Studies on the radiolytic degradation of n,n-dioctyl-2 hydroxyacetamide using dynamic light scattering and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy

N,N-di-octyl-2-hydroxyacetamide (DOHyA) has been proposed as a promising candidate for separation of trivalent actinides from high level liquid waste (HLLW) due to its modifier free extraction of metal ions as well as efficient back extraction of loaded metal ions at comparatively higher acidities (> 0.5 M HNO₃). The radiation stability of this new class of extractant was comparable to that of diglycolamides. Studies on aggregation behavior by dynamic light scattering (DLS) have shown that formation of smaller reverse micellar aggregates in organic phase of DOHyA systems resulted in less interactions between these aggregates and resisted third phase formation in this system during loading of nitric acid as well as metal ions. In the present study, solutions of 0.4 M DOHyA in n-dodecane were subjected to static irradiation of gamma rays up to an absorbed dose of 750 kGy and the samples were then analyzed by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering after extraction of Nd(III) ions from 4 M nitric acid solutions. The variation in IR absorption bands and average sizes of reverse micellar aggregates in the organic phase of DOHyA during the extraction of Nd(III) ions were measured as a function of absorbed dose at intervals of 100 kGy, 500 kGy and 750 kGy