Sr(II) co-transport through a flat sheet membrane containing a macrocyclic ionophore

Development of methods for the separation of radio strontium, 90Sr (T1/2 = 28.5 years ), from complex mixtures in nitric acid medium is of relevance from radioactive waste management point of view. Its separation from high level waste (HLW) prior to vitrification is helpful not only to reduce the volume of disposable waste but also reduces the risk of matrix deformation caused by the generated heat. Sr(II) specific extraction property of di-t-butyl cyclohexano 18-crown-6 (DtBuCH18C6) can be exploited for analytical applications as well as 90Sr recovery from HLW. To understand the role of carrier concentration on the transport rate of Sr(II) in the present work, experiments were carried out in the DtBuCH18C6 concentration range of 0.01-0.05 M, which indicated a linear dependence of permeability coefficient (P) on the concentration of DtBuCH18C6