Pyrochemical process for extracting plutonium from an electrolyte salt
A pyrochemical process for extracting plutonium from a plutonium-bearing salt is disclosed. The process is particularly useful in the recovery of plutonium for electrolyte salts which are left over from the electrorefining of plutonium. In accordance with the process, the plutonium-bearing salt is melted and mixed with metallic calcium. The calcium reduces ionized plutonium in the salt to plutonium metal, and also causes metallic plutonium in the salt, which is typically present as finely dispersed metallic shot, to coalesce. The reduced and coalesced plutonium separates out on the bottom of the reaction vessel as a separate metallic phase which is readily separable from the overlying salt upon cooling of the mixture. Yields of plutonium are typically on the order of 95%. The stripped salt is virtually free of plutonium and may be discarded to low-level waste storage.
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- Assignee:
- ERA-08-054243; EDB-83-177226
- Application Number:
- ON: DE83018062
- OSTI ID:
- 5618262
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Pyrochemical process for extracting plutonium from an electrolyte salt
Salt stripping: a pyrochemical approach to the recovery of plutonium electrorefining salt residues
Related Subjects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
PLUTONIUM
ELECTROREFINING
RECOVERY
CALCIUM
MOLTEN SALTS
POTASSIUM CHLORIDES
REDUCTION
SCRAP METALS
SODIUM CHLORIDES
ACTINIDES
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ELECTROLYSIS
ELEMENTS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
LYSIS
METALS
POTASSIUM COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
REFINING
SALTS
SCRAP
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SOLID WASTES
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
WASTES
360101* - Metals & Alloys- Preparation & Fabrication
050700 - Nuclear Fuels- Fuels Production & Properties