The United States of America as Represented by the United States

The United States of America as Represented by the United States Energy

James C Mailen

Othar K Tallent

Jimmy T Bell

Franz A Posey

Karen E Dodson

Benedict L Vondra

David J Crouse

Donald E Horner

Phillip C Arwood

A nuclear fuel processing solution containing (1) hydrocarbon diluent, (2) tri-n-butyl phosphate or tri-2-ethylhexyl phosphate, and (3) monobutyl phosphate, dibutyl phosphate, mono-2-ethylhexyl phosphate, di-2-ethylhexyl phosphate, or a complex formed by plutonium, uranium, or a fission product thereof with monobutyl phosphate, dibutyl phosphate, mono-2-ethylhexyl phosphate, or di-2-ethylhexyl phosphate is contacted with silica gel having alkali ions absorbed thereon to remove any one of the degradation products named in section (3) above from said solution.

Method for cleaning solution used in nuclear fuel reprocessing

Nuclear fuel processing solution consisting of tri-n-butyl phosphate and dodecane, with a complex of uranium, plutonium, or zirconium and with a solvent degradation product such as di-n-butyl phosphate therein, is contacted with an aqueous solution of a salt formed from hydrazine and either a dicarboxylic acid or a hydroxycarboxylic acid, thereby removing the aforesaid complex from the processing solution.

A Pu(IV) polymer not extractable from a nuclear fuel reclaiming solution by conventional processes is electrolytically converted to Pu.sup.3+ and PuO.sub.2.sup.2+ ions which are subsequently converted to Pu.sup.4+ ions extractable by the conventional processes.

Method of removing Pu(IV) polymer from nuclear fuel reclaiming liquid

PuO.sub.2 -containing solids, particularly residues from incomplete HNO.sub.3 dissolution of irradiated nuclear fuels, are dissolved in aqueous HI. The resulting solution is evaporated to dryness and the solids are dissolved in HNO.sub.3 for further chemical reprocessing. Alternatively, the HI solution containing dissolved Pu values, can be contacted with a cation exchange resin causing the Pu values to load the resin. The Pu values are selectively eluted from the resin with more concentrated HI.

Method for dissolving plutonium oxide with HI and separating plutonium

A method for removing molecular, inorganic, and organic forms of iodine from process gas streams comprises the electrolytic oxidation of iodine in the presence of cobalt-III ions. The gas stream is passed through the anode compartment of a partitioned electrolytic cell having a nitric acid anolyte containing a catalytic amount of cobalt to cause the oxidation of effluent iodine species to aqueous soluble species.

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Oak Ridge, TN, United States of America

James C Mailen