Development and active demonstration of acid digestion of plutonium-bearing waste
At the Eurochemic site, 800 kg of combustible alpha waste containing --7kg of plutonium were treated from March 1983 to July 1985 with the aim of concentrating the plutonium by oxidating the waste and converting it into a soluble form so that the established purification processes could be applied. In a batch process, shredded waste is oxidized with nitric acid in sulfuric acid. The digester content is then kept for several hours at digestion temperature to complete the dissolution of plutonium dioxide. The cold digester content is then filtered and the plutonium-containing filter cake is sent to the plutonium purification system. The off-gases generated are freed from the acids by scrubbing. The process is demonstrated in a plant with a daily throughput of 10 kg of waste. For the oxidation of waste and the dissolution of plutonium dioxide, a ring-type digester made of technical glass is used.
- Research Organization:
- Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Institut fur Nukleare Entsorgungstechnik, Postfach 3640, D-7500 Karlsruhe (DE)
- OSTI ID:
- 6329759
- Journal Information:
- Nucl. Technol.; (United States), Vol. 83:1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Division of waste management programs. Progress report, July--December 1977. [Intermediate level waste solidification; acid digestion]
K Basin sludge dissolution engineering study
Related Subjects
PLUTONIUM OXIDES
DISSOLUTION
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
DECONTAMINATION
DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS
LIQUID WASTES
NITRIC ACID
PLUTONIUM SULFATES
SCRUBBING
SULFURIC ACID
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
CLEANING
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
MANAGEMENT
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
052001* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Processing