/sup 238/Pu processing at the Savannah River Plant

Conference · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:6632411

Burney, G A

/sup 238/Pu is produced by irradiating /sup 237/Np. The /sup 237/Np is produced as a byproduct when natural or enriched uranium is irradiated with neutrons. The /sup 237/Np is separated by solvent extraction and ion exchange. It is converted to NpO/sub 2/ and fabricated into targets for irradiation. The irradiated targets are cooled and dissolved in strong nitric acid. The /sup 238/Pu and /sup 237/Np are separated from fission products and other cationic impurities and from each other by three cycles of anion exchange. The /sup 237/Np is recycled to produce more targets for irradiation. The pure /sup 238/Pu solution is precipitated as Pu oxalate and calcined to PuO/sub 2/. After several powder-conditioning steps, the PuO/sub 2/ is hot pressed into fuel forms. Each form is encased in iridium for loading into a specially designed power unit for space application. 8 references, 9 figures, 1 table.

• Research Organization: Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-76SR00001
• OSTI ID: 6632411
• Report Number(s): DP-MS-83-63; CONF-831047-63; ON: DE84002426
• Resource Relation: Conference: American Nuclear Society winter meeting, San Francisco, CA, USA, 30 Oct 1983
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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ISOTOPE PRODUCTION
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NEPTUNIUM OXIDES
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HEAVY NUCLEI
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NUCLEAR REACTIONS
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NUCLEON REACTIONS
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
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