Solvent extraction of irradiated neptunium targets. II. Flowsheet development

Technical Report · Fri Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1977

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7318225· OSTI ID:7318225

Thompson, G H; Thompson, M C

Development of a solvent extraction flowsheet for processing /sup 237/Np and /sup 238/Pu at the Savannah River Plant as a possible replacement for anion exchange processing is described. The major difficulty in solvent extraction processing is maintaining neptunium in the extractable M(IV) or M(VI) valence states prior to extraction. Miniature mixer-settler tests with 7.5 vol percent TBP showed that a sidestream of ferrous sulfamate to reduce Np(V) to Np(IV) in the first bank of mixer-settler contactors greatly decreased loss of neptunium to waste. A nitrite sidestream to catalytically oxidize Np(V) to Np(VI) did not prevent high losses of neptunium.

• Research Organization: Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-02-0016
• OSTI ID: 7318225
• Report Number(s): DP-1460
• 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 ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ACTINIDES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BUTYL PHOSPHATES
DIAGRAMS
ELEMENTS
ESTERS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EXTRACTION
FLOWSHEETS
HEAVY NUCLEI
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
IRON COMPOUNDS
ISOTOPES
METALS
NEPTUNIUM
NEPTUNIUM 237
NEPTUNIUM ISOTOPES
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
PHOSPHORIC ACID ESTERS
PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM 238
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIOISOTOPES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
SULFAMIC ACID
TBP
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES