Separation of boron isotopes by chemical exchange in liquid-liquid systems

The currently used technologies for the production of boron isotopes for nuclear power and nuclear medicine are based on the application of toxic boron halides. The report is devoted to alternative processes for enrichment of ¹⁰B and ¹¹B by chemical exchange in extraction systems using boric acid, that is, without of boron halides. The results of studying phase and isotope equilibrium in two liquid-liquid systems are considered: an aqueous solution of boric acid – an organic phase in the form of tributyl phosphate or a solution of trioctylamine in o-xylene. The obtained values of the separation factor for boron isotopes characterize the predominantly phase isotope effect in the first system, and in the second system the effect of chemical isotope exchange. Accordingly, the values of the single stage separation factor are 1.0067 ± 0.0035 and 1.025 ± 0.005 and are close to similar values for rectification of boron trifluoride and chemical exchange in the anisole process of boron isotope separation. The practical use of the studied extraction systems may allow the separation of boron isotopes in the horizontal cascades of centrifugal extractors in the absence of an environmental hazard. (paper)