Pre-concentration studies of 237 Np using sulphonic acid based actinide™ resin

The absorption studies of the standard 237 Np have been performed using actinide™ resin to standardise the selective separation. The supernatant solution was checked for alpha activity of 237 Np using scintillation counting technique. It was found that more than 95 % of 237 Np was absorbed in the actinide™ resin. The absorbed 237 Np from the actinide™ resin was leached out using isopropyl alcohol. The leached out activity of 237 Np in the isopropyl alcohol was estimated using same alpha scintillation counting technique and was found to be greater than 95 %. The selective absorption of 237 Np resin from the other impurities in actinide™ is helpful in the analytical solution during recycle of fuels as well as in the waste management process. This is very much important because 237 Np is one of the long-lived minor actinides produced from the 238 U( n , 2 n ) reaction followed by beta decay. Thus it is useful for the conventional reactor based on nat U and fast reactor based on U–Pu fuel.