GROUPED SEPARATION OF ACTINIDES FROM STRONGLY ACIDIC AQUEOUS PHASE Russian patent published in 2011 - IPC G21C19/46 

FIELD: chemistry.

SUBSTANCE: method for grouped separation of actinides present in a strongly acidic aqueous phase with pH<0, from decay products present in said strongly acidic phase, including lanthanides and yttrium, comprising the following steps: co-extraction of actinides, lanthanides, yttrium and, possibly, several other decay products from the strongly acidic aqueous phase by bringing said phase into contact with an immiscible organic phase which contains a first extractant capable of extracting these elements from the strongly acidic aqueous phase, and a second extractant capable of extracting the same elements from a weakly acidic aqueous phase with pH higher than 0, followed by separation of the strongly acidic aqueous phase from the organic phase; and selective re-extraction of actinides from the organic phase by bringing that organic phase into contact with the weakly acidic aqueous phase containing at least one complexing agent and at least one reducing agent, followed by separation of the weakly acidic aqueous phase from the organic phase.

EFFECT: group of inventions enables to solve the problem of grouped extraction of lanthanides, the problem of phase immiscibility at high concentration of actinides in an acidic aqueous medium and enables to cut consumption of organic reagents owing to increase in the distribution coefficient.

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