An Advanced TALSPEAK Concept for Separating Minor Actinides. Part 2. Flowsheet Test with Actinide-spiked Simulant

An Advanced TALSPEAK (trivalent actinide-lanthanide separations by phosphorus-reagent extraction from aqueous complexes) counter-current flowsheet test was demonstrated using a simulated feed spiked with radionuclides in annular centrifugal contactors. A solvent comprising 2-ethylhexylphosphonic acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester (HEH[EHP] or PC88A) in n-dodecane was used to extract trivalent lanthanides away from the trivalent actinides Am3+ and Cm3+, which were preferentially complexed in a citrate-buffered aqueous phase with N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine-N,N ',N '-triacetic acid (HEDTA). In a 24-stage demonstration test, the trivalent actinides were efficiently separated from the trivalent lanthanides with decontamination factors >1000, demonstrating the excellent performance of the chemical system. Clean actinide and lanthanide product fractions and spent solvent with very low contaminations were obtained. The results of the process test are presented and discussed.