DISTRIBUTION OF THE ACTINIDE ELEMENTS IN THE MOLTEN SYSTEM: KClAlCl$sub 3$- Al
Data are reported for the distributions of elements 90 through 96 between molten salt solutions of their chlorides and molten aluminum (or alloy) at 725 deg C. The molten salt solutions were mixtures of aluminum trichloride and potassium chloride containing the actinide metal chloride. In all cases, the distributions were found to be strongly dependent upon the stoichiometry of the system and exhibited a maximum when the mole ratio of aluminum chloride to potassium chloride was approximately 1.0. This behavior was interpreted from the standpoint of the Lewis acid-base theory. The distributions for thorium, plutonium, americium, and curium were of the same order of magnitude, ranging from about 0.02 to 0.5. Those for neptunium were approximately a factor of ten larger than this, while those for uranium and protactinium were, respectively, a factor of 100 and 200 to 300 larger. These distributions led to separation factors of the order of 100 for uranium from plutonium or thorium, and up to 800 for thorium from protactinium. The pyrochemical processing implications of these data are briefly outlined. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- General Electric Co. Hanford Atomic Products Operation, Richland, Wash.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AT(45-1)-1350
- NSA Number:
- NSA-15-032537
- OSTI ID:
- 4837552
- Report Number(s):
- HW-59147
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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