Recovery of transplutonium elements from nuclear reactor waste
A method of separating actinide values from nitric acid waste solutions resulting from reprocessing of irradiated nuclear fuels comprises oxalate precipitation of the major portion of actinide and lanthanide values to provide a trivalent fraction suitable for subsequent actinide/lanthanide partition, exchange of actinide and lanthanide values in the supernate onto a suitable cation exchange resin to provide an intermediate-lived raffinate waste stream substantially free of actinides, and elution of the actinide values from the exchange resin. The eluate is then used to dissolve the trivalent oxalate fraction prior to actinide/lanthanide partition or may be combined with the reprocessing waste stream and recycled. 5 claims, 2 figures.
- Assignee:
- Energy Research and Development Administration
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4025602
- OSTI ID:
- 5315471
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Demonstration of a TODGA/TBP process for recovery of trivalent actinides and lanthanides from a PUREX raffinate
Application of pressurized ion exchange to separations of transplutonium elements
Related Subjects
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ACTINIDES
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
ELEMENTS
FUEL REPROCESSING PLANTS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
ION EXCHANGE MATERIALS
LIQUID WASTES
MANAGEMENT
METALS
NITRIC ACID
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
OXALATES
PRECIPITATION
PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RARE EARTHS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TRANSPLUTONIUM ELEMENTS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES