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

Talanta. 2018 Aug 1:185:586-591. doi: 10.1016/j.talanta.2018.04.036. Epub 2018 Apr 10.

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.

Keywords: DAAP; Microfluidics; Monolithic stationary phase; Nuclear spent fuel; Radiochemistry; TBP.