SEPARATION OF PLUTONIUM VALUES FROM URANIUM AND FISSION PRODUCT VALUES

Patent · Tue Sep 13 00:00:00 EDT 1960

OSTI ID:4117757

Maddock, A G; Booth, A H

Separation of plutonium present in small amounts from neutron irradiated uranium by making use of the phenomenon of chemisorption is described. Plutonium in the tetravalent state is chemically absorbed on a fluoride in solid form. The steps for the separation comprise dissolving the irradiated uranium in nitric acid, oxidizing the plutonium in the resulting solution to the hexavalent state, adding to the solution a soluble calcium salt which by the common ion effect inhibits dissolution of the fluoride by the solution, passing the solution through a bed or column of subdivided calcium fluoride which has been sintered to about 8OO deg C to remove the chemisorbable fission products, reducing the plutonium in the solution thus obtained to the tetravalent state, and again passing the solution through a similar bed or column of calcium fluoride to selectively absorb the plutonium, which may then be recovered by treating the calcium fluoride with a solution of ammonium oxalate.

• Research Organization: Originating Research Org. not identified
• NSA Number: NSA-15-007433
• Assignee: U.S. Atomic Energy Commission
• Patent Number(s): US 2952511
• OSTI ID: 4117757
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-61
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CHEMISTRY
ABSORPTION
ADSORPTION
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM FLUORIDES
CHEMISORPTION
FISSION PRODUCTS
FLUORIDES
IONS
IRRADIATION
NEUTRONS
NITRIC ACID
OXALATES
OXIDATION
PLUTONIUM
RECOVERY
REDUCTION
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SINTERING
SOLIDS
SOLUTIONS
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
TEMPERATURE
URANIUM