Synthesis and evaluation of actinide imprinted resins

Organic resins have previously shown good results with application to actinide separations. Large portions of recent research have been dedicated to the synthesis and evaluation of resins with phenolic-type functional groups. Other recent chemical research with lighter metals has developed a technique known as ion imprinting which can provide greater selectivity for the target metal ion. Initial work with ion imprinting and phenolic-type resins has shown these two areas to be largely incompatible. Identifying the ion imprinting technique as potentially the more valuable of the two, further work was undertaken with resins that incorporate a carboxylic acid-type functionality. These new resins are synthesized via a radical polymerization method, which proved to be very compatible with both actinides and the ion imprinting procedure. Polymer-based resins were synthesized without a metal template as well as ion imprinted, or templated, with U(VI), Th(IV), Np(V), and a resin for use with Am(III). Each of these resins were individually characterized and evaluated for use with their respective target metals. Characterization provides a means of comparing theoretical binding capacities of various resins, which the evaluations define the binding characteristics of interest (capacity, selectivity, kinetics, etc.). Based on the initial results for the selectivity of the U(VI) and Th(IV) ions, a new type of resin was developed in an effort to further increase the selectivity of the resin for the target metal ion. This new resin, known as a "capped" resin, seeks to remove the binding capability of any potential binding sites not involved in the ion imprinting process.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Nuclear Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2003

Author dc:creator

• Noyes, Karen Lynn, 1977-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Kenneth R. Czerwinski.

• Nuclear Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/30012

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/30012