Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe Gmbh

Juergen Haag

Sameh A Ali

Sameh A Hadi Ali

An organic extraction phase, containing fission materials uranium and plutonium, as well as a minor amount of fission- and corrosion-products, from an extraction step or from a purification step of a nuclear fuel reprocessing process is treated with an aqueous, basic, carbonate ion containing solution, whereby the fission materials and at least a part of the fission- and corrosion-products are stripped into the aqueous phase and the uranium is present in the form of uranium-carbonato-complex. The organic phase is then separated from the aqueous phase. Plutonium is then removed from the separated aqueous phase. The remaining aqueous solution containing the uranium-carbonato-complex and a small residual amount (C) of fission products is adjusted to a ratio of uranyl ion concentration to carbonate ion- or CO.sub.3.sup.-- /HCO.sub.3.sup.-- concentration of 1(UO.sub.2.sup.++) to 4.5(CO.sub.3.sup.-- or CO.sub.3.sup.-- /HNO.sub.3.sup.-), respectively, or more, at a maximum U-concentration of not more than 6- g/l. The adjusted solution is then led over a basic anion exchanger made from a polyalkene matrix provided with a preponderant part tertiary and a minor part quaternary amino groups to adsorb fission product ions or fission products containing ions. The unadsorbed uranyl-carbonato complex which is now decontaminated, and preponderantly fission product free is recovered by separating the uranium containing, remaining aqueous solution from the ion exchanger.

Process for the recovery of uranium values in an extractive reprocessing

A process for separating large amounts of uranium from small amounts of radioactive fission products, which are present in basic, aqueous carbonate containing solutions, by means of a basic, organic anion exchanger. Uranium values present as uranykl-carbonato complex in a basic, aqueous, carbonate containing solution can be separated from fission products of the group ruthenium, zirconium, niobium and lanthanide, and with a relatively high degree of decontamination as well. The aqueous solution is adjusted to a ratio of uranyl ion concentration to carbonate ion- or CO.sub.3.sup.-- /HCO.sub.3.sup.- concentration of 1(UO.sub.2.sup.++) to 4.5(CO.sub.3.sup.--, or CO.sub.3.sup.-- /HCO.sub.3.sup.-), or more, at a maximum U concentration of not more than 60 g/l. The adjusted solution is led over a basic anion exchanger made from a polyalkene matrix provided with a preponderant part tertiary and a minor part quaternary amino groups to adsorb fission products ions or fission products containing ions. The unadsorbed uranyl-carbonato complex is recovered in a decontaminated, preponderantly fission product free form by separating the uranium containing, remaining aqueous solution from the ion exchanger.

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Worms, Germany

Juergen Haag