Application of extraction chromatography to the recovery of neptunium, plutonium and americium from an industrial waste

Journal Article · Thu May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1980 · Sep. Sci. Technol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/01496398008076269· OSTI ID:6890300

Madic, C; Kertesz, C; Sontag, R; Koehly, G

A pilot scale investigation was made to evaluate the possible application of the extraction chromatographic method (LLC) to the partitioning of alpha emitters from liquid wastes containing traces of transuranium elements. A secondary purpose was to obtain pure Am0/sub 2/, which is used to produce alpha, gamma, and neutron sources. The process developed for alpha partitioning consists essentially of the extraction of macro amounts of uranium with 30% TBP in dodecane in mixer-settlers, then coextraction of Np-237, Pu-239, and Am-241 by LLC on a macro column filled with di-n-hexyl-octoxy-methyl-phosphine oxide (POX.11) adsorbed on an inert support. In each run about 200 liters of initial waste are decontaminated of alpha emitters. The loading step is followed by selective elution of americium, neptunium, and plutonium. The americium eluate is then subjected to the following operations: (1) separation of Am from Fe and Cd by LLC on a TBP column and (2) separation of Am from lanthanide traces by LLC on an HD(DiBM)P column after oxidation of Am(III) to Am(VI). The Am in the eluate is subsequently reduced to Am(III) and precipitated as oxalate with oxalic acid. The oxalate is then filtered and calcined to yield pure AmO/sub 2/.

• Research Organization: Centre d'Etudes Nucleaires, Fontenay aux Roses, France
• OSTI ID: 6890300
• Journal Information: Sep. Sci. Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: Sep. Sci. Technol.; (United States) Vol. 15:4; ISSN SSTED
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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052001* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Processing
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400105 -- Separation Procedures
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ACTINIDES
ALKANES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ALPHA-BEARING WASTES
AMERICIUM 241
AMERICIUM COMPOUNDS
AMERICIUM ISOTOPES
AMERICIUM OXIDES
BUTYL PHOSPHATES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHROMATOGRAPHY
DIAGRAMS
DODECANE
ELEMENTS
ESTERS
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
EXTRACTION
EXTRACTION CHROMATOGRAPHY
FLOWSHEETS
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
HEAVY NUCLEI
HYDROCARBONS
INDUSTRIAL WASTES
ISOTOPES
LIQUID WASTES
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
METALS
NEPTUNIUM 237
NEPTUNIUM ISOTOPES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOSPHORIC ACID ESTERS
PILOT PLANTS
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOISOTOPES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
TBP
TRANSPLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES