Highly efficient separation of Am(III) and Pu(IV) from lean feeds and soil using an extraction chromatographic resin...

A TODGA based extraction chromatographic resin containing an ionic liquid was used for the separation of actinide ions such as Am³⁺ and Pu⁴⁺ from samples such as lean effluents emanating from laboratory waste, environmental water as well as soil samples adjacent to a nuclear plant site. The methodology involved feed adjustment to 3 M HNO₃ followed by conditioning of the column, loading, washing (3 M HNO₃), and elution of the actinide ions. The elution of Am³⁺ was done using EDTA in a buffered medium (1 M guanidine carbonate) while that of Pu⁴⁺ was carried out using a mixture of 0.5 M oxalic acid and 0.5 M HNO₃. The elution peaks were sharp with almost no tailing suggesting the efficiency of the separation method. The results obtained were compared with the literature results which suggested the high efficiency of the present method.