Recovery of plutonium from uranium analytical waste solution containing phosphate using 2-ethylhexyl 2-ethylhexyl phosphonic acid (PC88A)

The isolation of plutonium from simulated uranium analytical waste solution was studied using 2-ethylhexyl 2-ethylhexyl phosphonic acid (PC88A) in dodecane. The batch distribution data obtained from aqueous phase containing sulphuric, nitric and phosphoric acids showed that further addition of nitric acid results in higher distribution values for plutonium(IV). In the present study plutonium was recovered from several litres of the waste solution without adding any acid using PC88A. The plutonium extracted into the organic phase was stripped using 1M oxalic acid containing 0.2M ascorbic acid.