Effect of Salting-Out Agents on the Extraction of Europium and Americium from Nitric Acid Solutions with 40% Tributyl Phosphate in a Hydrocarbon Diluent

Abstract

Experimental data on the extraction of nitric acid, europium, and americium with 40% TBP in C13 in the presence of salting-out agents such as sodium, magnesium, iron, and aluminum nitrates were obtained. The nitric acid and nitrate ion concentrations ensuring efficient recovery of transplutonium and rare earth elements were chosen. Based on the data obtained, the existing program for mathematical modeling (Statics, Dynamics program complexes) was adjusted. To check the adequacy of program operation, computations were made for the experimentally tested flowsheet of the high-level raffinate partitioning using the extraction system based on TBP in paraffin in the presence of a salting-out agent. Comparison of the calculation results with the results of cell-by-cell analysis of samples from the first block shows that the deviations are within the measurement uncertainty of the analytical equipment. The possibility of predicting the operation of the extraction cascade at varied parameters (phase flow rates, number of steps, salting-out agent concentration) was demonstrated.