Preferential extraction of 90Y from 90Sr using N,N,N′,N′-tetra-2-ethylhexyl diglycolamide (T2EHDGA) as the extractant

N,N,N′,N′-tetra-2-ethylhexyldiglycolamide (T2EHDGA) has been used for the preferential extraction of 90Y from its mixture with 90Sr from HNO3 as well as HCl medium. The separation efficiencies have been found out under varying experimental conditions. The extracted species were determined from T2EHDGA concentration variation experiments carried out at 3 M nitric acid as well as HCl and were found out to be Y(X3)3·3(TEHDGA)(o) for both the extraction systems, where X = NO3− and Cl−, respectively. Comparison of the T2EHDGA and TODGA based separation methods is also made. In order to avoid third phase formation, iso-decanol has been used as the modifier in all the studies. The modifier content was optimized to 30% for 4 M HCl and 20% for 6 M HNO3 as the feed aqueous phases. Separation schemes were developed for the separation of carrier free 90Y and the purity was checked by the half-life measurement method.