands arise from electronic transitions within the and bf shells in which the Af and hf configurations are preserved in the upper and lower states for a particular ion. 

The throwaway fuel cycle does not recover the energy values present ia the irradiated fuel. Instead, all of the long-Hved actinides are routed to the final waste repository along with the fission products. Whether or not this is a desirable alternative is determined largely by the scope of the evaluation study. For instance, when only the value of the recovered yellow cake and SWU equivalents are considered, the world market values for these commodities do not fully cover the cost of reprocessing (2). However, when costs attributable to the disposal of large quantities of actinides are considered, the classical fuel cycle has been the choice of virtually all countries except the United States. 

Uranium is the fourth element of the actinide (SJ series. In the actinide series the electrons are more effectively shielded by the Is and 7p electrons relative to the 4f electrons (shielded by 6s, 6p) in the lanthanide (4p series. Thus, there is a greater spatial extension of 5f orbitals for actinides than 4f orbitals for lanthanides. This results in a small energy difference between and 5/ 6d7s electronic configurations, and a wider range of oxidation states is... 

By contrast, the ionic radius in a given oxidation state falls steadily and, though the available data are less extensive, it is clear that an actinide contraction exists, especially for the -f3 state, which is closely similar to the lanthanide contraction (see p. 1232). 

Figure 31.5 Volt-equivalent versus oxidation state for actinide ions.

The redox behaviour of Th, Pa and U is of the kind expected for d-transition elements which is why, prior to the 1940s, these elements were commonly placed respectively in groups 4, 5 and 6 of the periodic table. Behaviour obviously like that of the lanthanides is not evident until the second half of the series. However, even the early actinides resemble the lanthanides in showing close similarities with each other and gradual variations in properties, providing comparisons are restricted to those properties which do not entail a change in oxidation state. The smooth variation with atomic number found for stability constants, for instance, is like that of the lanthanides rather than the d-transition elements, as is the smooth variation in ionic radii noted in Fig. 31.4. This last factor is responsible for the close similarity in the structures of many actinide and lanthanide compounds especially noticeable in the 4-3 oxidation state for which... 

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