Partitioning of actinides from high-level waste streams of purex process using mixtures of CMPO and TBP in dodecane

Abstract The extraction of actinides from high active aqueous raffinate waste (HAW) as well as high-level waste (HLW) solutions arising from Purex processing of thermal reactor fuels has been studied using a mixture of octyl(phenyl)-N N-diisobutylcarbamoyl-methylphosphine oxide (CMPO) and TBP in dodecane. The results on the extraction and stripping of actinides, lanthanides, and other fission products are discussed. Optimum conditions are proposed for the efficient recovery of residual actinides from HAW and HLW streams by CMPO extraction followed by their selective stripping with suitable reagents. Experiments on the extraction and separation of actinides and lanthanides by CMPO in the presence of TBP in dodecane have also been carried out with U(VI) and Nd(III) to arrive at the limiting conditions for avoiding third-phase formation.