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US 4,710,222 AGranted
Method for removal of plutonium impurity from americium oxides and fluorides
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
InventorsJohn R. FitzPatrick, Jerry G. Dunn, Larry R. Avens
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Abstract
Method for removal of plutonium impurity from americium oxides and fluorides. AmF.sub.4 is not further oxidized to AmF.sub.6 by the application of O.sub.2 F at room temperature, while plutonium compounds present in the americium sample are fluorinated to volatile PuF.sub.6, which can readily be separated therefrom, leaving the purified americium oxides and/or fluorides as the solid tetrafluoride.
Claims5
A method for the removal of plutonium impurity from oxides and/or fluorides of americium which comprises the steps of:
- a. reacting impure americium oxides containing plutonium impurity with fluorine gas to produce impure AmF.sub.4 ;
- b. reacting the resulting impure AmF.sub.4 with O.sub.2 F to produce PuF.sub.6 ;
- and
- c. separating the PuF.sub.6 from the AmF.sub.4.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.