Extraction of radiostrontium from nitric acid medium using di-t-butyl cyclohexano 18crown6 in an aliphatic alcohol mixture diluent

Extraction behaviour of Sr(II) from nitric acid medium was studied employin g di-t-butyl cyclohexano 18 crown 6 (DtBuCH18C6) in various aliphatic alcoh ols as the organic diluents. A mixture of 80% butanol and 20% octanol was f ound to give higher D-Sr values as compared to other alcohols investigated. A linear correlation between the organic phase water content and D-Sr was observed. Extraction profiles obtained with varying ligand concentration su ggested 1:1:2 M:L:NO3- stoichiometry for the extracted species where L is t he crown ether. The two-phase extraction constant value obtained for the pr esent system (k(ex) = 132) was found to be much larger as compared to both DtBuCH18C6-octanol extraction system (k(ex) = 48) and DCH18C6 (dicyclohexan o 18 crown 6)-80% butanol-20% octanol mixture system (k(ex) = 32). Distribu tion behaviour of Sr(II) was studied as a function of the inert electrolyte concentration (such as LINO3, Mg(NO3)(2) and Al(NO3)(3)) and also as a fun ction of mineral acid (such as HCl, HClO4, HNO3) concentration. Selectivity studies on Sr(II) with respect to fission products (obtained from irradiat ed natural uranium target) such as Mo-99, Ce-143, La-140, Ru-103, Te-132, Z r-97, Cs-137, I-133 and Ba-140 were carried out and compared with the corre sponding data obtained with DCH18C6.