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Title: Speciation of plutonium and other metals under UREX process conditIONS

Conference ·
OSTI ID:20979620
;  [1];  [2]
  1. Radiation Center, Oregon State University 100 Radiation Center, Corvallis, OR 97331-5903 (United States)
  2. Department of Chemistry, Oregon State University 100 Radiation Center, Corvallis, OR 97331-5903 (United States)

The extractability of various Pu and Np species into tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP) was investigated. The concentration effects of aceto-hydroxamic acid, nitric acid and nitrate on the distribution ratio of U, Pu and Np were investigated. The considerable ability of AHA to form complexes with the studied elements even under strong acidic conditions was found. While the difference in the extraction of uranyl in the presence and absence of AHA is minimal, extraction yields of Pu and Np decrease significantly. The UV-Vis-NIR and FT-IR spectroscopic investigations of uranium, plutonium, and neptunium species in the presence and absence of AHA in both aqueous and organic extraction phase were also performed. Spectroscopic analysis showed that the organic phase can contain a substantial amount of metal-hydroxamate species. A solvated ternary complex of uranium UO{sub 2}.AHA.NO{sub 3}.2TBP was observed only after prolonged contact between the aqueous and organic phases, whereas the plutonium hydroxamate species, presumably Pu(AHA){sub x}(NO{sub 3}){sub 4-x}.2TBP, appeared in the organic phase after a four minute extraction. (authors)

Research Organization:
American Nuclear Society, 555 North Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, IL 60526 (United States)
OSTI ID:
20979620
Resource Relation:
Conference: Advanced nuclear fuel cycles and systems (GLOBAL 2007), Boise - Idaho (United States), 9-13 Sep 2007; Other Information: Country of input: France; 12 refs; Related Information: In: Proceedings of GLOBAL 2007 conference on advanced nuclear fuel cycles and systems, 1873 pages.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English