Pertraction of plutonium in the + 4 oxidation state through a supported liquid membrane containing TODGA as the carrier Original Research Article

Extraction as well as transport behaviour of plutonium in the + 4 oxidation state was investigated using N,N,NʹN′-tetraoctyl diglycolamide (TODGA) in n-dodecane as the extractant. The effects of holding oxidant (NaNO2) and kinetics of extraction and stripping were investigated. Studies involving varying extractant concentration suggested extraction of species of the type, Pu(NO3)4·3 TODGA. The Supported Liquid Membrane (SLM) studies carried out from a feed containing 3.0 M HNO3 into a receiver phase containing 0.1 M oxalic acid using 0.1 M TODGA in n-dodecane indicated ∼ 98% transport of Pu4+ in 6 h. Effects of feed acidity and carrier concentration were also investigated and the diffusion coefficient was calculated from membrane thickness variation experiments as 7.66 × 10−7 cm2/s. The membrane stability was reasonably good up to 5 days beyond which a decrease in the transport rates was observed. Effect of irradiation dose on the carrier was also found to be significant on the transport rates beyond an absorbed dose of 15 MRad.