Recovery of plutonium from electrorefining anode heels at Savannah River
In a joint effort, the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL), Savannah River Plant (SRP), and the Rocky Flats Plant (RFP) have developed two processes to recover plutonium from electrorefining anode heel residues. Aqueous dissolution of anode heel metal was demonstrated at SRL on a laboratory scale and on a larger pilot scale using either sulfamic acid or nitric acid-hydrazine-fluoride solutions. This direct anode heel metal dissolution requires the use of a geometrically favorable dissolver. The second process developed involves first diluting the plutonium in the anode heel residues by alloying with aluminum. The alloyed anode heel plutonium can then be dissolved using a nitric acid-fluoride-mercury(II) solution in large non-geometrically favorable equipment where nuclear safety is ensured by concentration control.
- Research Organization:
- Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-76SR00001
- OSTI ID:
- 6530313
- Report Number(s):
- DP-1732; ON: DE87010561
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products. Original copy available until stock is exhausted
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
PLUTONIUM
PURIFICATION
RECOVERY
ALUMINIUM ALLOYS
ANODES
DISSOLUTION
ELECTROREFINING
PLUTONIUM ALLOYS
RESIDUES
ROCKY FLATS PLANT
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
ACTINIDE ALLOYS
ACTINIDES
ALLOYS
ELECTRODES
ELECTROLYSIS
ELEMENTS
LYSIS
METALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
PROCESSING
REFINING
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
050800* - Nuclear Fuels- Spent Fuels Reprocessing