Analysis of Th, U, Pu, and Am in radioactive metal waste using extraction chromatography

A New Method to Analyze 242mAm in Low-Level Radioactive Waste Based on Extraction Chromatography and β-ray Spectrometry

“…9 Trivalent actinide elements are also retained on the TRU resin in nitric acid media but are only minimally retained on the TRU resin in hydrochloric acid solutions, up to a concentration of approximately 5 M. 9 However, trivalent iron significantly interferes with the retention of trivalent actinide on TRU resin in nitric acid. 9,12 Therefore, trivalent iron must be reduced to bivalent iron with a reducing agent such as ascorbic acid in order to retain the trivalent actinide. Since the digested solutions of solidified products contain a significant amount of Fe, excess ascorbic acid was added to the solution to reduce any Fe(III) to Fe(II).…”

“…In this study, two-step extraction chromatography was performed to separate An(III) from a digested solution of simulated LLW. First, An(III) and Ln(III) were separated from the matrix elements and the tetravalent and hexavalent actinide ions using transuranium resin (TRU). − Next, An(III) was separated from Ln(III) using tetravalent actinide resin (TEVA) . A β-ray spectrum of the An(III) fraction was recorded after the secular equilibrium between 239 Np and 243 Am was established.…”