SOLUTION CHEMISTRY OF ELEMENT-104 .2. LIQUID-LIQUID EXTRACTIONS WITH TRIBUTYLPHOSPHATE

Liquid-liquid extractions of element 104 (Rf), Zr, Nb, Hf, Th, and Pu( IV) were conducted using tributylphosphate (TBP) in benzene. Initial s tudies were conducted using Zr-95 and Nb-95. The effect of TBP, HCl, c hloride, and hydrogen ion concentrations on Zr and Nb extraction was e xamined. Based on the results from these experiments, it was decided t o examine Rf extraction into 0.25 M TBP in benzene as a function of HC l, chloride, and hydrogen ion concentrations between 8 and 12 M. Studi es of these extraction conditions were carried out using Zr-95, Hf169, Tb-228, Pu-238, and Rf261. The 65-second Rf261 was produced via the C m-248(O-18,5n) reaction at the 88-Inch Cyclotron at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. The results show that extraction for these elements increa ses or remains high as a function of HCl concentration. However, in th e experiments in which the chloride and hydrogen ion were varied, Rf e xtraction differed from that of the group 4 elements and behaved more like Pu(IV).