No abstract

Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) data for the tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP)-n-octane, HNO(3)-Zr(NO(3))(4) solvent extraction system, obtained under a variety of experimental conditions, have been interpreted using the Baxter model for hard spheres with surface adhesion. The increase in scattering intensity in the low Q range observed when increasing amounts of Zr(NO(3))(4) were extracted into the organic phase was interpreted as arising from interactions between small reverse micelle-like particles containing two to three TBP molecules. Upon extraction of Zr(NO(3))(4), the particles interact through attractive forces between their polar cores with a potential energy that exceeds 2 k(B)T. The interparticle attraction, under suitable conditions, leads to third phase formation. A linear relationship exists between the derivative of the potential energy of attraction with respect to the concentration of nitrate ions in the organic phase and the ionization potential or the hydration enthalpy of the extracted metal cations.

No abstract

Four pillared metal(IV) phosphate-phosphonate ion exchange materials were synthesized and characterized. Studies were conducted to determine their affinity for the lanthanides (Ln's) and actinides (An's). It was determined that by simply manipulating the metal source (Zr or Sn) and the phosphate source (H 3 PO 4 or Na 3 PO 4 ) large differences were seen in the extraction of the Ln and An species. K d values higher than 4 × 10 5 were observed for the AnO 2 2+ species in nitric acid at pH 2. These basic uptake experiments are important, as the data they provide may indicate the possibility of a separation of Ln's from An's or even more notably americium from curium and Ln's.

The potential importance of tetraborate complexation on lanthanide(III) and actinide(III) solubility is recognized in the literature but a systematic study of f-element complexation has not been performed. In neodymium solubility studies in WIPP brines, the carbonate complexation effect is not observed since tetraborate ions form a moderately strong complex with neodymium(III). The existence of these tetraborate complexes was established for low and high ionic strength solutions. Changes in neodymium(III) concentrations in undersaturation experiments were used to determine the neodymium with tetraborate stability constants as a function of NaCl ionic strength. As very low Nd(III) concentrations have to be measured, it was necessary to use an extraction pre-concentration step combined with ICP-MS analysis to extend the detection limit by a factor of 50. The determined Nd(III) with borate stability constants at infinite dilution and 25 °C are equal to logβ1=4.55±0.06 using the SIT approach, equal to logβ1=4.99±0.30 using the Pitzer approach, with an apparent logβ1=4.06±0.15 (in molal units) at I=5.6 m NaCl. Pitzer ion-interaction parameters for neodymium with tetraborate and SIT interaction coefficients were also determined and reported.