Electrochemical process for dissolving plutonium dioxide and leaching plutonium from scrap or wastes

Conference · Sat Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:7229226

Bray, L A; Ryan, J L; Wheelwright, E J

Dissolution of plutonium (PU) from high-fired plutonium dioxide (PuO/sub 2/) and the leaching of Pu from scrap or wastes have often posed difficult process problems. Traditionally, dissolution has been accomplished using 12 M HNO/sub 3/-0.18 M HF at boiling temperatures. This work discusses the development of electrochemical dissolution of PuO/sub 2/ in compartmented cells. Small amounts of oxidation catalysts are used to carry electrons from the solid PuO/sub 2/ to the anode surface, producing PuO/sub 2//sup 2 +/ solution. PuO/sub 2/ that has been fired at temperatures to 1700/sup 0/C can be dissolved at 25/sup 0/C to concentrations exceeding 400 g Pu/L using the catalyzed electrochemical plutonium oxide dissolution (CEPOD) process. The silver ion is used as the redox catalyst. The dissolution rates are 5 to 15 times faster than the rates obtained using the current process (12 M HNO/sub 3/-0.18 M HF), and the corrosive fluoride ion is avoided.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 7229226
• Report Number(s): PNL-SA-13738; CONF-861146-10; ON: DE87003172
• 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 COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMISTRY
DISSOLUTION
ELECTROCHEMISTRY
ELEMENTS
LEACHING
METALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM DIOXIDE
PLUTONIUM OXIDES
SCRAP
SCRAP METALS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLID WASTES
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
WASTES