Mechanical and hydrodynamic behavior of new improved centrifugal extractor for solvent extraction process

Total actinide recovery, lanthanide/actinide separation and the selective partitioning of actinides from high level waste (HLW) are nowadays of a major interest. Actinide partitioning with a view to safe disposing of HLW or utilisation in many various applications of recovered elements involves an extraction process usually by means of mixer-settler, pulse column or centrifugal contactor. This one, presents some doubtless advantages and responds to the above mentioned goals. A new type of counter-current multistage centrifugal extractor has been designed and put in operation. A similar apparatus was not found from in other published papers as yet. The counter-current multi-stage centrifugal extractor was a cylinder made of stainless steel with an effective length of 346 mm, the effective diameter of 100 mm and a volume of 1.5 liters, working in a horizontal position. The new internal structure and geometry of the new advanced centrifugal extractor consisting of nine cells (units), five rotation units, two mixing units, two propelling units and two final plates, ensures the counter-current running of the two phases.The central shaft having the rotation cells fixed on it is coupled by an intermediary connection to a electric motor of high rotation speed. Conceptual layout of the advanced counter-current multi-stage centrifugal extractor is presented. The newly designed extractor has been tested at 500-2800 rot/min for a ratio of the aqueous/organic phase =1 to examine the mechanical behavior and the hydrodynamics of the two phases in countercurrent. The results showed that the performances have been generally good and the design requirements were fulfilled. The newly designed counter-current multistage centrifugal extractor appears to be a promising way to increase extraction rate of radionuclides and metals from liquid effluents. (authors)