Pyrochemical recovery of plutonium fluoride reduction slag

Technical Report · Fri Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1983

OSTI ID:6058055

Christensen, D C; Rayburn, J A

A process was developed for the pyrochemical recovery of plutonium from residues resulting from the PuF/sub 4/ reduction process. The process involves crushing the CaF/sub 2/ slag and dissolving it at 800/sup 0/C in a CaCl/sub 2/ solvent. The plutonium, which exists either as finely divided metal or as incompletely reduced fluoride salt, is reduced to metal and/or allowed to coalesce as a massive button in the bottom of the reaction crucible. The recovery of plutonium in a 1-day cycle averaged 96%; all of the resulting residues were discardable.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6058055
• Report Number(s): LA-9655-MS; ON: DE83014802
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050700 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Fuels Production & Properties
052001* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Processing
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
ELEMENTS
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
METALS
PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM FLUORIDES
RECOVERY
REDUCTION
SLAGS
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS