Method of separating thorium from plutonium

Patent · Tue Jul 10 00:00:00 EDT 1984

OSTI ID:7012852

Clifton, D G; Blum, T W

A method is described for chemically separating plutonium from thorium. Plutonium and thorium to be separated are dissolved in an aqueous feed solution, preferably as the nitrate salts. The feed solution is acidified and sodium nitrite is added to the solution to adjust the valence of the plutonium to the +4 state. A chloride salt, preferably sodium chloride, is then added to the solution to induce formation of an anionic plutonium chloride complex. The anionic plutonium chloride complex and the thorium in solution are then separated by ion exchange on a strong base anion exchange column.

• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• Assignee: Dept. of Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
• Patent Number(s): US 4459268; A
• Application Number: PPN: US 6-443983
• OSTI ID: 7012852
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050800* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Spent Fuels Reprocessing
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400105 -- Separation Procedures
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDES
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
DISSOLUTION
ELEMENTS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
ION EXCHANGE
ION EXCHANGE MATERIALS
MATERIALS
METALS
NITRATES
NITRITES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM CHLORIDES
PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM NITRATES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SODIUM CHLORIDES
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
THORIUM
THORIUM COMPOUNDS
THORIUM NITRATES
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS