Acid-Stimulated Radiolysis of Tributyl Phosphate Using Different Hydrocarbon Solvents

The radiolytic formation of phosphorus-containing products in an acidified solution of tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP, 30 wt %) has been studied depending on the diluting alkane (from C₆ to C₁₅). The presence of nitric acid (0.52 mol/L) suppresses the formation of alkyl phosphonates and alkyl phosphates, but causes the effective formation of nitro and hydroxy derivatives of TBP. The longer the carbon chain of the alkane, the higher the yield of products formed by the combination of ȮН and ṄO₂ with the parent alkyl radicals, but the lower the yield of products containing fragment radicals. Although the composition of the radiolysis products depends on the alkane diluent used, this has almost no effect on the overall TBP degradation efficiency (about 90 nmol/J).