PROCESSING OF NEUTRON-IRRADIATED URANIUM
An improved "Purex" process for separating uranium, plutonium, and fission products from nitric acid solutions of neutron-irradiated uranium is offered. Uranium is first extracted into tributyl phosphate (TBP) away from plutonium and fission products after adjustment of the acidity from 0.3 to 0.5 M and heating from 60 to 70 deg C. Coextracted plutonium, ruthenium, and fission products are fractionally removed from the TBP by three scrubbing steps with a 0.5 M nitric acid solution of ferrous sulfamate (FSA), from 3.5 to 5 M nitric acid, and water, respectively, and the purified uranium is finally recovered from the TBP by precipitation with an aqueous solution of oxalic acid. The plutonium in the 0.3 to 0.5 M acid solution is oxidized to the tetravalent state with sodium nitrite and extracted into TBP containing a small amount of dibutyl phosphate (DBP). Plutonium is then back-extracted from the TBP-DBP mixture with a nitric acid solution of FSA, reoxidized with sodium nitrite in the aqueous strip solution obtained, and once more extracted with TBP alone. Finally the plutonium is stripped from the TBP with dilute acid, and a portion of the strip solution thus obtained is recycled into the TBPDBP for further purification.
- Research Organization:
- Originating Research Org. not identified
- NSA Number:
- NSA-15-007431
- Assignee:
- U.S. Atomic Energy Commission
- Patent Number(s):
- US 2951740
- OSTI ID:
- 4103673
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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SEPARATION OF URANIUM, PLUTONIUM AND FISSION PRODUCTS
Related Subjects
BUTYL PHOSPHATES
CHEMISTRY
FISSION PRODUCTS
HEATING
IRON COMPOUNDS
IRRADIATION
MINERAL ACIDS
NEUTRONS
NITRIC ACID
NITRITES
NITROUS ACID
OXALIC ACID
OXIDATION
PLUTONIUM
PRECIPITATION
PUREX PROCESS
RECOVERY
RUTHENIUM
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SOLUTIONS
STRIPPING
SULFAMIC ACID
SULFONIC ACIDS
TBP
TEMPERATURE
URANIUM