"TRU-SANEX": A variation on the EURO-GANEX and i-SANEX processes for heterogeneous recycling of actinides Np-Cm

A novel separation process for recovering transuranic actinides has been tested in centrifugal contactors using a surrogate feed solution. This TRU-SANEX (transuranic element-selective actinide extraction) process uses solvent extraction between nitric acid and an organic phase containing 0.2 mol/L N,N,N,N-tetraoctyl diglycolamide with 0.5 mol/L N,N-dimethyl-N,N-dioctylhexylethoxy-malonamide to co-extract actinides and lanthanides followed by separate sections for plutonium-neptunium and americium-curium stripping. Overall, good performance was achieved with good recoveries of plutonium and americium in the products and only small amounts of cross-contamination between products. Decontamination factors for selected lanthanides in the americium-curium product ranged from similar to 40 to >1300.