EXTRACTION OF TRIVALENT TRANSPLUTONIUM ELEMENTS BY HIGH-MOLECULAR-WEIGHT AMINES FROM ACID-SOLUTIONS

Adding complexing "unsaturated" 11th-and 17th-order heteropolycompounds at trace concentrations (10(-4)-10(-3) M) to the aqueous phase makes it possible to extract trivalent transplutonium elements (TPE) with solutions of alkylamines from acid solutions. Primary and secondary amines practically quantitatively extract trivalent TPE from sufficiently concentrated mineral acid solutions. From dilute mineral acid solutions (0.05-0.1 M), trivalent TPE are 80-90% extracted by tertiary alkylamines; from 0.1 M HCl, more than 65% by quaternary ammonium salts.