Separation of 241Am3+ from 154Eu3+ Using 3,3’-Butyloxy-Bis-1,2,4-Triazinyl-2,6-Pyridine as a Potent Receptor

Abstract

ABSTRACT The effective partitioning and transmutation of the minor An from the Ln in spent nuclear fuel in a non-proliferative manner is critical to lowering potential impact to the environment, moderating concern over the increase of nuclear power as a green alternative to fossil fuels, and solving a grand challenge in separation science. Although present in less than .1 wt.%, Am and Cm represent half-lives of over 400 years and significantly contribute to heat load through radioactive decay. Separation of the minor An from the neutron-poisoning Ln can advance the nuclear fuel cycle further toward closure and decrease the volume and radiotoxicity of daughter nuclides stored in a geologic repository. Similar physical properties and metal-complexant binding phenomena render this separation difficult. In this work, a comprehensive liquid-liquid separations study using the recently discovered 3,3’-butyloxy-bis-1,2,4-triazinyl-2,6-pyridine in the polar aprotic solvent trifluoromethylphenyl sulfone is presented. Unlike contemporary bis-1,2,4-triazinyl-2,6-pyridine complexants, the current system is stable and performs well in highly acidic systems. Separation of 241Am3+ from 154Eu3+, acid range tolerance, complexant concentration, and decomplexation studies are presented herein.