Separation of neptunium and plutonium from acidic medium using 3-phenyl-4-benzoyl-5-isoxazolone

The extraction behaviour of plutonium (IV) and neptunium (IV) was studied from nitric as well as hydrochloric acid employing 3-phenyl-4-benzoyl-5-isoxazolone (PBI) in toluene as the extractant. The forward extraction in hydrochloric acid medium was carried out in presence of several holding oxidants out of which ammonium meta vanadate was found to give the best results. The stripping behaviour of Np and Pu was studied employing a variety of reagents out of which 0.1 M hydroquinione in 1 : 1 HCI was the most promising. The separation of Np from Pu under simulated conditions was attempted from hydrochloric acid medium giving a decontamination factor value of > 10(4) and similar to 60% Pu recovery.