# US 4,394,269 A · Method for cleaning solution used in nuclear fuel reprocessing

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- Number: US 4,394,269 A
- Document ID: US4394269A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/262,831
- Filed: 1981-05-12
- Granted: 1983-07-19
- Earliest claimed: 1981-05-12
- Assignees: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
- Inventors: Othar K. Tallent; Karen E. Dodson; James C. Mailen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4394269A

## CPC

- G21F 9/12: by absorption; by adsorption; by ion-exchange
- G21F: PROTECTION AGAINST X-RADIATION, GAMMA RADIATION, CORPUSCULAR RADIATION OR PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT; TREATING RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED MATERIAL; DECONTAMINATION ARRANGEMENTS THEREFOR (radiation protection by pharmaceutical means A61K8/00, A61Q17/04; in cosmonautic vehicles B64G1/54; combined with a reactor G21C11/00; combined with X-ray tubes H01J35/16; combined with X-ray apparatus H05G1/02)

## Abstract

A nuclear fuel processing solution containing (1) hydrocarbon diluent, (2) tri-n-butyl phosphate or tri-2-ethylhexyl phosphate, and (3) monobutyl phosphate, dibutyl phosphate, mono-2-ethylhexyl phosphate, di-2-ethylhexyl phosphate, or a complex formed by plutonium, uranium, or a fission product thereof with monobutyl phosphate, dibutyl phosphate, mono-2-ethylhexyl phosphate, or di-2-ethylhexyl phosphate is contacted with silica gel having alkali ions absorbed thereon to remove any one of the degradation products named in section (3) above from said solution.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of processing a solution containing (1) a hydrocarbon diluent, (2) a phosphate selected from the group consisting of tri-n-butyl phosphate and tri-2-ethylhexyl phosphate, and (3) a degradation product selected from the group consisting of (a) monobutyl phosphate, (b) dibutyl phosphate, (c) mono-2-ethylhexyl phosphate, (d) di-2-ethylhexyl phosphate, and (e) a complex of plutonium, uranium, or a fission product thereof with monobutyl phosphate, dibutyl phosphate, mono-2-ethylhexyl phosphate, or di-2-ethylhexyl phosphate, comprising contacting said solution with silica gel having alkali metal ions absorbed thereon.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein sodium ions are absorbed on said silica gel.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein lithium ions are absorbed on said silica gel.