Pyrochemical process for extracting plutonium from an electrolyte salt

Patent · Tue Jul 10 04:00:00 EDT 1984

OSTI ID:6158699

Mullins, L J; Chistensen, D C

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
• OSTI ID: 6158699
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050800* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Spent Fuels Reprocessing
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ACTINIDES
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
CALCIUM
DEMETALLIZATION
ELECTROLYSIS
ELECTROREFINING
ELEMENTS
EXTRACTION
LYSIS
MELTING
METALS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PLUTONIUM
PROCESSING
PYROCHEMICAL REPROCESSING
REFINING
REPROCESSING
SALTS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS