Restoring solvent for nuclear separation processes
Solvent extraction separation processes are used to recover usable nuclear materials from spent fuels. These processes involve the use of an extractant/diluent (solvent) for separation of the reusable actinides from unwanted fission products. The most widely used processes employ tributyl phosphate as an extractant diluted with a normal-paraffin hydrocarbon. During use, the solvent is altered due to hydrolysis and radiolysis, forming materials that influence product losses, product decontamination, and separation efficiencies. In most processes, the solvent is recycled after cleaning. Solvent cleaning generally involves scrubbing with a sodium carbonate solution. Studies at the Savannah River Laboratory have shown that carbonate washing, although removing residual solvent activity, does not remove more solvent-soluble binding ligands (formed by solvent degradation), which hold fission products in the solvent. Treatment of the solvent with a solid adsorbent after carbonate washing removes binding ligands and significantly improves recycled solvent performance. Laboratory work to establish the advantage of adsorbent cleaning and the development of a full-scale adsorption process is described. The application of this process for cleaning the first cycle solvent of a Savannah River Plant production process is discussed.
- Research Organization:
- Savannah River Lab., Aiken, SC (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-76SR00001
- OSTI ID:
- 6067274
- Report Number(s):
- DP-MS-87-11; CONF-871038-1; ON: DE88000773; TRN: 87-036473
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 5. symposium on separation science and technology for energy application, Knoxville, TN, USA, 26 Oct 1987; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Canyon solvent cleaning with solid adsorbents. [HM Process solvent (TBP in n-paraffin)]
Cleanup of 7. 5% tributyl phosphate/n-paraffin solvent-extraction solvent
Related Subjects
REPROCESSING
SOLVENTS
CLEANING
SPENT FUELS
ADSORBENTS
FISSION PRODUCTS
NIOBIUM 95
RUTHENIUM 103
RUTHENIUM 106
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
SOLVENT PROPERTIES
TBP
ZIRCONIUM 95
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BUTYL PHOSPHATES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ENERGY SOURCES
ESTERS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
EXTRACTION
FUELS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NIOBIUM ISOTOPES
NUCLEAR FUELS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
PHOSPHORIC ACID ESTERS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTOR MATERIALS
RUTHENIUM ISOTOPES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ZIRCONIUM ISOTOPES
050800* - Nuclear Fuels- Spent Fuels Reprocessing