Cleanex process: a versatile solvent extraction process for recovery and purification of lanthanides, americium, and curium

Conference · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:6323934

Bigelow, J E; Collins, E D; King, L J

At a concentration of 1 M in straight-chain hydrocarbon diluent, HDEHP will extract americium, curium, and other trivalent actinide and lanthanide elements from dilute acid or salt solutions. The solute is back-extracted with more concentrated acid, either nitric or hydrochloric. The process has been used in the continuous, countercurrent mode, but its greatest advantage arises in batch extractions where the excess acid can be titrated with NaOH to produce a final acidity of about 0.03 M. Under these conditions, 99% recovery can be achieved, usually in one stage. Cleanex was used on the 50-liter scale at the Transuranium Processing Plant at Oak Ridge for 12 years to provide a broad spectrum cleanup to transuranium elements before applying more sophisticated techniques for separating individual products. The process is also used routinely to recover excessive losses of curium and/or californium from plant waste streams. The solvent system is relatively resistant to radiation damage, being usable up to 200 W-h/liter.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: Not Available; USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 6323934
• Report Number(s): CONF-790415-22
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050800* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Spent Fuels Reprocessing
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ACTINIDES
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
AMERICIUM
CALIFORNIUM
CURIUM
ELEMENTS
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
ESTERS
EXTRACTION
HDEHP
HFIR REACTOR
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXIDES
IRRADIATION REACTORS
ISOTOPE PRODUCTION REACTORS
METALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOSPHORIC ACID ESTERS
RARE EARTHS
REACTORS
REPROCESSING
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
RESEARCH REACTORS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SODIUM HYDROXIDES
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
TANK TYPE REACTORS
TARGETS
TEST REACTORS
THERMAL REACTORS
TRANSPLUTONIUM ELEMENTS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS