A COMPARISON OF PROCEDURES FOR DISSOLVING IGNITED PLUTONIUM OXIDES FOR ANALYSIS

摘要

A comparison of all available methods for dissolving ignited plutonium dioxide, on an analytical scale, has shown that the rate of solution in a hydrobromic/0.15M hydrofluoric acid mixture was about six times as fast as in nitric/hydrofluoric acid;plutonium/uranium oxides did not dissolve readily in the bromide mixture. An improved apparatus made from a transparent inert plastic (FEP) was used for refluxing mixed oxides with nitric/hydrofluoric acid. Plutonium oxide previously sintered at 1600℃ in air was most rapidly attacked by fusion with sodium bisulphate under reflux at 800℃.