Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the selective separation of actinides (III) and lanthanides (III) from a reaction medium containing them. More specifically, the invention permits a selective extraction of actinides (III) by using an aqueous reaction medium containing TcO.sub.4.sup.- pertechnetate ions. The preferred extracting agents are chosen from among picolinamides and their derivatives. A particular use of the process is in the separation of actinides (III) from high activity raffinates produced during the reprocessing of nuclear fuels according to the solvent-based extraction process known as the PUREX process.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the separation of actinides from lanthanides by the selective extraction of the actinides in an organic solvent incorporating a propane diamide.This process consists of adding to the aqueous nitric solution containing the actinides and lanthanides a thiocyanate, e.g. ammonium thiocyanate, followed by the contacting of said solution with an organic solvent incorporating at least one propane diamide, e.g. 2-tetradecyl-N,N'-dimethyl-N,N'-dibutyl-propane diamide and optionally a quaternary ammonium salt such as trilauryl methyl ammonium (TMA) thiocyanate or a mixture of quaternary ammonium thiocyanates.This leads to distribution coefficients D.sub.M for the actinides (Am) and the lanthanides (Eu, Ce) making it possible to achieve high actinide/lanthanide separation factors.