Separation of transplutonium elements

Baybarz, R. D. (1965). Dissociation contents of the transplutonium chelates with diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) and the application of DTPA chelates to solvent extraction separations of transplutonium elements from the lanthanide elements, J. Inorg. Nucl. Chem. 27,1831. 

Fig. 12.16 Flow sheets used for separation of transplutonium elements from irradiated Pu (a) France (Fontenay-aux-Roses) (b) United States (Oak Ridge National Laboratory). (Data from (a) Ref. 64 (b) Ref. 65.)...

This paper discusses the equipment and process steps used in the initial separation of transplutonium elements and presents some typical results. 

Campbell, D. O., "The Application of Pressurized Ion Exchange to Separations of Transplutonium Elements," Industrial-Scale Production-Recovery-Separation of Transplutonium Elements Symposium, ACS Second Chemical Congress, Las Vegas, Nevada, 1980. 

The Application of Pressurized Ion Exchange to Separations of Transplutonium Elements... 

Figure 2. Elution curve given by flow-through a-detector during early pressurized ion exchange separation of transplutonium elements (34)...

The separation of transplutonium elements from the lanthanides constitutes the delicate phase of chemical treatment, owing to their comparable affinities for the usual extractants HDEHP, TBP and TLAHNO3. Among all the systems described in the literature and covered by a recently published critical compilation (JO), we selected those which appeared to be much suitable for adaptation to extraction chromatography the Talspeak process (7) and the... 

Ion-exchange methods are prominent in separation, purification and analysis of fission products. Thus, rare earth fission products have been separated and determined by ion-exchange. Similarly, the separation of transplutonium elements has been studied using different anion-exchangers. Weakly basic ion-exchange resins like Amberlite XE-270 have long been used successfully for kilogram quantities of Np. 

Zilberman, B. Y, Fedorov, Y. S., Shmidt, O. V. et al. 2009. Dibutyl phosphoric acid and its acid zirconium salt as an extractant for the separation of transplutonium elements and rare earths and for their partitioning. J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. 279 193-208. 

Extraction by means of tertiary amines is very important technologically. Most of the uranium presently produced is separated by such a process, working with a mixture of long-chain tertiary amines [166]. Also, extraction by tertiary amines is generally applied for the separation of transplutonium elements on a large scale... 

Schulz, W. W. Navratil, J. D. Solvent extraction with neutral bidentate organic phosphorus reagents. In Recent Developments in Separation Science, Li, N. N. Ed. CRC Press Boca Raton, Florida, 1982 Vol. VII, pp. 31-72. Myaesoedov, B. F. Chmutova, M. K. New methods of transplutonium elements isolation, purification and separation. In Separation of f Elements, Nash, K. L. Choppin, G. R. Eds. Plenum Press New York, 1995 p. 11. 

Tachimori, S., Sato, A., Nakamura, H. 1979. Separation of transplutonium and rare-earth elements by extraction with di-A< -decyl phosphoric acid from DTPA solution. J. Nucl. Sci. Technol. 16 434 140. 

This collection of the state-of-the-art papers emphasizes the continuing importance of industrial-scale production, separation, and recovery of transplutonium elements. Americium (At. No. 95) and curium (At. No. 96) were first isolated in weighable amounts during and immediately after World War II. Berkelium and californium were isolated in 1958 and einsteinium in 1961. These five man-made elements, in each case, subsequently became available in increasing quantities. 

Ross, R. G. "Industrial-Scale Production - Separation -Recovery of Transplutonium Elements," ACS Symposium, 2nd Chem. Congr. North American Continent, 1980. 

Treatment of irradiated targets. The chemical operations relative to the production of transplutonium elements (americium 243, curium 244) are all performed using a nitric acid medium. The highly corrosive nature of the solutions concentrated with Cl" ions, which were used in the USA for the development of the Tramex process (JO, and the instability of SCN" ions to radiation (12), led us to select nitric acid solution to perform the chemical separations. Once the medium was selected, it was necessary to find an adequate additive which, in combination with a suitable extractant, would allow solution of the main problem namely separation of the trivalent actinides from triva-lent lanthanides. 

Experience in the Separation and Purification of Transplutonium Elements in the Transuranium Processing Plant at Oak Ridge National Laboratory... 

Collins, E. D. Benker, D. E. Chattin, F. R. Ore, P. B. Ross, R. G., "Multigram Group Separation of Actinide and Lanthonide Elements by Li Cl-Based Ion Exchange", paper presented at Symposium on Industrial-Scale Production-Separation-Recovery of Transplutonium Elements, 2nd Chem. Congr. North American Continent, Las Vegas, NV, 1980. 

Extraction processes (TRUEX, PUREX, Talspeak, DIAMEX, PARC, etc.) generally involve complexation of transplutonium elements by alkyl phosphines, phosphine oxides, phosphoric acids, carbamoyl phosphonates, diamides, and thiophosphinates in aqueous/organic extractions, within derivatized solid supports, or on coated particles. There are excellent reviews of the processes and significant complexes by Mathur et al. and selected chapters in The Chemistry of the Actinide and Transactinide Elements to be published in 2003. " Work on the separation for nuclear waste management in the United States, France, and Russia have been reviewed. " ... 

No retention of a emitters was observed during this treatment, and the separation factors of transplutonium elements in relation to europium are respectively = 11.2 a jU = 1.83 = 1.23. 

The ZEALEX Process Researchers from KRI have shown that the zirconium salt of dibutyl phosphoric acid (ZS-HDBP) was soluble in Isopar-L in the presence of 30% TBP. This super PUREX solvent, known as ZEALEX, extracts actinides (Np-Am) together with lanthanides and other fission products, such as Ba, Cs, Fe, Mo, and Sr from nitric acid solutions. The extraction yields depend on both the molar ratio between Zr and HDBP in the 30% TBP/Isopar-L mixture and the concentration of HN03 (232). Trivalent transplutonium and lanthanide elements can be stripped together from the loaded ZEALEX solvent by a complexing solution, mixing ammonium carbonate, (NH4)2C03, and ethylenediamine-N.N.N. N -tetraacetic acid (EDTA). An optimized version of the process should allow the separation of... 

Certain of the transplutonium elements are used extensively in nuclear gauges and in many other fields as well. Industrial-scale production of these man-made elements requires development and application of appropriate recovery, separation, and purification processes. 

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