A novel technique for the rapid determination of tributyl phosphate degradation from alkaline hydrolysis in aqueous and organic phases using FTIR–ATR and verification of this technique by gas chromatography

Abstract

This paper details a semi-quantitative method for determining tributyl phosphate (TBP) degradation from alkaline hydrolysis using FTIR–ATR accompanied by GC verification and it provides a method to extract TBP from aqueous media associated with its use in nuclear reprocessing. The amount of TBP determined by GC decreases from 95 to 36 % after approximately 4½ h in the reaction. TBP present in the organic phase predicted by the FTIR–ATR technique shows that TBP decreases from 97 to 42 %. Up to 15 % of TBP and 40 % of DBP were extracted from the precipitate based on the extraction recoveries determined.