Status of Americium-241 recovery at Rocky Flats Plant

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1981 · ACS Symp. Ser.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/bk-1981-0161.ch004· OSTI ID:6179482

Knighton, J B; Hagan, P G; Navratil, J D; Thompson, G H

This paper is presented in two parts: Part I, Molten Salt Extraction of Americium from Molten Plutonium Metal, and Part II, Aqueous Recovery of Americium from Extraction Salts. The Rocky Flats recovery process used for waste salts includes (1) dilute hydrochloric acid dissolution of residues; (2) cation exchange to convert from the chloride to the nitrate system and to remove gross amounts of monovalent impurities; (3) anion exchange separation of plutonium; (4) oxalate precipitation of americium; and (5) calcination of the oxalate at 600/sup 0/C to yield americium oxide. The aqueous process portion describes attempts to improve the recovery of americium. The first part deals with modifications to the cation exchange step; the second describes development of a solvent extractions process that will recovery americium from residues containing aluminium as well as other common impurities. Results of laboratory work are described. 3 figures, 6 tables. (DP)

• Research Organization: Rockwell International, Golden, CO
• OSTI ID: 6179482
• Journal Information: ACS Symp. Ser.; (United States), Vol. 161
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
AMERICIUM 241
ISOTOPE PRODUCTION
ROCKY FLATS PLANT
AMERICIUM OXIDES
ANIONS
CALCINATION
CATIONS
DISSOLUTION
EXTRACTION
ION EXCHANGE
PLUTONIUM
PRECIPITATION
RECOVERY
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ACTINIDES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
AMERICIUM COMPOUNDS
AMERICIUM ISOTOPES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
ELEMENTS
HEAVY NUCLEI
IONS
ISOTOPES
METALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PYROLYSIS
RADIOISOTOPES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TRANSPLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
400703* - Radiochemistry & Nuclear Chemistry- Radioisotope Production