LABORATORY DEVELOPMENT OF A PRESSURIZED CATION EXCHANGE PROCESS FOR REMOVING THE DAUGHTERS OF 232U FROM 233U

摘要

A pressurized cation exchange process has been developed for decreasing the gamma activity due to the daughters of 232U usually associated with 233U so that the 233U may be handled with minimal shielding. The process involves passing a 233UO2NO3)2 solution containing a few ppm of 232U through a bed of cation exchange resin on which the long-lived daughters of 232U are sorbed. The ura¬nium-containing effluent is held for 2 days to permit decay of the short-lived daughters. The gamma activity in the resulting product solution is less than 2% of the equilibrium value and remains below this level for about 3 weeks. Chemical and physical parameters in¬volved in the process were evaluated on a laboratory scale. Data developed in the laboratory were used in the design and construction of a plant that was a thousand times larger than the laboratory scale. Operation of this plant confirmed laboratory results.