Extraction of Plutonium with N-Benzoyl-Phenyl-Hydroxylamine

Abstract

In this work the extraction of plutonium from aqueous solutions has been studied by means of a cupferron analog, N-benzoyl-phenyl-hydroxylamine (BPH), dissolved in chloroform. Plutonium in the tetravalent state can be extracted from HCl-citric acid solutions in the presence of NaN02 in the studied ph range, i. e. from 0 to 4.3. For a 0.4 BPH concentration the maximum distribution coefficient is 4 103 at a ph of 1.2. Alpha-emitters which are not tetravalent, U(VI),Np(V) and Am(III), are not extracted under these conditions. Pu(lV) can also be extracted from HC104-citric acid solutions with distribution coefficients higher than 250 in the range between 4.5 M acid and ph 4.7, the maximum value being 3.5 103 at ph 0.25. The influence of other variables on the distribution coefficient has also been studied, such as stabilizing agents (NaN02, K2Cr20 7), contacting time, and the concentration o f BPH in the organic phase.