Isolation of plutonium in chloride media — III Effects of nitrate and mono(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid on extraction with di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid

Liquid-liquid extraction separation and determination of plutonium and americium

“…Reduction of plutonium in an HDEHP-diluent phase to the tervalent state with 2,5-di-terf-butylhydroquinone (DBHQ) and subsequent stripping of plutonium(III) into 5-9 M hydrochloric acid has been reported (5-8) but stripping with nitric acid was said to be incomplete due to oxidation of the DBHQ by nitrate (6, 8). Maximum decontamination of plutonium and americium from thorium was desired in the present work.…”

“…Maximum decontamination of plutonium and americium from thorium was desired in the present work. Therefore, nitric acid was preferred over hy-drochloric acid because the distribution coefficient for thorium in HDEHP is higher from nitrate than from chloride systems (8,9). Data presented by Cleveland (10) indicated that once the plutonium was reduced to plutonium (III) in the organic phase by DBHQ, hydrazine or sulfamic acid might serve as holding reducíants in moderately concentrated solutions of nitric acid.…”