Factors Controlling Redox Speciation of Plutonium and Neptunium in Extraction Separation Processes

Technical Report · Tue Sep 24 04:00:00 EDT 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1095231· OSTI ID:1095231

Paulenova, Alena ^[1]; Vandegrift, III, George F. ^[2]

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1. Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States); Radiation Center, Oregon State University
2. Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States)

The objective of the project was to examine the factors controlling redox speciation of plutonium and neptunium in UREX+ extraction in terms of redox potentials, redox mechanism, kinetics and thermodynamics. Researchers employed redox-speciation extractions schemes in parallel to the spectroscopic experiments. The resulting distribution of redox species w studied using spectroscopic, electrochemical, and spectro-electrochemical methods. This work resulted in collection of data on redox stability and distribution of redox couples in the nitric acid/nitrate electrolyte and the development of redox buffers to stabilize the desired oxidation state of separated radionuclides. The effects of temperature and concentrations on the redox behavior of neptunium were evaluated.

• Research Organization: Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: FC07-07ID14829
• OSTI ID: 1095231
• Report Number(s): DOE/ID--14829
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English