Kilogram-scale purification of americium by ion exchange
Sequential anion and cation exchange processes have been used for the final purification of /sup 241/Am recovered during the reprocessing of aged plutonium metallurgical scrap. Plutonium was removed by absorption of Dowex 1, X-3.5 (30 to 50 mesh) anion exchange resin from 6.5 to 7.5 M HNO/sub 3/ feed solution. Following a water dilution to 0.75 to 1.0 M HNO/sub 3/, americium was absorbed on Dowex 50W, X-8 (50 to 100 mesh) cation exchange resion. Final purification was accomplished by elution of the absorbed band down 3 to 4 successive beds of the same resin, preloaded with Zn/sup 2 +/, with an NH/sub 4/OH buffered chelating agent. The recovery of mixed /sup 241/Am-/sup 243/Am from power reactor reprocessing waste has been demonstrated. Solvent extraction was used to recover a HNO/sub 3/ solution of mixed lanthanides and actinides from waste generated by the reprocessng of 13.5 tons of Shippingport Power Reactor blanket fuel. Sequential cation exchange band-displacement processes were then used to separate americium and curium from the lanthanides and then to separate approx. 60 g of /sup 244/Cm from 1000 g of mixed /sup 241/Am-/sup 243/Am.
- Research Organization:
- Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- EY-76-C-06-1830
- OSTI ID:
- 5381944
- Report Number(s):
- PNL-SA-7844; CONF-7910108-4; TRN: 80-008413
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Symposium on separation science and technology for energy applications, Gatlinburg, TN, USA, 30 Oct 1979
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
AMERICIUM
ION EXCHANGE
AMERICIUM 241
PURIFICATION
AMERICIUM 243
CURIUM
CURIUM 244
PLUTONIUM
ADSORPTION
NITRIC ACID
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RARE EARTHS
REPROCESSING
RESINS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLUTIONS
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
SPENT FUELS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ACTINIDES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
AMERICIUM ISOTOPES
CURIUM ISOTOPES
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EXTRACTION
FUELS
HEAVY NUCLEI
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
ISOTOPES
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
METALS
MIXTURES
NUCLEAR FUELS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
PETROCHEMICALS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
POLYMERS
PROCESSING
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTOR MATERIALS
SORPTION
TRANSPLUTONIUM ELEMENTS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
050800* - Nuclear Fuels- Spent Fuels Reprocessing
052001 - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Processing