THE PREPARATION OF HIGH-PURITY PLUTONIUM DIOXIDE AND PLUTONIUM(m) CHLORIDE SOLUTION

摘要

A method is described for the preparation of high-purity plutonium dioxide. The purification process consists of a partial removal of impurities by electrolysis into a mercury cathode and a subsequent further purification by precipitation of the plutonium as the per¬oxide. The peroxide precipitate is ignited to the dioxide at 900°C. in a platinum-lined furnace under noncontaminating conditions. The product contained about 2 parts per million of manganese as the only detectable metal impurity exceeding the 1 part-per-million level. This high quality is readily reproduced batchwise.nThe preparation of a high-purity plutonium(III) chloride solution is readily achieved by dissolving the above-mentioned peroxide in quartz-distilled hydrochloric acid.