Radiostrontium / Crown ether / Extraction / Aliphatic alcohol
SummaryExtraction behaviour of Sr(II) from nitric acid medium was studied employing di-t-butyl cyclohexano 18 crown 6 (DtBuCH18C6) in various aliphatic alcohols as the organic diluents. A mixture of 80% butanol and 20% octanol was found to give higher D,, values as compared to other alcohols investigated. A linear correlation between the organic phase water content and Ds, was observed. Extraction profiles obtained with varying ligand concentration suggested 1:1:2 M:L:NO,T stoichiometry for the extracted species where L is the crown ether. The two-phase extraction constant value obtained for the present system (K.,; = 132) was found to be much larger as compared to both DtBuCH18C6-octanol extraction system (k^, = 48) and DCH18C6 (dicyclohexano 18 crown 6)-80% butanol-20% octanol mixture system (k^» = 32). Distribution behaviour of Sr(II) was studied as a function of the inert electrolyte concentration (such as LiNO,, Mg(N03)2 and AKNOOs) and also as a function of mineral acid (such as HCl, HCIO4, HNO,) concentration. Selectivity studies on Sr(II) with respect to fission products (obtained from irradiated natural uranium target) such as Mo-99, Ce-143, La-140, Ru-103, Te-132, Zr-97, Cs-137, 1-133 and Ba-140 were carried out and compared with the corresponding data obtained with DCH18C6.