(1) Shelter Interbranch Scientific and Technical Center, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Chernobyl, Kiev oblast, Ukraine;(2) Khlopin Radium Institute, Research and Production Association, St. Petersburg, Russia
Abstract:
A procedure was developed for purification of plutonium to remove americium by oxalate precipitation using diethyl oxalate as a precipitant. The developed procedure was tested under laboratory conditions and on an enlarged installation. It was shown that the decontamination factor of plutonium from americium can exceed 2 ×103. The plutonium oxalate precipitate can be dissolved by heating with HNO3 in the presence of V(V) catalyst and also by electrochemical dissolution at alternating current.