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Molten salt chemistry. Part III. Solubility of PuF$sub 3$ in molten mixtures of LiF--BeF$sub 2$--ThF$sub 4$ and LiF--ThF$sub 4$

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:4938390
The solubility of PuF/sub 3/ was determined in the temperature range 500 to 800 deg C in the ternary mixture of LiF- BeF/sub 2/--ThF/sub 4/ of the compositions of relevance to the molten salt breeder reactor concept. Filtered samples of the moloten fluoride, that was saturated with PuF/sub 3/, were withdrawn and the plutonium in these samples was estimated by potentiometric and radiochemical methods. The data could be represented by straight lines in log (solubility) vs 1/T plots, the slopes of which give the heat of solution. The solubility values lie between 0.82 m/o at the temperature of 550 deg C to 5.45 m/ o at 750 deg C indicating that PuF/sub 3/ is sufficiently soluble to fuel a molten salt reactor with plutonium. The solubility of PuF/sub 3/ in binary mixtures of LiF- ThF/sub 4/ in which the ThF/sub 4/ composition was varied from 20 to 35 m/o was determined. The solubility of PuF/sub 3/ did not show appreciable variation at a given temperature within the ThF/sub 4/ concentration range studied. (auth)
Research Organization:
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay (India). Radiochemistry Div.
Sponsoring Organization:
Sponsor not identified
NSA Number:
NSA-29-024063
OSTI ID:
4938390
Report Number(s):
BARC--676
Country of Publication:
India
Language:
English