Events at The University of Manchester
  • University home
  • Events
  • Home
  • Exhibitions
  • Conferences
  • Lectures and seminars
  • Performances
  • Events for prospective students
  • Sustainability events
  • Family events
  • All Events

Dalton Seminar Series: Interfacial Kinetic Studies of Advanced Spent Nuclear Fuel Recycle Processes

Dates:12 October 2016
Times:13:00 - 14:00
What is it:Seminar
Organiser:Dalton Nuclear Institute
Who is it for:University staff, Adults, Current University students
Speaker:Professor Colin Boxall,
See travel and contact information
Add to your calendar

Other events

  • In category "Seminar"
  • By Dalton Nuclear Institute

Nuclear power is of great importance to the future of low carbon energy production and the ability to separate and recover the actinide elements from spent fuel is a key requirement for a sustainable nuclear fuel cycle. While the extraction of U and Pu for the fabrication of new fuel is well established with the PUREX process, recovery of the actinides, and their separation from the chemically similar lanthanides, remains challenging.

A range of new organic extractant molecules, such as N,N,N’,N’’ tetraoctyl diglycolamide (TODGA), have been developed for the recovery of trivalent actinides through solvent extraction processes in the context of advanced spent nuclear fuel recycle processes such as the GANEX and i-SANEX processes. For safe implementation at industrial scale, it is important that the ligands and their resultant f-block element complexes be well characterised with new understanding required for the associated chemical extraction mechanisms and kinetics.

Consequently, a study of the interfacial and mass transport kinetics of cerium extraction by TODGA has been conducted using a rotating diffusion cell (RDC) apparatus. The RDC comprises two solution phases which are separated by a defined area membrane interface and subjected constant rotation. This rotation establishes controlled hydrodynamic flow and well characterised boundary / diffusion layer conditions within each solution phase, facilitating the study of both diffusion and kinetic contributions to the rate of mass-transfer and the interrogation of the mechanism of extraction.

Studies to date have revealed significant insights into the Ce(III) / TODGA extraction system, indicating an interesting dependency on local hydrodynamics at the solution phase boundary with the key complexation reaction occurring in the aqueous phase. The extraction rate of Ce(III) has been shown to correlate with aqueous Ce(III) while the simultaneous extraction of HNO3 by TODGA is also demonstrated. The use of HNO3-pre-contacted TODGA indicates that the extraction of the acid may be inhibitive towards the continued extraction of metal ions and warrants further investigation.

A theoretical description of the Ce(III) / TODGA RDC system has been developed and combined with spectrometric quantification of the interfacial flux allowing for the determination of several key rate parameters including both the forward / complexation and back / decomplexation reaction rates, the aqueous decomplexation length and the interfacial rate constant.

Speakers

Professor Colin Boxall

Role: The Lloyd’s Register Foundation Centre for the Safety of Nuclear Energy

Organisation: Lancaster University

Travel and Contact Information

Find event

G.54
Chemistry Building
Manchester

Contact event

Natalie Thompson-Vassel

+44 (0) 161 275 4263

natalie.thompson-vassel@manchester.ac.uk

Contact us

  • +44 (0) 161 306 6000

Find us

The University of Manchester
Oxford Rd
Manchester
M13 9PL
UK

Connect with the University

  • Facebook page for The University of Manchester
  • X (formerly Twitter) page for The University of Manchester
  • YouTube page for The University of Manchester
  • Instagram page for The University of Manchester
  • TikTok page for The University of Manchester
  • LinkedIn page for The University of Manchester

  • Privacy /
  • Copyright notice /
  • Accessibility /
  • Freedom of information /
  • Charitable status /
  • Royal Charter Number: RC000797
  • Close menu
  • Home
    • Featured events
    • Today's events
    • The Whitworth events
    • Manchester Museum events
    • Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre events
    • Martin Harris Centre events
    • The John Rylands Library events
    • Exhibitions
    • Conferences
    • Lectures and seminars
    • Performances
    • Events for prospective students
    • Sustainability events
    • Family events
    • All events