Abstract
This paper details a semi-quantitative method for determining tributyl phosphate (TBP) degradation from alkaline hydrolysis using FTIR–ATR accompanied by GC verification and it provides a method to extract TBP from aqueous media associated with its use in nuclear reprocessing. The amount of TBP determined by GC decreases from 95 to 36 % after approximately 4½ h in the reaction. TBP present in the organic phase predicted by the FTIR–ATR technique shows that TBP decreases from 97 to 42 %. Up to 15 % of TBP and 40 % of DBP were extracted from the precipitate based on the extraction recoveries determined.
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Acknowledgments
The authors thank Toti Larson for inspiring a part of this research, Meric Selbes for assisting with diazomethane preparation, and Anne Cummings for assisting with gas chromatographic analysis. This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under Grant Award Number, 2012-DN-130-NF0001-02 and the Nuclear Forensics Junior Faculty Award Program, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Domestic Nuclear Detection Office. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
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Gillens, A.R., Powell, B.A. A novel technique for the rapid determination of tributyl phosphate degradation from alkaline hydrolysis in aqueous and organic phases using FTIR–ATR and verification of this technique by gas chromatography. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 307, 1891–1899 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-4434-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-4434-5