Plutonium processing crystallinity

Optical elements, liquid crystalline materials in, 15 116—117 Optical emission spectra, 14 833-837 plutonium, 19 671—673 Optical emission spectroscopy (OES), archaeological materials, 5 742 Optical fiber(s), 13 391-392 24 618 defects in, 11 145 drawing of, 11 141-145 fabrication of, 11 135-141 health care applications for, 13 397 overcladding of, 11 144 remote measurements using, 14 234 in sensors, 22 270-271 sol-gel processing of, 11 144-145 strength of, 11 141-145 vitreous silica in, 22 444 Optical fiber sensors, 12 614-616 Optical germanium, 12 556... 

Plutonium peroxide was investigated by Hamaker and Koch, (0 Hopkins, (2) and Koshland, et al. (3) in the 19 0 s and Leary (h) in the early 1950 s. This work showed that the composition of the precipitate varied and often incorporated anions from the solution from which it was precipitated. These investigations, as well as other work (5), also showed that the peroxide precipitate exists in both hexagonal and cubic crystalline forms. Although both forms are compounds of Pu(lV), they have slightly different O /Pu ratios (6). The cubic form can be colloidal and therefore is less suitable for process application than the hexagonal form. The acidity of the solution has an effect on the... 

In this process, oxide fuel is dissolved in a molten chloride salt mixture through which Q2-HCI gas is flowing. Dissolved uranium and plutonium are then recovered as oxides by cathodic electrodeposition at 500 to 700°C. The process was demonstrated with kilogram quantities of irradiated fuel, with production of dense, crystalline UO2 or UO2-PUO2 reactor-grade material. Difficulties were experienced with process control, off-gas handling, electrolyte regeneration, and control of the plutonium/uranium ratio. Development has been discontinued. 

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