Actinide recovery from pyrochemical residues

Conference · Sat Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:6255129

Avens, L R; Clifton, D G; Vigil, A R

A new process for recovery of plutonium and americium from pyrochemical waste has been demonstrated. It is based on chloride solution anion exchange at low acidity, which eliminates corrosive HCl fumes. Developmental experiments of the process flowsheet concentrated on molten salt extraction (MSE) residues and gave >95% plutonium and >90% americium recovery. The recovered plutonium contained <500 ppM americium and <2500 ppM magnesium. The process operates by sorbing PuCl/sub 6/ = from high chloride-low acid solution. Americium and other metals are washed from the ion exchange column with 1N HNO/sub 3/-4.8M NaCl. The plutonium is recovered, after elution, via hydroxide precipitation, while the americium is recovered via NaHCO/sub 3/ precipitation. All filtrates from the process are discardable as low-level contaminated waste. Production-scale experiments are now in progress for MSE residues. Flow sheets for actinide recovery from electrorefining and direct oxide reduction residues are presented and discussed.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6255129
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-84-3809; CONF-841210-9; ON: DE85005725
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052001 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Processing
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400105* -- Separation Procedures
ACTINIDES
AMERICIUM
ELEMENTS
ION EXCHANGE
METALS
PLUTONIUM
PRECIPITATION
RECOVERY
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TRANSPLUTONIUM ELEMENTS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS