Process for recovery of palladium from nuclear fuel reprocessing wastes
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
InventorsDavid O. Campbell, Samuel R. Buxton
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Abstract
Palladium is selectively removed from spent nuclear fuel reprocessing waste by adding sugar to a strong nitric acid solution of the waste to partially denitrate the solution and cause formation of an insoluble palladium compound. The process includes the steps of: (a) adjusting the nitric acid content of the starting solution to about 10 M, (b) adding 50% sucrose solution in an amount sufficient to effect the precipitation of the palladium compound, (c) heating the solution at reflux temperature until precipitation is complete, and (d) centrifuging the solution to separate the precipitated palladium compound from the supernatant liquid.
Claims8
A method for selective removal of palladium from a nitric acid solution of nuclear fuel reprocessing wastes, from which fuel values have been removed, comprising the steps of:
- (a) adjusting the concentration of nitric acid in the solution to 8-12 M,
- (b) adding to the resulting 8-12 M nitric acid solution a mono- or disaccharide in an amount sufficient to react with palladium contained in the solution,
- (c) heating the resulting mixture containing mono- or disaccharide under reflux until precipitation of a palladium-containing solid ceases, and
- (d) separating the palladium-containing solid from a supernatant liquid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.