A small-scale study on the dissolution and anion-exchange recovery of plutonium from Rocky Flats Plant incinerator ash

Technical Report · Fri Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7127736· OSTI ID:7127736

Blum, T W; Behrens, R G; Salazar, V J; Nystrom, P K

Incinerator ash has been processed successfully at plutonium production sites for many years, but not without some difficulty. Problems arise from complicated ash chemistries that adversely affect process operations and efficiencies. We performed small-scale experiments to examine four specific areas identified by Rocky Flats Plant personnel as sufficiently important to warrant further investigation to determine (1) the optimal feed fluoride concentration (the relationship between fluoride concentration and overall plutonium/ash dissolution in the nitric/hydrofluoric acid system), (2) the effect of free fluoride on anion exchange performance if aluminum nitrate is not added to ash filtrates as a complexing agent, (3) possible equipment corrosion problems resulting from potentially large quantities of uncomplexed fluoride, and (4) the effects of unburned carbonaceous material on anion exchange behavior. Our findings are reported. 14 refs., 4 figs., 3 tabs.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/DP
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 7127736
• Report Number(s): LA-11747; ON: DE90011470
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050800* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Spent Fuels Reprocessing
054000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Health & Safety
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540130 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ACTINIDES
AEROSOL WASTES
ASHES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONCENTRATION RATIO
CONTROL
CORROSION
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EQUIPMENT
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
FLY ASH
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
IMPURITIES
INCINERATORS
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS RECOVERY
METALS
MIXTURES
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
OPERATION
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
PETROCHEMICALS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PLUTONIUM
POLYMERS
PROCESS CONTROL
PROCESSING
RADIATION HAZARDS
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RECOVERY
RESIDUES
RESINS
ROCKY FLATS PLANT
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES