Purex process

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An improved solvent extraction process, PUREX, utilizes an organic mixture of tributyl phosphate solvent dissolved in a hydrocarbon diluent, typically dodecane. This was used at Savannah River, Georgia, ca 1955 and Hanford, Washington, ca 1956. Waste volumes were reduced by using recoverable nitric acid as the salting agent. A hybrid REDOX/PUREX process was developed in Idaho Falls, Idaho, ca 1956 to reprocess high bum-up, fuUy enriched (97% u) uranium fuel from naval reactors. Other separations processes have been developed. The desirable features are compared in Table 1. 

Fig. 3. Basic PUREX process where TBP = tri — n — butyl phosphate.

Chemistry. Chemical separation is achieved by countercurrent Hquid— Hquid extraction and involves the mass transfer of solutes between an aqueous phase and an immiscible organic phase. In the PUREX process, the organic phase is typically a mixture of 30% by volume tri- -butyl phosphate (solvent) and a normal paraffin hydrocarbon (diluent). The latter is typically dodecane or a high grade kerosene (20). A number of other solvent or diluent systems have been investigated, but none has proved to be a substantial improvement (21). 

Computer simulation programs for process design optimization have been developed for the PUREX process utilizing these relationships (22). A subroutine has also been developed which describes the behavior of fission products (23). 

These variations permit the separation of other components, if desired. Additional data on uranium, plutonium, and nitric acid distribution coefficients as a function of TBP concentration, solvent saturation, and salting strength are available (24,25). Algorithms have also been developed for the prediction of fission product distributions in the PUREX process (23). 

Uranium. The uranium product from the PUREX process is in the form of uranyl nitrate which must be converted to some other chemical depending on anticipated use. One route to MO fuel is to mix uranium and plutonium nitrates and perform a coprecipitation step. The precipitate is... 

By-Products. The PUREX process is efficient at separating uranium and plutonium from everything else in the spent fuel. Within the high level waste stream are a number of components which have, from time to time, been sufficiendy interesting to warrant their recovery. The decision to recover a particular isotope is usually based on a combination of market incentives and desired waste reduction. 

In the reprocessing environment there are many mthenium compounds, some of which are gaseous. Some reprocessing approaches, notably the REDOX process, require a mthenium removal step in the off-gas system. The PUREX process maintains mthenium in one of its nonvolatile states. 

H. Schneider, F. Baumgartner, H. Goldacking, md H. Hmsberger, Electrolytic Techniques in the Purex Process, KFK-2082, Kemfonchungszentmm Kadsmhe, Germmy, 1975 Eng, trms., ORNL-tr-2999, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Term. 

Historically, the Redox process was used to achieve the same purification as in the Purex process (97,129). The reagents were hexone (methyl isobutyl ketone) as the solvent, dichromate as an oxidant, and A1(N02)3 as the salting agent. The chief disadvantages of hexone are its flammability and its solubihty in water. However, because A1(N03)3 collects in the highly radioactive waste, thereby impeding the latter s further processing, the Redox process was abandoned in favor of the Purex process. 

The plutonium extracted by the Purex process usually has been in the form of a concentrated nitrate solution or symp, which must be converted to anhydrous PuF [13842-83-6] or PuF, which are charge materials for metal production. The nitrate solution is sufficientiy pure for the processing to be conducted in gloveboxes without P- or y-shielding (130). The Pu is first precipitated as plutonium(IV) peroxide [12412-68-9], plutonium(Ill) oxalate [56609-10-0], plutonium(IV) oxalate [13278-81-4], or plutonium(Ill) fluoride. These precipitates are converted to anhydrous PuF or PuF. The precipitation process used depends on numerous factors, eg, derived purity of product, safety considerations, ease of recovering wastes, and required process equipment. The peroxide precipitation yields the purest product and generally is the preferred route (131). The peroxide precipitate is converted to PuF by HF—O2 gas or to PuF by HF—H2 gas (31,132). 

Then the fuel elements are dissolved in 7m HNO3 to give a solution containing U and Pu which, in the widely used plutonium-uranium-reduction, or Purex process, are extracted into 20% tributyl phosphate (TBP) in kerosene leaving most of the fission products... 

Purex process, enthalpy change, 6, 952 hydroxides, 6, 887 irradiated nuclear fuel... 

Ammonium ions, tetradecyldimethylbenzyl-liquid—Liquid extraction, 1, 548 Ammonium molybdate, 3,1257 Ammonium nitrate, hydroxyl-as plutonium(IV) reductant Purex process, 6, 949 Amphotericin B metal complexes, 2, 973 a-Amylase zinc, 6, 607 Anabaena spp. 

Purex process, 6,940 Barium, pentakis(diacetamide)-stereochemistry, 1, 99 Barium alkoxides synthesis, 2,336 Barium complexes cryptands, 3,53 phthalocyanines, 2, 863 porphyrins, 2,820 pyridine oxide, 3,9 urea, 3,9... 

Purex process, 6, 951 Neptunium complexes, 3, 1131-1215 cupferron, 2, 510 Neptunium dioxide ions disproportionation Purex process, 6, 950... 

Purex process, 6, 946 oxidation state reduction, 6, 947 Pnictide ligands double bonds, 2, 1045 triple bonds, 2, 1046 Podandocoronands classification, 2, 919 Podands... 

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