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Title: Bidentate organophosphorus extraction of americium and plutonium from Hanford Plutonium Reclamation Facility waste

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5251752

Applicability of bidentate organiphosphorus reagents to recovery of americium and plutonium from Hanford's Plutonium Reclamation Facility acid (approx. 2M HNO/sub 3/) waste stream (CAW solution) was studied. A solvent extraction process which employs a 30% DHDECMP (dihexyl-N, N-diethylcarbamylmethylene phosphonate)-CCl/sub 4/ extractant was devised and successfully tested in mixer-settler runs with actual CAW solution. Substitution of DHDECMP for DBBP eliminates the need to perform careful neutralization of unbuffered CAW soluton and increases overall americium recovery from the present 60 to 80% level to greater than or equal to 90%. Disadvantages to such substitution include the high cost (approx. $50/liter) of DHDECMP and the need to purify it (by acid (6M HCl) hydrolysis and alkaline washing) from small amounts of an unidentified impurity which prevents stripping of americium with dilute HNO/sub 3/. Distribution data obtained in this study confirm Siddall's earlier contention that bidentate organophosphorus regents can be used to remove actinides from concentrated high-level Purex process acid waste; a conceptual flowsheet for such an extraction process is given.

Research Organization:
Atlantic Richfield Hanford Co., Richland, WA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AM06-76RL02130
OSTI ID:
5251752
Report Number(s):
ARH-SA-203; CONF-750607-57
Resource Relation:
Conference: American Nuclear Society meeting, New Orleans, LA, USA, 8 Jun 1975
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English