Uranium and plutonium extraction by N,N-dialkyl-amides using multistage mixer-settler extractors

N,N-Dialkyl-amides (mono-amides) are known as extractants for U and Pu, and many studies have been carried out mainly by single-stage batch method. We have focused on two mono amides: N,N-di(2-ethylhexyl)-2,2-dimethylpropanamide (DEHDMPA) and N,N-di(2-ethylhexyl)butanamide (DEHBA), and proposed a multistage extraction process for recovering U and Pu by these mono-amides. A continuous counter-current experiment was carried out to demonstrate the validity of this process. This process consisted of two cycles, and the first cycle and the second cycle employed DEHDMPA and DEHBA as extractants, respectively. The feed solution for the first cycle was 5.1 mol/dm³ (M) nitric acid containing 0.92 M U, 1.6 mM Pu, and 0.6 mM Np. The raffinate collected in the first cycle was used as the feed for the second cycle. The ratios of U recovered in the U fraction and U-Pu fraction were 99.1% and 0.8%, respectively, and the ratios of U in the used solvents were <0.04%. The ratio of Pu recovered in the U-Pu fraction was 99.7%, and the ratio of Pu in the used solvents was in the order of 10^-3 - 10^-4%. The concentration ratio of U with respect to Pu in the U-Pu fraction was 9, and this indicated that Pu was not isolated. The decontamination factor of U with respect to Pu in the U fraction was obtained as 4.5*10⁵. These results supported the validity of the proposed process. (authors)