Claims
- 1. A process for dissolving plutonium metal, said process comprising the steps of:
- heating a mixture of nitric acid, hydroxylammonium nitrate and fluoride; and
- immersing said plutonium in said mixture.
- 2. The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said mixture is heated to a temperature of at least approximately 40.degree. C.
- 3. The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said mixture is heated to a temperature between approximately 40.degree. C. and 70.degree. C.
- 4. The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said nitric acid has a concentration of not more than 2M.
- 5. The process as recited in claim 1, wherein the concentration of said hydroxylammonium nitrate is at least approximately 0.33M.
- 6. The process as recited in claim 1, wherein the concentration of said hydroxylammonium nitrate is between approximately0.33M and 1.0M.
- 7. The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said fluoride further comprises potassium fluoride.
- 8. The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said fluoride further comprises potassium fluoride having a concentration of at least 0.05M.
- 9. The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said fluoride further comprises potassium fluoride having a concentration of between 0.05M and 0.1M.
- 10. The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said mixture further comprises less than approximately 0.1M sulfamic acid.
- 11. A process for dissolving plutonium metal, said process comprising the steps of:
- heating a mixture of nitric acid, hydroxylammonium nitrate and potassium fluoride; and
- immersing said plutonium in said mixture;
- said nitric acid having a concentration of not more than 2M,
- said hydroxylammonium nitrate having a concentration of between approximately 0.33 M and 1 M, and
- said potassium fluoride having a concentration between approximately 0.05 M approximately 0.1 M.
- 12. The process as recited in claim 11, wherein said mixture is heated to a temperature between approximately 40.degree. and 70.degree. C.
- 13. The process as recited in claim 11, wherein said concentration of hydroxylammonium nitrate is approximately 0.66 M.
- 14. The process as recited in claim 11, wherein said concentration of potassium fluoride is approximately 0.1 M.
- 15. The process as recited in claim 11, wherein said concentration of nitric acid is approximately 2 M.
- 16. The process as recited in claim 11, wherein said mixture is heated to a temperature between approximately 40.degree. and 70.degree. C. and wherein said concentration of potassium fluoride is approximately 0.1 M.
- 17. The process as recited in claim 11, wherein said mixture further comprises less than approximately 0.1 M sulfamic acid.
- 18. The process as recited in claim 11, wherein said mixture is heated to a temperature between approximately 40.degree. and 70.degree. C., said concentration of potassium fluoride is approximately 0.1 M and said said mixture further comprises less than approximately 0.1 M sulfamic acid.
Government Interests
The U.S. Government has rights in this invention pursuant to Contract No. DE-AC09-89SR18035 between the U.S. Department of Energy and Westinghouse Savannah River Company.
US Referenced Citations (14)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Cleveland, J. M. The Chemistry of Plutonium, 1970, pp. 570-575. |