Removal of actinides from selected nuclear fuel reprocessing wastes

Journal Article · Sun Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1979 · Nucl. Technol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5559911

Navratil, J D; Thompson, G H

The US Department of Energy awarded Oak Ridge National Laboratory a program to develop a cost-risk-benefit analysis of partitioning long-lived nuclides from waste and transmuting them to shorter lived or stable nuclides. Two subtasks of this program were investigated at Rocky Flats. In the first subtask, methods for solubilizing actinides in incinerator ash were tested. Two methods appear to be preferable: reaction with ceric ion in nitric acid or carbonate-nitrate fusion. The ceric-nitric acid system solubilizes 95% of the actinides in ash; this can be increased by 2 to 4% by pretreating ash with sodium hydroxide to solubilize silica. The carbonate-nitrate fusion method solubilizes greater than or equal to 98% of the actinides, but requires sodium hydroxide pretreatment. Two additional disadvantages are that it is a high-temperature process, and that it generates a lot of salt waste. The second subtask comprises removing actinides from salt wastes likely to be produced during reactor fuel fabrication and reprocessing. A preliminary feasibility study of solvent extraction methods has been completed. The use of a two-step solvent extraction system - tributyl phosphate (TBP) followed by extraction with a bidentate organophosphorous extractant (DHDECMP) - appears to be the most efficient for removing actinides from salt waste. The TBP step would remove most of the plutonium and > 99.99% of the uranium. The second step using DHDECMP would remove > 99.91% of the americium and the remaining plutonium (> 99.98%) and other actinides from the acidified salt waste. 8 figures, 11 tables.

• Research Organization: Rockwell International, Golden, CO
• OSTI ID: 5559911
• Journal Information: Nucl. Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: Nucl. Technol.; (United States) Vol. 43:2; ISSN NUTYB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052001* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Processing
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ACTINIDES
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
AMERICIUM
ASHES
BUTYL PHOSPHATES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONATES
CERIUM
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DATA
DATA FORMS
DISSOLUTION
ELEMENTS
ESTERS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
EXTRACTION
HIGH TEMPERATURE
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXIDES
INFORMATION
INORGANIC ACIDS
ISOLATED VALUES
LEACHING
MANAGEMENT
METALS
NITRATES
NITRIC ACID
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOSPHORIC ACID ESTERS
PLUTONIUM
PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RARE EARTHS
RESIDUES
SALTS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SODIUM HYDROXIDES
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
TBP
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TRANSPLUTONIUM ELEMENTS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES