Assembly of a polymer-based extraction resin and separation of minor actinides

Abstract

Separation of adjacent trivalent actinides Am(Ⅲ) and Cm(Ⅲ) is very important for the radioactive analysis, and also represents a very difficult challenge in separation science. Herein, a new polymer-based extraction resin was particularly assembled to achieve the facile and highly efficient mutual separation of trivalent actinides Am(Ⅲ) and Cm(Ⅲ). A mixture of bis(chlorophenyl)dithiophosphinic acid (BCPDTPA) and tris(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (TEHP) was used as the extractants. The polymeric materials with a porous structure, Amberlite XAD-7 particles, were employed as supports of extraction resins. The obtained polymer-based resins in this work showed the excellent physicochemical characteristics, such as a high adsorption capacity, stable chemical structure, acid stability and radiolytic stability. More importantly, the trivalent actinides Am(Ⅲ) and Cm(Ⅲ) was efficiently separated from each other in nitric acid solution by extraction chromatography using the as-prepared polymer-based extraction resins. The strategy developed in this work is certified to be convenient and efficient for the separation of minor actinides. Also, this extraction resin is expected to greatly improve the accuracy and sensitivity of mass spectrometry and α energy spectrum measurements for isotopes of Am(Ⅲ)/Cm(Ⅲ).