Extraction of uranium, plutonium and some fission products with γ-irradiated unsymmetrical and branched chain dialkylamides

Abstract

The extraction behavior of uranium(VI), plutonium(IV) and some fission products like zirconium, ruthenium and europium from 3.5M nitric acid with γ-irradiated dibutyl (DBEHA), di-isobutyl (DIBEHA), methylbutyl (MBEHA) derivatives of ethylhexylamide and di-isobutyl octanamide (DIBOA) in n-dodecane has been investigated as a function of absorbed dose up to 184 Mrad. The results indicate that the Kd values for extraction of uranium(VI) decreases gradually up to 45 Mrad and becomes almost constant beyond this dose up to 184 Mrad, while extraction of plutonium(IV) increases rapidly beyond a dose of 45 Mrad due to synergistic effect of the radiolytic products formed at higher doses. The extraction of zirconium(IV) increases gradually up to 45 Mrad and attains a limiting value at higher doses. Ruthenium and europium are not extracted in the entire dose range studied. Infrared studies confirm the final products of radiolysis as the respective amines and carboxylic acids. Radiolytic degradation of the pure amides was determined by estimating the residual amide contents using quantitative IR spectrometry and were found to follow the order DIBEHA > DBEHA > MBEHA > DIBOA.