Alpha and gamma radiolysis of nuclear solvent extraction ligands used for An(III) and Ln(III) separations

Journal article, 2013

The separation of the minor actinides from dissolved nuclear fuel remains a major challenge in developing large-scale waste separations processes. One important criterion is that all these processes must be robust under high acidity and radiation dose conditions. Here we have investigated the TRUEX ligand CMPO in dodecane, comparing the effects of gamma (Co-60) with alpha irradiation using isotopic alpha sources (Cm-244, At-211). The radiolytically-based CMPO decomposition efficiencies are approximately the same for both types of radiolysis, with the overall decomposition being significantly less when this formulation is irradiated in contact with aqueous acid.