Extraction and separation of Se, Zr, Pd, and Cs including long-lived radionuclides

Sasaki, Yuji  ; Morita, Keisuke ; Suzuki, Shinichi; Shiwaku, Hideaki   ; Ito, Keisuke; Takahashi, Yuya*; Kaneko, Masaaki*

The solvent extraction of Se, Zr, Pd, and Cs from nitric acid into 1-octanol (OC) and dodecane has been performed. These elements include long-lived radionuclides in spent nuclear fuels, so a simple separation method is indispensable for the development of the treatment of high-level liquid radioactive waste. It was found that Se can be extracted using phenylenediamine, Zr can be extracted using tetraoctyl diglycolamide and di-2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid, and Pd can be extracted using (methylimino)bis(dioctylacetamide) and hexaoctylnitrilotriacetamide. These elements can be recovered in over 90% yield by these extractants from nitric acid into OC. A distribution ratio of Cs of greater than 1 can be obtained using di-t-butyldibenzo-18-crown-6. It is clear that 90% recovery of Cs can be achieved using an extraction solvent with ten times the volume of the aqueous phase.