Investigation of new extractants for MA/RE separation

Suzuki, Hideya; Tsubata, Yasuhiro   ; Matsumura, Tatsuro  

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency has been studying partitioning and transmutation systems. In this partitioning process, new extractants with highly practical and high extraction ability for minor actinoids was developed. New extractants, called NTAamide, were tested for mutual separation of trivalent minor actinoids and trivalent rare earth elements. Among the four NTAamides, hexaoctylnitrilotriacetamide (HONTA) provided the largest distribution ratio of trivalent americium, and was chosen. A continuous liquid-liquid extraction test was conducted using a multistage countercurrent mixer-settler extractor with HONTA. In this test, separation of MA(III) and RE(III) was achieved with very high yield.