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Solvent extraction of irradiated neptunium targets. I. Valence stabilization

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7228324· OSTI ID:7228324
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Solvent extraction of /sup 237/Np and /sup 238/Pu from irradiated neptunium is being investigated as a possible replacement for the currently used anion exchange process at the Savannah River Plant. Solvent extraction would reduce separations costs and waste volume and increase the production rate. The major difficulty in solvent extraction processing is maintaining neptunium and plutonium in the extractable IV or VI valence states during initial extraction. This study investigated the stability of these states. Results show that: The extractable M(IV) valence states of neptunium and plutonium are mutually unstable in plant dissolver solution (2 g/l /sup 237/Np, 0.4 g/l /sup 238/Pu, 1.2M Al/sup 3 +/, 4.6M NO/sub 3//sup -/, and 1M H/sup +/). The reaction rates producing inextractable species from extractable M(IV) or M(VI) are fast enough that greater than or equal to 99.9 percent extractable species in /sup 237/Np--/sup 238/Pu mixtures cannot be maintained for a practicable processing period (24 hours).

Research Organization:
Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Lab.
DOE Contract Number:
E(07-2)-1
OSTI ID:
7228324
Report Number(s):
DP-1452
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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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 ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ACTINIDES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
ELEMENTS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EXTRACTION
HEAVY NUCLEI
IRRADIATION
ISOTOPES
KINETICS
METALS
NEPTUNIUM
NEPTUNIUM 237
NEPTUNIUM ISOTOPES
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM 238
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTION KINETICS
REPROCESSING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
STABILITY
TARGETS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
VALENCE
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES