CONCENTRATION AND DECONTAMINATION OF SOLUTIONS CONTAINING PLUTONIUM VALUES BY BISMUTH PHOSPHATE CARRIER PRECIPITATION METHODS

Patent · Tue Aug 23 00:00:00 EDT 1960

OSTI ID:4144532

Seaborg, G T; Thompson, S G

A process is given for isolating plutonium present in the tetravalent state in an aqueous solution together with fission products. First, the plutonium and fission products are coprecipitated on a bismuth phosphate carrier. The precipitate obtained is dissolved, and the plutonium in the solution is oxidized to the hexavalent state (with ceric nitrate, potassium dichromate, Pb/ sub 3/O/sub 4/, sodium bismuthate and/or potassium dichromate). Thereafter a carrier for fission products is added (bismuth phosphate, lanthanum fluoride, ceric phosphate, bismuth oxalate, thorium iodate, or thorium oxalate), and the fission-product precipitation can be repeated with one other of these carriers. After removal of the fission-product-containing precipitate or precipitates. the plutonium in the supernatant is reduced to the tetravalent state (with sulfur dioxide, hydrogen peroxide. or sodium nitrate), and a carrier for tetravalent plutonium is added (lanthanum fluoride, lanthanum hydroxide, lanthanum phosphate, ceric phosphate, thorium iodate, thorium oxalate, bismuth oxalate, or niobium pentoxide). The plutonium-containing precipitate is then dissolved in a relatively small volume of liquid so as to obtain a concentrated solution. Prior to dissolution, the bismuth phosphate precipitates first formed can be metathesized with a mixture of sodium hydroxide and potassium carbonate and plutonium-containing lanthanum fluorides with alkali-metal hydroxide. In the solutions formed from a plutonium-containing lanthanum fluoride carrier the plutonium can be selectively precipitated with a peroxide after the pH was adjusted preferably to a value of between 1 and 2. Various combinations of second, third, and fourth carriers are discussed.

• Research Organization: Originating Research Org. not identified
• NSA Number: NSA-14-025582
• Assignee: U.S. Atomic Energy Commission
• Patent Number(s): US 2950168
• OSTI ID: 4144532
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-60
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CHEMISTRY
ACIDITY
BISMUTH COMPOUNDS
BISMUTH PHOSPHATES
CERIUM NITRATES
CHROMATES
DECONTAMINATION
FISSION PRODUCTS
HYDROGEN PEROXIDES
IODATES
LANTHANUM COMPOUNDS
LANTHANUM FLUORIDES
LEAD OXIDES
NIOBIUM OXIDES
OXALATES
PLUTONIUM
POTASSIUM CARBONATES
PRECIPITATION
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SODIUM HYDROXIDES
SODIUM NITRATES
SOLUTIONS
SULFUR OXIDES
THORIUM COMPOUNDS