Development of the Chalmers grouped actinide extraction process

Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 2015

Several solvents for Grouped ActiNide EXtraction (GANEX) processes have been investigated at Chalmers University of Technology in recent years. Four different GANEX solvents; cyclo-GANEX (CyMe4--BTBP, 30 vol.% tri-butyl phosphate (TBP) and cyclohexanone), DEHBA-GANEX (CyMe4-BTBP, 20 vol.% N,N-di-2(ethylhexyl) butyramide (DEHBA) and cyclohexanone), hexanol-GANEX (CyMe4-BTBP, 30 vol.% TBP and hexanol) and FS-13-GANEX (CyMe4-BTBP, 30 vol.% TBP and phenyl trifluoromethyl sulfone (FS-13)) have been studied and the results are discussed and compared in this work. The cyclohexanone based solvents show fast and high extraction of the actinides but a somewhat poor diluent stability in contact with the acidic aqueous phase. FS-13-GANEX display high separation factors between the actinides and lanthanides and a good radiolytic and hydrolytic stability. However, the distribution ratios of the actinides are lower, compared to the cyclohexanone based solvents. The hexanol-GANEX is a cheap solvent system using a rather stable diluent but the actinide extraction is, however, comparatively low.