Process for the recovery of curium-244 from nuclear waste

Technical Report · Wed Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6993319· OSTI ID:6993319

Posey, J C

A process has been designed for the recovery of curium from purex waste. Curium and americium are separated from the lanthanides by a TALSPEAK extraction process using differential extraction. Equations were derived for the estimation of the economically optimum conditions for the extraction using laboratory batch extraction data. The preparation of feed for the extraction involves the removal of nitric acid from the Purex waste by vaporization under reduced pressure, the leaching of soluble nitrates from the resulting cake, and the oxalate precipitation of a pure lanthanide-actinide fraction. Final separation of the curium from americium is done by ion-exchange. The steps of the process, except ion-exchange, were tested on a laboratory scale and workable conditions were determined.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 6993319
• Report Number(s): ORNL-5687
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052001* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Processing
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CURIUM 244
CURIUM ISOTOPES
DIAGRAMS
DICARBOXYLIC ACIDS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FLOWSHEETS
HEAVY NUCLEI
ION EXCHANGE
ISOTOPES
MANAGEMENT
NUCLEI
OPTIMIZATION
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXALIC ACID
PRECIPITATION
PROCESSING
PUREX PROCESS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOISOTOPES
RECOVERY
REPROCESSING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TALSPEAK PROCESS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES