Transient- and steady-state concentration profiles in a DIAMEX-like countercurrent process for an(III)+Ln(III) separation

A new version of the DIAMEX (DIAMide EXtraction) process is reported to sep arate trivalent Am,Cm (An) and lanthanides (Ln) from a PUREX (Plutonium Ura nium Refining by EXtraction by tributyl phosphate) process raffinate at a h igh aqueous/extractant flow-rate ratio while taking care of prevent third-p hase formation. The process has been modeled by a computer program and test ed on a 16-stage mixer/settler battery to perform extraction, scrubbing, an d stripping to obtain an Am (representing the mixture of Am + Cm) decontami nation factor (feed/raffinate) higher than 10(3) and a Mo + Zr fission prod uct content in the product lower than 1 wt% of that of Am. Transient and st eady-state concentration profiles of the solutes have been calculated and e xperimentally determined, and good agreement was generally observed.