Preparation of selective extractive resins for Nb, Fe and Ni

Applications of nuclear energy generate a wide variety of radioactive waste which must be treated for disposal. Radioisotopes of interest in the nuclear industry are Ni-63, Nb-94 and Fe-55, with half-lives of 100.1, 2,737 to 20,300 respectively, so these radioisotopes require separation and isolation to be quantified these radionuclides contain long half-lives so characteristic which makes it difficult to separate. To perform this work chromatographic extraction, which is based on the combination of liquid-liquid extraction and partition chromatography makes. For the adsorption of Ni, Nb and Fe extractive resins prepared using as inert supports Amberlite®XAD4 and Polytetrafluoroethylene (Ptfe) impregnated in Tributyl phosphate extractants (Tbp) and methyl isobutyl ketone (Mibk), the extraction solvent used was HCl. In the preparation of the extractive resin contacted the inert carrier with the extractant, obtaining resins. Amberlite®XAD4 / Tbp, Amberlite®XAD4 / Mibk, Ptfe / Tbp and Ptfe / Mibk at different concentrations of Tbp and Mibk, another variable was different concentrations of HCl. Coefficients Kd distribution and the percentage extraction for retention of each of the metals and propose methodologies separation, for this extractive resins were introduced in chromatographic and variable columns were determined was the elution medium to different concentrations in the case of HCl. The inert supports were characterized by: X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (Sem), Raman Spectrometry and Infrared (IR), to determine the structural change. The tests in this work were performed using radiotracers Ni-65 Nb-95 and Fe-59, as the times of half-lives are shorter: 2.51 h, 35 days, 45.5 days, respectively, are emitters easily quantifiable gamma spectrometry gamma and these radioisotopes behave chemically like any isotope Ni, Nb and Fe. (author)