Plutonium-uranium separation in the Purex process using mixtures of hydroxylamine nitrate and ferrous sulfamate

Technical Report · Tue Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1983

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5521282· OSTI ID:5521282

McKibben, J. M.; Chostner, D. F.; Orebaugh, E. G.

Laboratory studies, followed by plant operation, established that a mixture of hydroxylamine nitrate (HAN) and ferrous sulfamate (FS) is superior to FS used alone as a reductant for plutonium in the Purex first cycle. FS usage has been reduced by about 70% (from 0.12 to 0.04M) compared to the pre-1978 period. This reduced the volume of neutralized waste due to FS by 194 liters/metric ton of uranium (MTU) processed. The new flowsheet also gives lower plutonium losses to waste and at least comparable fission product decontamination. To achieve satisfactory performance at this low concentration of FS, the acidity in the 1B mixer-settler was reduced by using a split-scrub - a low acid scrub in stage one and a higher acid scrub in stage three - to remove acid from the solvent exiting the 1A centrifugal contactor. 8 references, 14 figures, 1 table.

• Research Organization: Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-76SR00001
• OSTI ID: 5521282
• Report Number(s): DP-1656; ON: DE84004298
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
PLUTONIUM
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
URANIUM
FLOWSHEETS
HYDROXYLAMINE
IRON COMPOUNDS
NITRIC ACID ESTERS
PLUTONIUM COMPLEXES
PUREX PROCESS
SULFAMIC ACID
URANIUM COMPLEXES
ACTINIDE COMPLEXES
ACTINIDES
AMINES
COMPLEXES
DIAGRAMS
ELEMENTS
ESTERS
EXTRACTION
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
METALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
REPROCESSING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSURANIUM COMPLEXES
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
050800* - Nuclear Fuels- Spent Fuels Reprocessing
400105 - Separation Procedures