Role of Phase Modifiers in Controlling the Third-phase Formation During the Solvent Extraction of Trivalent Actinides

Diglycolamides have been proposed for partitioning of trivalent actinides from high-level liquid waste (HLLW). Third-phase formation is an undesirable event during the course of solvent extraction of trivalent actinides from HLLW into the solution of N,N,N’,N’-tetra(2-ethylhexyl)diglycolamide (TEHDGA) in n-dodecane (n-DD). Polar reagents such as tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP), and N,N-dihexyloctanamide (DHOA) have been added to the TEHDGA phase, as...