Highly efficient uptake of tetravalent actinide ions from nitric acid feeds using an extraction chromatography material containing tetra-n-butyl diglycolamide and a room temperature ionic liquid

An extraction chromatography (XC) material containing N,N,N’,N’-tetra-n-butyl diglycolamide (TBDGA) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulphonyl) imide (C4mim?NTf2), a room temperature ionic liquid, was used for the uptake of tetravalent actinide ions Th(IV), Np(IV), Pu(IV) from nitric acid feed solutions. The metal followed trend: Th(IV) < Np(IV) Pu(IV), which is same as that their potential values. While decrease in seen with increasing HNO3 concentration at lower acidities, an opposite trend observed higher acidities. not affected concentration. In view very high its importance nuclear fuel cycle, major part studies carried out ion. loaded back extracted XC using mixture 0.5 M oxalic acid. by fitted into different kinetic isotherm models. results conformed to pseudo-second order model Langmuir monolayer sorption model. Column were having 1.6 mg/L Pu solution 3 HNO3. breakthrough obtained after passing ca. nine bed volumes, sharp elution peak >99% recovery about seven volumes.