Analytical Sciences


Abstract − Analytical Sciences, 25(9), 1167 (2009).

Extraction Studies of Uranium(VI), Plutonium(IV) and Americium(III) from Nitric Acid Using the Bi-functional Carbamoyl Methyl Sulfoxide Ligands
J. S. GAMARE, K. V. CHETTY, S. K. MUKERJEE, and S. KANNAN
Fuel Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Mumbai 400 085, India
The extraction behavior of new bi-functional ligands containing sulfoxide and amide groups viz. N,N′-dibutyl carbamoyl methyl phenyl sulfoxide (L1) and N,N′-dibutyl carbamoyl methyl benzyl sulfoxide (L2) towards the U(VI), Pu(IV) and Am(III) ions from nitric acid was studied. Both of these extractants showed appreciable extractions for U(VI) and Pu(IV) from 1 to 9.5 M nitric acid concentrations. Am(III) did not show an appreciable extraction under the conditions studied. The species extracted from a nitric acid medium correspond to the compositions of [UO2(NO3)2·2L] and [Pu(NO3)4·2L] for L1 and a mixture of [UO2(NO3)2·2L], [UO2(NO3)2·L] and [Pu(NO3)4·2L] for the L2. The conditional extraction constant (Kex) values for the Pu(IV) with L1 and L2 were estimated for the first time, and found to be 6.21 × 102 and 5.64 × 102 mol−4 dm, respectively.