Application of Methylated Diglycolamides in the EURO-GANEX Process

Several processes for the treatment of used nuclear fuel are currently studied within the European Commission Horizon 2020 project GENIORS (grant agreement No. 730227). One option is the EURO-GANEX (Grouped Actinide Extraction) process, which aims at separating the actinides as a group without separation of individual actinides and without the need of valence state adjustment. A process based on TODGA and DMDOHEMA has successfully been demonstrated in the former SACSESS project on genuine fuel solution.[1] We currently study a new solvent system based on the methylated diglycolamide mTDDGA, in order to simplify the solvent composition and the whole process.[2] In this paper process development studies are presented, including detailed analyses of the extraction mechanism and complex formation of different diastereomers of mTDDGA and its related analogue Me2-TODGA[3], as well as the radiolytic stability of the ligand.[1] R. Taylor, M. Carrott, H. Galan, A. Geist, X. Hères, C. Maher, C. Mason, R. Malmbeck, M. Miguirditchian, G. Modolo, C. Rhodes, M. Sarsfield, A. Wilden, Procedia Chem. 2016, 21, 524-529.[2] R. Malmbeck, D. Magnusson, A. Geist, J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. 2017, 314, 2531-2538.[3] A. Wilden, P. M. Kowalski, L. Klaß, B. Kraus, F. Kreft, G. Modolo, Y. Li, J. Rothe, K. Dardenne, A. Geist, A. Leoncini, J. Huskens, W. Verboom, Chem. Eur. J. 2019