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 from 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.
- Assignee:
- Dept. of Energy
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4459153
- Application Number:
- TRN: 84-024685
- OSTI ID:
- 6158699
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: Filed date 20 Sep 1982; Other Information: PAT-APPL-420432
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Pyrochemical process for extracting plutonium from an electrolyte salt
Salt stripping: a pyrochemical approach to the recovery of plutonium electrorefining salt residues
Related Subjects
PLUTONIUM
PYROCHEMICAL REPROCESSING
CALCIUM
DEMETALLIZATION
ELECTROREFINING
EXTRACTION
MELTING
SALTS
ACTINIDES
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ELECTROLYSIS
ELEMENTS
LYSIS
METALS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PROCESSING
REFINING
REPROCESSING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
050800* - Nuclear Fuels- Spent Fuels Reprocessing