AN ANALYTICAL METHOD FOR NEPTUNIUM-237 USING ANION EXCHANGE
A method was developed for separation of neptunium from plutonium, uraniiun, americium, curium, and fission products by anion exchange with sufficient decontamination to permit neptanium-237 estimation by alpha energy analysis and neptanium-239 estimation by gamma spectrometry. The sample is spiked with neptunium-239 tracer to permit yield corrections and loaded on a small column of Dowex 1, X-4 (100-200 mesh) from 8 M nitric acid in the presence of ferrous sulfamate and semicarbazide. After washing the resin with 30 to 40 column volumes of a 4.5 M nitric acid solution containing ferrous sulfamate and semicarbazide, the neptunium is eluted with 0.005 M ceric sulfate in dilute nitric acid and mounted for total alpha counting, alpha energy analysis, and gamma energy analysis. Neptunium recoveries of 95% have been obtained while plutonium decontamination factors are 5 x 10/sup 4/. Decontamination factors for uranium americium, curium, and gross fission products are all greater than 10/sup 4/. Uranium, up to 180 g/l in the column feed, does not interfere. The plutonium decontamination factor can be increased by a factor of 10 to 100 by fol lowing the nitric acid-ferrous sulfamate-semicarbazide wash by a wash with 0.1 M NH/sub 4/I in 12 M HCl. This is followed by neptunium elution with 6.5 M HCl containing 0.004 M HF. The method is applicable to the high salt samples from the Redox process as well as Purex process samples. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- General Electric Co. Hanford Atomic Products Operation, Richland, Wash.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31-109-ENG-52
- NSA Number:
- NSA-13-012431
- OSTI ID:
- 4267475
- Report Number(s):
- HW-59032
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
AMERICIUM
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
ANIONS
CERIUM SULFATES
CHEMISTRY
CURIUM
DECONTAMINATION
DOWEX
FISSION PRODUCTS
GAMMA RADIATION
HYDROCHLORIC ACID
IODIDES
ION EXCHANGE
ION EXCHANGE MATERIALS
IRON COMPOUNDS
NEPTUNIUM 237
NEPTUNIUM 239
NITRIC ACID
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM
PUREX PROCESS
QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS
QUANTITY RATIO
RECOVERY
RESINS
SEMICARBAZIDES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
SPECTROSCOPY
SULFAMIC ACID
SULFONIC ACIDS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
URANIUM