Actinide recovery from pyrochemical residues

Conference · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1984

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
• Resource Relation: Conference: International chemical congress of Pacific Basin Societies, Honolulu, HI, USA, 16 Dec 1984; Other Information: Portions are illegible in microfiche products
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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