Development and study on an electroreduction mixer-settler for separation of plutonium during reprocessing of nuclear fuels
The history of reprocessing nuclear fuels began in the United States in the mid 1940s with the production of plutonium by precipitation according to the well-known bismuth phosphate process. Following that, other extraction methods, particularly by aqueous means, were developed that finally resulted in the Purex process that is used today worldwide. The largest facility in service reprocessing light water reactor fuel is at La Hague in France. This method is based on an extraction by tributyl phosphate (TBP) from nitric solutions. By diluting the TBP with approximately 30% volume of kerosene (essential component n-dodecane), a sufficiently great density difference is reached between the organic and aqueous media to obtain good separation of the phases in the extractors. For this separation, mixer-settlers, pulsed columns or centrifugal extractors can be used. Our research treats the use of mixer-settlers. 61 refs., 34 figs., 13 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 7777629
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL/tr-88/25; ON: DE89001721; TRN: 88-035421
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph.D.). Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products; Related Information: TN: Translated from French Microfilm of thesis presented to the Grenoble National Polytechnical Institute September 1984, Country of intellectual origin: United States
- Country of Publication:
- Germany
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
FUEL REPROCESSING PLANTS
MIXER-SETTLERS
DESIGN
NUCLEAR FUELS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
ELECTROCHEMISTRY
FISSION PRODUCTS
HYDRAZINE
NITRIC ACID
PLUTONIUM
REDUCTION
SEPARATION EQUIPMENT
URANIUM
ACTINIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
EXTRACTION APPARATUSES
FUELS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
ISOTOPES
MATERIALS
METALS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
REACTOR MATERIALS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
050800* - Nuclear Fuels- Spent Fuels Reprocessing