Novel Fission Product Separation Based on Room-Temperature Ionic liquids

Hussey, Charles L.

University of Mississippi

关键词: 54 Environmental Sciences;    36 Materials Science;    Wastes;    Tri-N-Butylmethylammonium Bis[(Trifluoromethyl)Sulfonyl]Imide;    Dicyclohexano-18-Crown-6;   

DOI  :  10.2172/859442
RP-ID  :  DOE/ER/63286
RP-ID  :  FG07-01ER63286
RP-ID  :  859442

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

The effective extraction of Cs+ and Sr2+ into a relatively new and heretofore untested hydrophobic ionic liquid, tri-n-butylmethylammonium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide was demonstrated with calix[4]arene-bis(tert-octylbenzo-crown-6) and dicyclohexano-18-crown-6, respectively. The coordinated Cs+ and Sr2+ were subsequently removed from the ionic liquid extraction solvent by an electrochemical reduction process carried out at mercury electrodes. This process is non-destructive, permitting the ionic liquid and ionophores to be recycled. Although the process is based on mercury electrodes, this is a benefit rather than a detriment because the liquid mercury containing the Cs and Sr can be easily transported to another electrochemical cell where the Cs and Sr could be electrochemically recovered from the mercury amalgam and concentrated into a minimum volume of water or some other inexpensive solvent. This should facilitate the development of a suitable waste form for the extracted Cs+ and Sr2+. Thus, the feasibility of the proposed ionic liquid-based extraction cycle for the removal of 137Cs+ and 90Sr2+ from simulated aqueous tank waste was demonstrated.