Extraction and flow sheet studies for U and Pu separation by N,N-di(2-ethyl)hexylbutanamide

Ban, Yasutoshi  ; Hagiya, Hiromichi; Sato, Makoto; Asakura, Toshihide; Morita, Yasuji  

Since N,N-dialkylamide (monoamide) compounds extract tetravalent and hexavalent actinides, they have been proposed as alternative extractants to TBP. In the present work, numerical calculations for estimating separation performance of N,N-di(2-ethyl)hexyl-butanamide (D2EHBA) for U(VI) and Pu(IV) were carried out. A flow sheet was obtained which separate more than 99.9% of Pu(IV) from U(VI) by adjusting nitric acid concentration. Extraction properties of D2EHBA for macro concentrations of U (0.63-1.22 mol/dm(M)) and Pu (6.3 mM) were studied in a batch manner. D2EHBA diluted to 1.5 M by n-dodecane extracted up to 0.8 M of U(VI) without forming precipitation and third phase. Distribution ratios of Pu(IV) were relatively high compared with the ones obtained at tracer concentrations of Pu(IV).