Reprocessing with amine-ether systems. Part 3. Counter-current trials with Alamine 336-dibutyl cellosolve
15% (0.30M) Alamine 336/DBC has been tested in the reprocessing of fast reactor fuel (75% uranium; 25% plutonium), for the separation of plutonium from uranium and fission products. Miniature mixer-settler runs, using either uranium(IV) as a stand-in for plutonium, or plutonium( IV) have been carried out. Good separations of uranium(IV) and uranium (VI) can be achieved, without using excessive volumes of solvent and scrub, because concentrations up to 16-17 g uranium (IV)/1 in the amine phase can be obtained. With plutonium(IV), however, owing to formation of a third phase, the limiting concentration in the amine phase is only 10.5 g plutonium(IV)/1, which is rather low for a satisfactory flowsheet. The behaviour of zirconium/niobium and ruthenium was investigated, and it has been found for ruthenium that only the tetranitrato nitrosylruthenium cannot be scrubbed out of the solvent. Decontamination factors of 240 and 42 have been obtained for zirconium/niobium and ruthenium respectively. Backwashing of uranium(IV) or plutonium(IV) from the amine phase was satisfactorily carried out with 1M acetic acid containing 0.05M HNO{sub 3}. The solvent was reconditioned by contacting it with 1M HNO{sub 3}.
- Research Organization:
- Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell, England (United Kingdom)
- NSA Number:
- NSA-19-044108
- OSTI ID:
- 4613381
- Report Number(s):
- AERE-R-4440(Pt.3)
- Country of Publication:
- United Kingdom
- Language:
- English
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