Extraction of HNO 3 and some ions with tributyl phosphate (tbp)-mixed trialkyl phosphine oxides (trpo)/kerosene

Tributyl phosphate (TBP) and trialkyl phosphine oxides (TRPO) are important extractants. They are widely used in industrial extraction processes, especially in the nuclear power industry. However, both TBP and TRPO suffer from several disadvantages. TBP has a low extractability for trivalent transuranium elements such as Am3+ and Pu3+ while TRPO has low loading capacity for HNO3 and UO2 2+. The extraction of HNO3 and 20 other ions of importance in the nuclear power industry was studied using TBP-TRPO/kerosene. The loading capacity of UO2 2+ and HNO3 in TBP-TRPO/kerosene was determined. The synergistic extraction characteristics of the mixture for Am3+ and TcO4 m were studied. The influence of high-concentration UO2 2+ on the extraction of Am3+, Eu3+, Pu4+, and TcO4 m was investigated. The experimental results show that TBP-TRPO/kerosene mixtures display both a high extractability for a number of ions and a high loading capacity for UO2 2+ and HNO3.