Study on selective separation of uranium by N,N-dialkylamide in ARTIST process

Suzuki, Shinichi; Sasaki, Yuji  ; Yaita, Tsuyoshi; Kimura, Takaumi 

An innovative chemical separation process (ARTIST: Amide-based Radio-resources Treatment with Interim Storage of Transuranics) was proposed for the treatment of spent nuclear fuel. The main concept of ARTIST process is to recover and stock all actinides (An) and to dispose the fission products (FP). One of the main purposes of this process is selective isolation of uranium. Since the brached alkyl type N,N-dialkyl-monoamides (BAMA) have the steric hindrance on the complexation with metal cations, BAMA can be used to separate An(VI) from An(IV). N,N-di-(2-ethyl)hexyl-2,2-dimethylpropanamide (D2EHDMPA) can recover U(VI) selectively without accumulating Pu(IV) in uranium isolation process. From extraction behavior of Np, D2EHDMPA can extract and separate U(VI) from Np(VI) without reduction from Np(VI) to Np(V) or Np(IV).