Laboratory studies of the use of uranium(IV) as a plutonium reductant in a Purex process
This report describes laboratory-scale studies made to evaluate the feasibility of using uranium(IV)-hydrazine instead of ferrous sulfamate-sulfamic acid as the partitioning agent in the Hanford Atomic Products Operation Purex separations plant. Iron(II), in combination with sulfamic acid as a holding reductant, has been used very successfully for many years as a plutonium reductant in solvent extraction separation processes for irradiated nuclear fuels. However, the iron remains in the radioactive wastes produced in the separation processes. Its presence in these wastes accelerates corrosion of waste concentration equipment, complicates treatment of the waste for by-product recovery and adds to the total quantity of contaminated salts which must be stored. Much effort has gone into searches for plutonium reductans which would not have the disadvantages associated with iron(II). Uranium(IV) has been proposed since, having acted as reductant, it is extracted along with uranium from the irradiated fuels and does in solvent extraction separations processes have involved mixer-settler contactors. The HAPO Purex plant has pulsed-column contactors. This difference, plus certain problems due to the particular flowsheet conditions used, required that additional laboratory studies be made to determine the feasibility of using uranium(IV) in the HAPO Purex plant.
- Research Organization:
- General Electric Co., Richland, WA (United States). Hanford Atomic Products Operation
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 10175158
- Report Number(s):
- HW-82103-RD; ON: DE94017031
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: DN: Declassified; PBD: 30 Jul 1964
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
NUCLEAR FUELS
PRODUCTION
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
HAPO
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
PUREX PROCESS
220300
052000
050700
220600
FUEL ELEMENTS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
FUELS PRODUCTION AND PROPERTIES
RESEARCH
TEST
TRAINING
PRODUCTION
IRRADIATION
MATERIALS TESTING REACTORS