Effects of Gamma Irradiation on the Extraction Properties of Innovative Stripping Solvents for i-SANEX/GANEX Processes

Recovery of trivalent minor actinides or of the transuranium elements from highly active raffinate could be industrially achieved by innovative Selective ActiNide EXtraction (i-SANEX) and Grouped ActiNide EXtraction (GANEX) processes, respectively. All chemicals involved in the partitioning of actinides must be resistant to acidic and radioactive environments since hydrolysis and radiolysis can have a huge impact on process safety and performance. In this work, the hydrolytic and radiolytic stabilities of two innovative hydrophilic complexing agents, 2,6-bis[1-(propan-1-ol)-triazolyl]pyridine and 2,6-bis[1-(propan-1,2-diol-triazolyl)]pyridine, have been investigated as they proved to be endowed with high actinide selectivity. In order to simulate the damage experienced under process conditions, the stripping solutions were aged in HNO3 for several weeks and γ-irradiated up to 200 kGy with 60Co sources. Batch liquid-liquid extraction tests were performed on fresh, aged, and irradiated stripping solutions in order to verify whether aging and γ-irradiation affect system performance. Furthermore, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses were carried out to ascertain the radiation-induced ligand degradation and subsequent byproduct formation. The stripping solutions manifested exceptional performance and radiochemical stability, even under harsh process conditions, to demonstrate their industrial applicability to i-SANEX and GANEX processes.