Separation and preconcentration of actinides from concentrated nitric acid by extraction chromatography in microsystems

Abstract An original method of monolith impregnation in microsystem for the analysis of radionuclides in nitric acid is reported. Three microcolumns made of monolith poly(AMA- co -EDMA) were impregnated in COC microsystems. The robustness of the microsystems in nitric acid media until 8 M was demonstrated. High exchange capacity and affinity for tetravalent and hexavalent actinides in concentrated nitric media were obtained. The retention characteristics of the microcolumns impregnated by TBP, TBP-CMPO and DAAP were compared with those of the equivalent commercial particulate resins TBP™, TRU™ and UTEVA™ respectively. The separation of U, Th and Eu was validated in a classical microsystem and a procedure is proposed in a centrifugal microsystem.