Separation Science and Technology, Vol.53, No.3, 503-512, 2018
Efficient co-extraction of strontium and cesium from nitric acid medium by mixtures of di-tert-butylcyclohexano-18-crown-6 and 1,3-di(2-propoxy)calix[4]arene-crown-6 in n-octanol
The co-extraction of strontium and cesium from nitric acid medium by di-tert-butylcyclohexano-18-crown-6 (DtBuCH18C6) and 1,3-di(2-propoxy)calix[4]arene-crown-6 (iPr-C[4]C-6) in n-octanol was studied. The effects of contact time, nitric acid concentration, extractant concentration and temperature on the co-extraction behavior were systematically investigated. Effective extraction of the two metals was achieved under a variety of conditions. The co-extraction from a simulated high-level liquid waste (HLLW) was also conducted, and strontium and cesium could be selectively extracted in the presence of a large number of other metals. Results in this work illustrate the feasibility of partitioning radioactive strontium and cesium simultaneously from HLLW by a mixture of DtBuCH18C6 and iPr-C[4]C-6 in n-octanol.