Dissolution of plutonium oxide in nitric acid at high hydrofluoric acid concentrations

Technical Report · Fri Jun 15 04:00:00 EDT 1984

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7036488· OSTI ID:7036488

Kazanjian, A R; Stevens, J R

The dissolution of plutonium dioxide in nitirc acid (HNO/sub 3/) at high hydrofluoric acid (HF) concentrations has been investigated. Dissolution rate curves were obtained using 12M HNO/sub 3/ and HF at concentrations varying from 0.05 to 1.0 molar. The dissolution rate increased with HF concentration up to 0.2M and then decreased at higher concentrations. There was very little plutonium dissolved at 0.7 and 1.0M HF because of the formation of insoluble PuF/sub 4/. Various oxidizing agents were added to 12M HNO/sub 3/-1M HF dissolvent to oxidize Pu(IV) to Pu(VI) and prevent the formation of PuF/sub 4/. Ceric (Ce(IV)) and silver (Ag(II)) ions were the most effective in dissolving PuO/sub 2/. Although these two oxidants greatly increased the dissolution rate, the rates were not as rapid as those obtained with 12M HNO/sub 3/-0.2M HF.

• Research Organization: Rockwell International Corp., Golden, CO (USA). Rocky Flats Plant
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP03533
• OSTI ID: 7036488
• Report Number(s): RFP-3609; ON: DE84015142
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050800* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Spent Fuels Reprocessing
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
CERIUM COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
DISSOLUTION
HYDROFLUORIC ACID
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
NITRIC ACID
OXIDES
OXIDIZERS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM DIOXIDE
PLUTONIUM OXIDES
RARE EARTH COMPOUNDS
SILVER COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS