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Title: Radioactive Waste Minimization by Electrolytic Extraction and Destruction in a Purex-Truex Actinide Separation System

Journal Article · · Nuclear Technology
OSTI ID:20822162

Electrolytic extraction of noble metals from nitric acid media was investigated. The largest deposition yield was obtained for Pd, supported by its large rate constants. Rate constants of RuNO{sup 3+} and ReO{sub 4}{sup -} were, however, smaller than that of Pd{sup 2+}; their yield can be improved under high cathode current supply in lower nitric acid concentration. Rather high apparent activation energy was observed for the deposition of RuNO{sup 3+}. Peculiar masking or synergistic effects in their electrodeposition behaviors might be due to mutual interaction of RuNO{sup 3+}, Pd{sup 2+} with ReO{sub 4}{sup -} in nitric acid solution. Sufficiently different redissolution potentials for deposited metals indicate their fractional recovery by anode processing.Mediatory electrochemical oxidation (MEO) was investigated for the mineralization of waste O{phi}D[iB]CMPO (hereafter CMPO) by burning its bulky hydrocarbon moiety under the existence of various kinds of metal ions. Only Ag{sup 2+/+} offered high-current efficiency up to 75%, fairly exceeding that by direct electrooxidation. Redox coupling characterized by a simple electron transfer, M{sup m+} + ne{sup -} <=> M{sup (m-n)+} provided high E{sup 0}, will act exactly as an active mediator. As for the destruction paths for CMPO by MEO, cleavage between carbonyl C and N of amide moiety was of principal importance. The coupling of Co{sup 3+/2+} is also recommended because of hydraulic advantages.

OSTI ID:
20822162
Journal Information:
Nuclear Technology, Vol. 130, Issue 2; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2006 American Nuclear Society (ANS), United States, All rights reserved. http://epubs.ans.org/; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0029-5450
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English