Extraction chromatography based separation of zirconium(IV) from simulated high-level liquid waste using N,N-di-octyl-2-hydroxyacetamide impregnated amberlite XAD-7 resin

Selective separation of zirconium(IV), from the simulated high-level liquid waste solution containing uranium(VI) and trivalent lanthanides, during reprocessing of fast reactor metal fuel was studied by extraction chromatography using N,N-di-octyl-2-hydroxyacetamide (DOHyA) impregnated on to Amberlite XAD-7 resin. The extraction behavior of Zr(IV), Nd(III) and U(VI) with varying concentrations of nitric acid was explored using a solvent impregnated resin with different compositions of DOHyA in XAD-7 [10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 (w/w) %]. The resin exhibited faster kinetics with more than 99 % recovery of Zr(IV) and with an apparent Langmuir adsorption capacity of ∼54 mg.g−1of Zr(IV) on to the resin phase. Quantitative (> 99%) and selective extraction of Zr(IV) with minimum loading of other trivalents and uranium was observed during column chromatography. Results of the study showed that Zr(IV) can be selectively separated in presence of trivalent lanthanides and U(VI).