Aqueous methods for recovery of plutonium from pyrochemical residues

Conference · Mon May 04 00:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:6526829

Muscatello, A C; Killion, M E; Fisher, D C

Studies of the recovery of plutonium from the pyrochemical residue salts from the Direct Oxide Reduction (DOR) and Electrorefining (ER) processes have shown that chloride anion exchange is useful and effective. Our previous studies have defined the operating limits for obtaining low level effluent plutonium losses on the order of 10/sup -3/ g/l. The knowledge obtained in work on DOR salt was extended to ER salt and a process has been demonstrated to be feasible on a larger scale. Studies of oxalate precipitation of plutonium (III) from the eluat exhibit the expected losses to the filtrate as a function of the acidity. Two alternatives to chloride anion exchange, caustic leaching and direct oxalate precipitation are also shown to be feasible for the recovery of plutonium from ER salts. The results of studies of coprocessing DOR and ER residue salts to increase ER salt throughput and decrease HC1 requirements are also presented. The feasibility of coprocessing other pyrochemical residues, such as black salts, anode heel, and ER scrapeout will be discussed.

• Research Organization: Rockwell International Corp., Golden, CO (USA). Rocky Flats Plant
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP03533
• OSTI ID: 6526829
• Report Number(s): RFP-4106; CONF-870661-2; ON: DE87011054
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050800* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Spent Fuels Reprocessing
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ACTINIDES
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
ELECTROLYSIS
ELECTROREFINING
ELEMENTS
ION EXCHANGE
LYSIS
METALS
OXALATES
PLUTONIUM
PRECIPITATION
PROCESSING
PYROCHEMICAL REPROCESSING
RECOVERY
REDUCTION
REFINING
REPROCESSING
RESIDUES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS