Use of β-diketones for isolation and separation of elements in carbonate media

Uranium, thorium, plutonium, americium, curium, berkelium, californium, europium and cerium extraction from K2CO3 and KHCO3 solutions is studied using TTA and PMBP in MIBK and extracted compound composition is determined. It is shown, that β-diketones isolate many elements quite completely under certain conditions in a wide range of carbonate-ion concentration and actinide extraction decreases in Me(3) > Me(4) > Me(6) series, while trivalent TPE extraction decreases in Am > Cm > Cf > Bk succession. Since the increase of carbonate-ion concentration produces a lower effect on americium and curium extraction than on the extraction of uranium, plutonium and others, this fact predetermines a possibility to use the system investigated not only for actinide extraction but for isolating trivalent americium and curium from the element series. Factors of Am(3) and U(6), Am(3) and Pu(4), Am(3) and Cs(1) separation are equal respectively to 2x104, 1x105