The present paper compares the abilities of purified Cyanex 301, Cyanex 302 and Cyanex 272 acids to extract and separate Am-241 from Eu-152. Very high separation factors were observed when using Cyanex 301 acid after its purification through the precipitation of its ammonium salt in benzene. Some studies on synergistic mixtures, containing both purified Cyanex 301 acid and tri-n-butylphosphate (TBP), are also described. The stoichiometry of the adducts extracted in the organic phase was estimated through slopes analyses: unexpectedly, different results were observed for 241Am(III) and for Eu-152(III). (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.