scholarly journals The Removal of Platinum Group Metals, Cs, Se, and Te from Nuclear Waste Glass Using Liquid Sb Extraction and Phase Separation Methods

Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 5305
Author(s):  
Meng Zhang ◽  
Ying Lv ◽  
Zhanglian Xu ◽  
Sheng Wang ◽  
Jie Wang

Recovery of platinum group metals (PGMs: Pd, Ru, Rh), Cs, Se, and Te from molten borosilicate glass containing simulated high level radwaste through the combination of liquid metal extraction and phase separation method under reductive heat-treatment was studied. In this process, the PGMs were extracted in recovered liquid metal phase, where Sb and Bi metals were used as the collecting metals. Meanwhile, Cs, Se, and Te were enriched in the phase separated potassium-rich materials on glass surface, which were extracted by water. The type of liquid metals had profound influence on the extraction behaviors of PGMs and other fission products from the glass melt. As a result, except the near extraction efficiency of Pd, Sb showed higher affinity for Ru and Rh than Bi metal. The higher phase separation efficiency of potassium-rich materials led to the higher extraction efficiencies of Cs, Se, and Te in liquid Sb extraction than Bi. Among the examined conditions, using liquid Sb extraction, the Pd, Ru, and Rh extraction efficiencies were 78.6%, 62.1% and 100% in liquid Sb metal phase, and 93.76% of Cs, 60.4% of Se, and 23.65% of Te in leachate were obtained.

Author(s):  
Yu. Pokhitonov ◽  
V. Romanovski ◽  
P. Rance

The principal purpose of spent fuel reprocessing consists in the recovery of the uranium and plutonium and the separation of fission products so as to allow re-use of fissile and fertile isotopes and facilitate disposal of waste elements. Amongst the fission products present in spent nuclear fuel of Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs,) there are considerable quantities of platinum group metals (PGMs): ruthenium, rhodium and palladium. Given current predictions for nuclear power generation, it is predicted that the quantities of palladium to be accumulated by the middle of this century will be comparable with those of the natural sources, and the quantities of rhodium in spent nuclear fuel may even exceed those in natural sources. These facts allow one to consider spent nuclear fuel generated by NPPs as a potential source for creation of a strategic stock of platinum group metals. Despite of a rather strong prediction of growth of palladium consumption, demand for “reactor” palladium in industry should not be expected because it contains a long-lived radioactive isotope 107Pd (half-life 6,5·105 years) and will thus be radioactive for a very considerable period, which, naturally, restricts its possible applications. It is presently difficult to predict all the areas for potential use of “reactor” palladium in the future, but one can envisage that the use of palladium in radwaste reprocessing technology (e.g. immobilization of iodine-129 and trans-plutonium elements) and in the hydrogen energy cycle may play a decisive role in developing the demand for this metal. Realization of platinum metals recovery operation before HLW vitrification will also have one further benefit, namely to simplify the vitrification process, because platinum group metals may in certain circumstances have adverse effects on the vitrification process. The paper will report data on platinum metals (PGM) distribution in spent fuel reprocessing products and the different alternatives of palladium separation flowsheets from HLW are presented. It is shown, that spent fuel dissolution conditions can affect the palladium distribution between solution and insoluble precipitates. The most important factors, which determine the composition and the yield of residues resulting from fuel dissolution, are the temperature and acid concentration. Apparently, a careful selection of fuel dissolution process parameters would make it possible to direct the main part of palladium to the 1st cycle raffinate together with the other fission products. In the authors’ opinion, the development of an efficient technology for palladium recovery requires the conception of a suitable flow-sheet and the choice of optimal regimes of “reactor” palladium recovery concurrently with the resolution of the problem of HLW partitioning when using the same facilities.


2019 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
pp. 5-10
Author(s):  
Irina S. Rudik ◽  
Olesya N. Katasonova ◽  
Olga B. Mokhodoeva ◽  
Tatyana A. Maryutina ◽  
Boris Ya. Spivakov ◽  
...  

The possibility of Pd (II), Pt (IV), and Rh (III) separation from chloride solutions by solvent extraction in rotating coiled columns (RCC) is demonstrated. The reagents most frequently used in extraction of platinum metals were selected as extractants: trioctylamine (TOA), methyltrialkylammonium chloride (MTAA), tributylphosphate (TBP), N, N, N',N'-tetra-re-octyldiglyTOlamide (TODGA). The completeness of extraction of the platinum group metals from individual and mixed hydrochloric acidic and chloride solutions was studied depending on the nature and concentration of the extractant, acidity of the test solutions and other factors. Optimal conditions for the quantitative extraction of metals from model hydrochloric acidic and chloride solutions and subsequent selective separation at the stripping stage are specified. A scheme of multistaged extraction separation of Pd (II), Pt (IV), and Rh (III) from chloride solutions using a 0.05 M solution of MTAA in toluene as a stationary phase in RCC is proposed. The scheme includes extraction of Pd (II) and Pt (IV) ions from a chloride solution (0, 1 M HCl + 30 g/liter NT) into the organic phase with simultaneous separation of Rh(III) remaining in the aqueous phase, and sequential stripping of Pd (II) and Pt (IV) from the organic phase with a 0.01 M solution of thiourea in 0.1 M HCl and a 1 M solution of thiourea in 0.5 M HCl, respectively. The scheme was tested in separation of the platinum group metals from the technological solution of a given composition. The degree of metal extraction with a 0.05 M MTAA solution in toluene and sequential stripping with thiourea solutions is 99.5% for Rh (III), 99.9% for Pd (II), and 97.4% for Pt (IV). The separated water fractions of rhodium and platinum after leaving the column did not contain impurities of other platinum metals whereas the water fraction of palladium contained 0.5% Pt.


2008 ◽  
Vol 50 (2-6) ◽  
pp. 514-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuyoshi Uruga ◽  
Kayo Sawada ◽  
Youichi Enokida ◽  
Ichiro Yamamoto

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