Plutonium-uranium separation in the Purex process using mixtures of hydroxylamine nitrate and ferrous sulfamate

Technical Report · Tue Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1983

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5521282· OSTI ID:5521282

McKibben, J. M.; Chostner, D. F.; Orebaugh, E. G.

Laboratory studies, followed by plant operation, established that a mixture of hydroxylamine nitrate (HAN) and ferrous sulfamate (FS) is superior to FS used alone as a reductant for plutonium in the Purex first cycle. FS usage has been reduced by about 70% (from 0.12 to 0.04M) compared to the pre-1978 period. This reduced the volume of neutralized waste due to FS by 194 liters/metric ton of uranium (MTU) processed. The new flowsheet also gives lower plutonium losses to waste and at least comparable fission product decontamination. To achieve satisfactory performance at this low concentration of FS, the acidity in the 1B mixer-settler was reduced by using a split-scrub - a low acid scrub in stage one and a higher acid scrub in stage three - to remove acid from the solvent exiting the 1A centrifugal contactor. 8 references, 14 figures, 1 table.

• Research Organization: Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-76SR00001
• OSTI ID: 5521282
• Report Number(s): DP-1656; ON: DE84004298
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400105 -- Separation Procedures
ACTINIDE COMPLEXES
ACTINIDES
AMINES
COMPLEXES
DIAGRAMS
ELEMENTS
ESTERS
EXTRACTION
FLOWSHEETS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXYLAMINE
INORGANIC ACIDS
IRON COMPOUNDS
METALS
NITRIC ACID ESTERS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM COMPLEXES
PUREX PROCESS
REPROCESSING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
SULFAMIC ACID
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSURANIUM COMPLEXES
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
URANIUM
URANIUM COMPLEXES