Recovery of transplutonium elements

Diphosphine Dioxides BNOPCs, such as diphosphine dioxides, have been considered for the recovery of transplutonium elements and REEs from HAWs... 

This collection of the state-of-the-art papers emphasizes the continuing importance of industrial-scale production, separation, and recovery of transplutonium elements. Americium (At. No. 95) and curium (At. No. 96) were first isolated in weighable amounts during and immediately after World War II. Berkelium and californium were isolated in 1958 and einsteinium in 1961. These five man-made elements, in each case, subsequently became available in increasing quantities. 

Ross, R. G. "Industrial-Scale Production - Separation -Recovery of Transplutonium Elements," ACS Symposium, 2nd Chem. Congr. North American Continent, 1980. 

Collins, E. D. Benker, D. E. Chattin, F. R. Ore, P. B. Ross, R. G., "Multigram Group Separation of Actinide and Lanthonide Elements by Li Cl-Based Ion Exchange", paper presented at Symposium on Industrial-Scale Production-Separation-Recovery of Transplutonium Elements, 2nd Chem. Congr. North American Continent, Las Vegas, NV, 1980. 

Shmidt, O.V., Zilberman, B.Ya., Fedorov, Yu.S., Suglobov, D.N., Puzikov, V.A., Mashkov, L.G., Palenik, Yu.V., Glekov, R.G. Extraction properties of dibutylphosphoric acid zirconium salt in recovery of transplutonium and rare-earth elements from nitric acid solution. Radiokhimiya (2002), 44 (5), 428 133. 

Campbell, D. O., "The Application of Pressurized Ion Exchange to Separations of Transplutonium Elements," Industrial-Scale Production-Recovery-Separation of Transplutonium Elements Symposium, ACS Second Chemical Congress, Las Vegas, Nevada, 1980. 

Certain of the transplutonium elements are used extensively in nuclear gauges and in many other fields as well. Industrial-scale production of these man-made elements requires development and application of appropriate recovery, separation, and purification processes. 

The 17 papers in this volume provide authoritative, in-depth coverage of an important area of nuclear and industrial chemistry. In addition to 12 U.S. authored papers, there are papers from authors in France, Japan, Peoples Republic of China, Sweden, and West Germany. This volume thus includes contributions from most countries in the world that have significant transplutonium element production and recovery programs and facilities. 

One possible application in which large amounts of rare earths and actinides would be processed occurs in some schemes for nuclear waste management. If it should prove to be advantageous to remove transplutonium elements from nuclear waste, for example, the recovery of Am and Cm from the much larger amounts of rare earths would be required. This problem has been investigated by the author in tracer tests with rare earth mixtures typical of fission products, using a heavy rare earth such as holmium as a stand-in for Am and Cm (Fig. 5). It is clear that the bulk of the holmium can be recovered in reasonable purity, and that the bulk of the lighter rare earths is effectively separated from the very small amount of heavy rare earths, Am, and Cm. 

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