The effect of fluoride and aluminum on the anion exchange of plutonium from nitric acid

Technical Report · Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1987

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6339294· OSTI ID:6339294

Marsh, S F

Anion exchange in nitric acid is a prominent aqueous process used to recover and purify plutonium from impure nuclear materials. This process is sensitive to fluoride ion, which complexes plutonium in competition with the anionic nitrato complex that is strongly sorbed on the anion exchange column. Fluoride interference traditionally has been counteracted by adding a masking agent, such as aluminum, that forms competing complexes with fluoride. The interfering effect of fluoride is known to be a function not only of the fluoride-to-aluminum ratio but also of the fluoride-to-plutonium ratio. This report summarizes a Los Alamos study of the effect of 25 fluoride-aluminum-plutonium conmbinations on the anion exchange sorption of plutonium. Five aluminum-to-plutonium ratios ranging from 0.10 to 10 were each evaluated at five fluoride-to-aluminum ratios that ranged from 0 to 6. The fluoride-to-plutonium ratio has a greater influence on plutonium sorption than does the fluoride-to-aluminum ratio. Aluminum was less effective as a masking agent than had been assumed, because measurable fluoride interference occurred at all levels of added aluminum.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6339294
• Report Number(s): LA-10999; ON: DE87011269
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
PLUTONIUM
ION EXCHANGE
RECOVERY
ALUMINIUM
ANIONS
FLUORIDES
INTERFERING ELEMENTS
NITRIC ACID
ACTINIDES
CHARGED PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
IONS
METALS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
050800* - Nuclear Fuels- Spent Fuels Reprocessing