Separation of Am-Cm from Al(NO/sub 3/)/sub 3/ waste solutions by in-canyon-tank precipitation as oxalates
Abstract
A process for recovery of Am-Cm residues from high-activity waste concentrates has been developed specifically for application in Savannah River Plant (SRP) canyon tanks. The Am-Cm residues were collected from a campaign to produce plutonium containing high isotopic concentrations of /sup 242/Pu. The separation of Am-Cm from the high-activity waste stream, containing about 2M Al(NO/sub 3/)/sub 3/, is necessary to produce an acceptable feed solution for a later pressurized cation exchange chromatography separation and purification step. The new process includes formic acid denitration, adjustment of contaminating cations by evaporation and water dilution, and oxalate precipitation of the actinides and lanthanides. After washing, the precipitate was dissolved in 8M nitric acid and the oxalate was destroyed by nitric acid oxidation that was catalyzed by manganous ions. This new process generates about one-fourth the waste of the californium solvent extraction process, which it replaced. The new process also produces a cleaner feed solution for the pressurized cation exchange chromatography separation and purification step.
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Lab.
- OSTI Identifier:
- 5365156
- Report Number(s):
- DP-1572
ON: DE82012756; TRN: 82-012911
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-76SR00001
- Resource Type:
- Technical Report
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; AMERICIUM; PRECIPITATION; CERIUM; RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING; ALUMINIUM NITRATES; DENITRATION; FLOWSHEETS; FORMIC ACID; OXALATES; RESIDUES; ACTINIDES; ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS; CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS; CARBOXYLIC ACIDS; CHEMICAL REACTIONS; DIAGRAMS; ELEMENTS; MANAGEMENT; METALS; MONOCARBOXYLIC ACIDS; NITRATES; NITROGEN COMPOUNDS; ORGANIC ACIDS; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PROCESSING; RARE EARTHS; SEPARATION PROCESSES; TRANSPLUTONIUM ELEMENTS; TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTE PROCESSING; 052001* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Processing; 400105 - Separation Procedures; 400102 - Chemical & Spectral Procedures
Citation Formats
Gray, L W, Burney, G A, Wilson, T W, McKibben, J M, Bibler, N E, Holtzscheiter, E W, and Campbell, T G. Separation of Am-Cm from Al(NO/sub 3/)/sub 3/ waste solutions by in-canyon-tank precipitation as oxalates. United States: N. p., 1982.
Web. doi:10.2172/5365156.
Gray, L W, Burney, G A, Wilson, T W, McKibben, J M, Bibler, N E, Holtzscheiter, E W, & Campbell, T G. Separation of Am-Cm from Al(NO/sub 3/)/sub 3/ waste solutions by in-canyon-tank precipitation as oxalates. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/5365156
Gray, L W, Burney, G A, Wilson, T W, McKibben, J M, Bibler, N E, Holtzscheiter, E W, and Campbell, T G. Thu .
"Separation of Am-Cm from Al(NO/sub 3/)/sub 3/ waste solutions by in-canyon-tank precipitation as oxalates". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/5365156. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5365156.
@article{osti_5365156,
title = {Separation of Am-Cm from Al(NO/sub 3/)/sub 3/ waste solutions by in-canyon-tank precipitation as oxalates},
author = {Gray, L W and Burney, G A and Wilson, T W and McKibben, J M and Bibler, N E and Holtzscheiter, E W and Campbell, T G},
abstractNote = {A process for recovery of Am-Cm residues from high-activity waste concentrates has been developed specifically for application in Savannah River Plant (SRP) canyon tanks. The Am-Cm residues were collected from a campaign to produce plutonium containing high isotopic concentrations of /sup 242/Pu. The separation of Am-Cm from the high-activity waste stream, containing about 2M Al(NO/sub 3/)/sub 3/, is necessary to produce an acceptable feed solution for a later pressurized cation exchange chromatography separation and purification step. The new process includes formic acid denitration, adjustment of contaminating cations by evaporation and water dilution, and oxalate precipitation of the actinides and lanthanides. After washing, the precipitate was dissolved in 8M nitric acid and the oxalate was destroyed by nitric acid oxidation that was catalyzed by manganous ions. This new process generates about one-fourth the waste of the californium solvent extraction process, which it replaced. The new process also produces a cleaner feed solution for the pressurized cation exchange chromatography separation and purification step.},
doi = {10.2172/5365156},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5365156},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1982},
month = {4}
}