Purex: process and equipment performance
The Purex process is the solvent extraction system that uses tributyl phosphate as the extractant for separating uranium and plutonium from irradiated reactor fuels. Since the first flowsheet was proposed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 1950, the process has endured for over 30 years with only minor modifications. The spread of the technology was rapid, and worldwide use or research on Purex-type processes was reported by the time of the 1955 Geneva Conference. The overall performance of the process has been so good that there are no serious contenders for replacing it soon. This paper presents: process description; equipment performance (mixer-settlers, pulse columns, rapid contactors); fission product decontamination; solvent effects (solvent degradation products); and partitioning of uranium and plutonium.
- Research Organization:
- Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Lab.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-76SR00001
- OSTI ID:
- 5542468
- Report Number(s):
- DP-MS-86-28; CONF-860921-2; ON: DE86008903
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: ISEC '86: international solvent extraction conference, Munich, F.R. Germany, 11 Sep 1986; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
PUREX PROCESS
DECONTAMINATION
EXTRACTION COLUMNS
FISSION PRODUCTS
MIXER-SETTLERS
PARTITION
PLUTONIUM
TBP
URANIUM
ACTINIDES
BUTYL PHOSPHATES
CLEANING
ELEMENTS
ESTERS
EXTRACTION APPARATUSES
ISOTOPES
MATERIALS
METALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
PHOSPHORIC ACID ESTERS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
REPROCESSING
SEPARATION EQUIPMENT
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
050800* - Nuclear Fuels- Spent Fuels Reprocessing
400105 - Separation Procedures