Development of a process for the separation of MA(III) from Ln(III) fission products using HONTA impregnated adsorbent

To minimize the use of organic solvents and achieve a selective adsorption separation of minor actinides (MA(III)) and Ln(III), adsorbents consisting of SiO2-P particles impregnated with hexaoctylnitrilotriacetamide (HONTA) were prepared. Batch experiments were performed to evaluate the adsorption properties of the HONTA/SiO2-P adsorbent for MA(III) and simulated fission products in HNO3 solution. The uniform distribution of Eu(III) on the adsorbent was confirmed via particle-induced X-ray emission analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that EuNO3 was the adsorbed species. This study provides a simplified process for the separation of MA(III) using a HONTA/SiO2-P-packed column.