Solvent anode for plutonium purification

Conference · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:5954845

Bowersox, D F; Fife, K W; Christensen, D C

The purpose of this study is to develop a technique to allow complete oxidation of plutonium from the anode during plutonium electrorefining. This will eliminate the generation of a ''spent'' anode heel which requires further treatment for recovery. Our approach is to employ a solvent metal in the anode to provide a liquid anode pool throughout electrorefining. We use molten salts and metals in ceramic crucibles at 700/sup 0/C. Our goal is to produce plutonium metal at 99.9% purity with oxidation and transfer of more than 98% of the impure plutonium feed metal from the anode into the salt and product phases. We have met these criteria in experiments on the 100 to 1000 g scale. We plan to scale our operations to 4 kg of feed plutonium and to optimize the process parameters.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 5954845
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-86-840; CONF-860425-22; ON: DE86008727
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050800 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Spent Fuels Reprocessing
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400105* -- Separation Procedures
ACTINIDES
ANODES
ELECTRODES
ELECTROLYSIS
ELECTROREFINING
ELEMENTS
LYSIS
METALS
PLUTONIUM
PROCESSING
PURIFICATION
REFINING
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS