Thermodynamics and kinetics of thermal decomposition of dibutylalkyl and dipentylalkyl phosphonate-nitric acid systems

Tributyl phosphate (TBP) is used in the reprocessing industry for the separation of uranium and plutonium from the spent nuclear fuels by PUREX process. A variety of dialkylalky/phosphonates were synthesised and their extraction behaviour on actinides was studied in this laboratory. The superior extraction characteristics of phosphonates make them useful for several metal recovery applications in the nuclear fuel cycle. However, higher solubility of phosphonates in aqueous phase as compared to TBP, introduces higher chances of the formation of thermally active 'red oil' like substances during the evaporation of aqueous streams. Thermal stability of neat and nitric acid solvated homologues of four dibutylalkyl phosphonates namely, dibutylpropyl phosphonate (DBPrP), dibutylbutyl phosphonate (DBBP), dibutylpentyl phosphonate (DBPP), dibutylhexyl phosphonate (DBHeP), and two dipentylalkyl phosphonates viz. dipentylbutyl phosphonate (DPBP), dipentylhexyl phosphonate (DPHeP) were studied. Experiments were conducted using an adiabatic calorimeter in heat-wait-search mode. Various stoichiometry of nitric acid-solvated DBalP and DPalP were prepared by equilibrating the respective organic with 4-15.6 M nitric acid followed by separation. Neat DBalP and DPalP are stable up to the temperature of ∼ 555 K while their acid-solvates decomposed in the temperature range 380-403 K. The results also indicated that the presence of nitric acid accelerated the decomposition of phosphonates. Decomposition of these acid solvated phosphonates is found to be exothermic and follows first order kinetics. The onset temperature, adiabatic temperature rise, pressure rise, decomposition enthalpy and activation energy were found to strongly depend on the nitric acid content of the acid-solvates. The studies also indicate that dibutylalkyl and dipentylalkyl phosphonates are also prone to form 'red oil' like substances under extreme conditions and can lead to run-away reactions as exhibited by TBP-HNO₃ systems. (author)