Extraction chromatography studies using camphor-bistriazinyl pyridine impregnated resins for americium separation from europium

Camphor-bistriazinyl pyridine (bis-2,6-(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5,9,9-trimethyl-5,8-methano-1,2,4-benzotriazin-3-yl) pyridine (CA-BTP)) was synthesized and used to prepare two different resins for extraction chromatography studies. CA-BTP/XAD-7 resin was prepared by the direct sorption of the extractant CA-BTP onto the inert XAD-7 support. In contrast, CA-BTP-Oct/XAD-7 resin was prepared such that a polar diluent 1-octanol was incorporated along with the extractant CA-BTP into the resin beads. The extraction performance of both these resins was investigated in batch studies to separate Am(III) from Eu(III) in acidic nitrate solutions. Comparing the results obtained for both the resins indicated that CA-BTP-Oct/XAD-7 resin has better selectivity for Am(III) over Eu(III). In extraction chromatography, the separation of Am(III) from Eu(III) was demonstrated using CA-BTP-Oct/XAD-7 resin. Am(III) was quantitatively recovered from the column with a Eu(III) contamination of only 9%.