Highly efficient separation of Am(III) and Pu(IV) from lean feeds and soil using an extraction chromatographic resin containing a diglycolamide in an ionic liquid.

A TODGA based extraction chromatographic resin containing an ionic liquid was used for the separation of actinide ions such as Am3+ and Pu4+ from samples such as lean effluents emanating from laboratory waste, environmental water as well as soil samples adjacent to a nuclear plant site. The methodology involved feed adjustment to 3 M HNO3 followed by conditioning of the column, loading, washing (3 M HNO3), and elution of the actinide ions. The elution of Am3+ was done using EDTA in a buffered medium (1 M guanidine carbonate) while that of Pu4+ was carried out using a mixture of 0.5 M oxalic acid and 0.5 M HNO3. The elution peaks were sharp with almost no tailing suggesting the efficiency of the separation method. The results obtained were compared with the literature results which suggested the high efficiency of the present method.