后处理Purex流程有机相料液HDBP总含量分析

Determination of Total HDBP in Organic Solvent from Purex Process for Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing

  • 摘要: 磷酸二丁酯(HDBP)是核燃料后处理Purex流程所采用的萃取剂磷酸三丁酯(TBP)的降解产物,有机相料液中HDBP的含量对流程运行及技术指标均有显著影响。本文针对HDBP在有机相料液中可能以络合态甚至以金属离子桥连的聚合态存在的问题,按照先进行化学处理,将其统一为HDBP分子形态再进行定量分析的思路,建立了一种快速、简便的Purex流程有机相料液中HDBP总含量的分析方法。模拟及久置有机相料液的金属离子洗脱及HDBP含量测定的实验结果表明,通过磷酸配位及Fe2+还原的共同作用,H3PO4-FeSO4溶液可将有机相料液中保留的钚和铀定量转移到水相,从而将其中的HDBP统一为HDBP分子并保留在有机相。所建立的Purex流程有机相料液中HDBP总含量分析流程中,化学处理过程HDBP的化学回收率为96.62%。理论上该流程适用于所有工艺段有机相料液。采用新鲜铀、钚含量高的料液以及久置的废有机相料液对该分析流程进行验证,验证结果表明,H3PO4-FeSO4溶液对料液中铀钚的洗脱率均能达到99%以上,久置料液HDBP浓度分析的加标回收率在95%以上。

     

    Abstract: The Purex process is currently the only commercial process for spent nuclear fuel reprocessing. In Purex process, tributyl phosphate (TBP) and diluent are degraded to form dibutyl phosphate (HDBP) and other radiolytic products, due to the combined effect of irradiation, acid and metal ions catalysis. Among them, HDBP has a non-neglectable effect on the stable operation of the Purex process and products quality specifications. HDBP can form complexes with the metal cations of high effective charge density, such as U(Ⅵ), Pu(Ⅳ) and Zr(Ⅳ), and make them difficult to be stripped thoroughly. And polymeric compounds could be further developed through bridging in the organic solvent, which results in poor Pu stripping effect. Therefore, the accurate determination of HDBP content in the organic solvent is important for guiding the process operation and improving the stripping effect of plutonium. The quantification methods for HDBP, such as gas chromatography, ion chromatography, Raman spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy and phosphomolybdic acid blue colorimetry, have been reported and intensively studied. In this paper, a simple and prompt method for analyzing HDBP content in the organic solvent was conceived, including two steps: chemical pretreatment of organic solvent samples and measuring the HDBP content using ion chromatography. The specific method is as follows. First, a solution of 6.0 mol/L H3PO4-0.1 mol/L FeSO4 was used to elute the organic solvent to remove metal ions and convert the complexed HDBP into non-complexed molecules in the organic solvent. Then, the 1.0 mol/L HCl solution was used to wash the residual H3PO4 in the organic solvent to avoid interference with subsequent quantitative measurement. After that, the non-complexed HDBP in the organic solvent was transferred into aqueous with a relatively high volume of pure water. Finally, the HDBP in the aqueous solution was determined by ion chromatography. The experimental results for the simulated organic solvent samples show that a high elution rate of metal ions from organic solvent can be achieved by elution using the mixed solution of H3PO4 and FeSO4. The single-stage elution rate of uranium and plutonium is both more than 99.5%, and a chemical recovery rate of HDBP of 96.62% for the whole chemical pretreatment process is obtained. The proposed analysis method for HDBP content is theoretically applicable to the organic solvent samples from all units of Purex process. And the proposed procedure was validated using both freshly prepared 1BU sample with high uranium and plutonium content and two kinds of aged organic samples of more than 10 years storage time. The elution rate of uranium and plutonium in the organic solvent samples by H3PO4-FeSO4 solution can reach over 99%, and the recovery rate for the spiking samples of HDBP concentration analysis in the long-term stored solution is over 95%.

     

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