There are many different solvent extraction technologies available to reprocess used nuclear fuel, including the PUREX, TALSPEAK and SANEX processes. Obtaining a molecular scale understanding of actinide speciation in the organic/aqueous phases containing well established extractants (i.e. TBP, DTPA and CyMe4-BTPhen) can assist in accurately describing the mechanism of these separations and in the development of novel separation techniques. In this presentation, we will discuss the use of NMR spectroscopy to probe Np speciation in PUREX extraction systems, to provide an insight into Np-TBP-NO3 complexes present in the organic phase. Additionally, this technique has been used to probe LnIII-DTPA interactions, and lanthanide and actinide speciation with the CyMe4-BTPhen extractant ligand in organic solvents. It is envisaged that the information gained on actinide speciation in the organic/aqueous phases could feed into quantitative models, which will be used to explore different options for fuel reprocessing.

Understanding molecular speciation of actinides in solvent extraction processes

245th National Meeting (2013)

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