Studies on extraction of actinides by unsymmetrical diamylbutyl phosphonate

This paper reports the extraction behavior of uranium and thorium by diamylbutyl phosphonate (DABP). This extractant was synthesized, characterized by various techniques like carbon and hydrogen analysis, IR, NMR (¹H, ¹³C and ³¹P) and mass spectra. This paper reports the physicochemical properties like density and viscosity of this ligand. The tracer and macro extraction of uranium and thorium and stoichiometry of the extracted species of actinides by DABP is presented in this paper. This compound is an unsymmetrical phosphonate and is compared with symmetrical member of the same family, diamylamyl phosphonate (DAAP) and a member of trialkyl phosphate family, viz. tributyl phosphate (TBP).