Extraction of californium/III/ from aqueous pyrophosphate and tripolyphosphate solutions with D2EHPA

Extraction of californium/III/ with di-/–2-ethylhexyl/ phosphoric acid /D2EHPA/ in heptane from pyrophosphate media is almost quantitative between pH 4 and 5. From tripolyphosphate media, however, two to three extractions are needed in the pH range of 3–5 to isolate Cf³⁺ completely. Reextraction experiments show that 1M H₂SO₄ can back-extract Cf³⁺ completely while two to three reextractions with 5M HNO₃ can only separate californium/III/. Reverse phase partition chromatography experiments were performed to recover 300 g of californium/III/. From slope analysis of the extraction data the composition of the extracted species has been found to be Cf/H₂P₂O₇/A.HA and Cf/H₄P₃O₁₀/.A₂.2HA from pyrophosphate and tripolyphosphate solutions, respectively, where D2EHPA is abbreviated as /HA/₂.     

UO2, NpO2 and PuO2 preparation in aqueous nitrate solutions in the presence of hydrazine hydrate

It was established that heating to 90 °C of nitrate solutions of U, Np and Pu in the presence of hydrazine hydrate results in the formation of hydrated dioxides of these elements. On ignition under inert or reducing conditions in the temperature range of 280–800 °C hydrated uranium dioxide transmogrify into crystalline UO₂. On ignition in air atmosphere UO₂·nH₂O turns into UO₃ at 440 °C and into U₃O₈ at 570–800 °C. It was shown that thermolysis of the solution containing a mixture of uranium, neptunium and plutonium nitrates at 90 °C in the presence of hydrazine hydrate allows one to prepare hydrated dioxides (U, Np, Pu)O₂·nH₂O which on heating to ~300 °C transmogrify into crystalline product of UO₂, NpO₂ and PuO₂ solid solution. The technique of preparation of solid solutions of U and Pu dioxides is very promising as simple and effective method of production of MOX-fuel for.     

New approaches to processing and fabrication of oxide nuclear fuels

It was shown that, in contrast to the Purex process using aggressive and environmentally hazardous 8M HNO₃ solutions for dissolving spent oxide nuclear fuel (SNF), this fuel can be easily dissolved in aqueous subacid ([H⁺] ∼0.1 M) solutions of Fe(III) nitrate (chloride) with partial separation of uranium and plutonium from fission products (FP). The low acidity of the solutions obtained (pH ∼1) allows direct application of modern technologies of finishing processing of nuclear fuel by fluoride, carbonate, oxalate, or peroxide precipitation of uranium and plutonium. It was established that U(VI) is isolated from nearly neutral nitric acid solutions as a poorly soluble uranyl hydroxylaminate complex after adding hydroxylamine. It was shown that on thermal decomposition at 200–300°C under ambient atmosphere this compound converts into uranium dioxide. A similar approach was applied to obtain mixed oxide uranium-plutonium fuel (MOX fuel).     

Production of Mixed Powders of Actinide Dioxides by Thermal Reductive Denitration Using Microwave Heating

Physics of Atomic Nuclei - The use of microwave heating to produce solid solutions of actinide oxides in the processes of thermal denitration of model nitric acid solutions formed in reducing...     

Selective extraction of strontium with supercritical fluid carbon dioxide

Strontium (Sr(2+)) can be selectively extracted from aqueous solutions into supercritical fluid CO(2) at 60 °C and 100 atm with dicyclohexano-18-crown-6 (DC18C6) using CF(3)(CF(2))(6)CO(2) (-) (PFOA(-)) or CF(3)(CF(2))(6)CF(2)SO(3) (-) (PFOSA(-)) as a counter anion; at a mole ratio of Sr(2+) : DC18C6 : PFOA(-) = 1:10:50, the extraction of Sr (5.6 × 10(-5) M) from water at pH 3 is near quantitative whereas Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) at equal concentration are only extracted to a level of 7 and 1%, respectively; PFOSA(-) is an effective counter anion for selective extraction of Sr(2+) from 1.3 M HNO(3) with DC18C6 in supercritical CO(2).     

Supercritical fluid extraction of rare earth elements,thorium and uranium from monazite concentrate and phosphogypsum using carbon dioxide containing tributyl phosphate and di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid

Supercritical fluid extraction (SCFE) using carbon dioxide containing tributyl phosphate (TBP), di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) and their adducts with HNO₃ is applied for extraction of rare earth elements (REE), thorium (Th) and uranium (U) from monazite concentrate (MC) and phosphogypsum (PG). REE extraction from MC and their separation from Th and U are carried out from the product of MC–Na₂CO₃ baking (MCS), which is obtained under microwave irradiation, after which the phosphates of REE, Th and U present in the MC are converted into their oxides. Up to 50% of REE can be recovered as the adducts of TBP and D2EHPA with HNO₃ from the resulting powdered MCS under SCFE conditions, whereas Th and U remain in the solid phase. After a complete dissolution of the MCS residue in the mixture of 4 M HCl and 0.05 M HF, Th and U are quantitatively extracted using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC CO₂) containing D2EHPA and thus separated from the REE that remain in an acidic solution. The conditions of quantitative isolation of REE, Th and U from PG are determined. The schemes for complex processing of MC and PG aimed at REE recovery and their separation from Th and U are suggested.     

The extraction of actinides by diphenyl(dibutylcarbamoylmethyl)phosphine oxide in the absence of a solvent

The possibility of changing the aggregate state of several solid mono- and bidentate neutral organophosphorus compounds in contact with various mineral acids was demonstrated. The formation of the liquid phase immiscible with water was observed. The, phase exhibits a high extraction capability with respect to actinides in various oxidation states. The diphenyl(dibutylcarbamoylmethyl)phosphine oxide-NHO₃ extraction system was studied in detail. The composition of the liquid phase was shown to the Ph₂P(O)CH₂C(O)NBu₂·HNO₃·nH₂O (n=2 or 3). The kinetics of formation of this phase and extraction of Amⁱⁱⁱ from solutions of nitric acid and its salts was studied. The organic phase exhibits redox properties, due to which some actinides change the oxidation state during extraction. The “aryl strengthening effect” was suggested to exist for extraction of Am^III in the absence of a solvent. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 1739–1745, September, 1998.     

Electrochemical oxidation of californium in carbonae solutions

The electrolysis of trivalent californium, terbium and praseodimium in 2M K₂CO₃ solutions at pH 13.2 results in a partial oxidation of the trivalent ions to a higher oxidation state. Absorption spectra of Cf/III/ in 1M HCLO₄ and in 2M K₂O₃ and that of oxidized californium in carbonate solution have been recorded. Incomplete oxidation is accounted to a reducing species generated at high anode potentials.     

Dissolution of uranium dioxide in supercritical fluid carbon dioxide

Uranium dioxide can be dissolved in supercritical CO2 with a CO2-philic TBP-HNO3 complexant to form a highly soluble UO2(NO3)(2).2TBP complex; this new method of dissolving UO2 that requires no water or organic solvent may have important applications for reprocessing of spent nuclear fuels and for treatment of nuclear wastes.