Purification system of gram-amount neptunium using anion exchange chromatography

To develop a purification system of gram-amount neptunium using anion exchange chromatography, adsorption elution of excess amount of actinium in 6M HNO3 aqueous solution was studied using thorium and uranium tracer. The partition coefficient (Kd) of Th (IV) decreased from Kd=99.1 of tracer to Kd=44.0, 5% load. By decreasing the partition coefficient, we can wash until 30 Vs under the purification conditions of 1% load and 95% recovery. The retention volume of U (IV) was about 300 Vs, a large value. The partition coefficient of Np (IV) may be larger than it and the large amount of washable eluting solution may be obtained. Washing of impurity of 3d transition metal and actinide (VI) can be done until 20Vs. With washing of 150Vs, impurity of alkali earth metal, metals (III) and platinum group metals decreased less than 0.1%. (S.Y.)