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Effect of vaporization on thermal stability of model PUREX-process raffinates

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Abstract

The aqueous phase formed during the regeneration of the irradiated extractant contains organic products that degrade into gases upon heating and evaporation. With an excess of HNO3, almost 230 L of gas can be released from a liter of hot liquid phase. Nitrates of rare earth elements practically do not affect the thermal stability of the raffinate. Evaporation of the aqueous phase is accompanied by acid hydrolysis of dissolved butyl phosphates with the formation of their hydroxy derivatives. A safe method for the regeneration of aqueous raffinate without gas evolution has been substantiated.

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Acknowledgements

The investigation was performed using the equipment of CKP FMI IPCE RAS and UNU KRHI IPCE RAS.

Funding

This work was financially supported by Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russian Federation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. A.N. Frumkin Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry of RAS (IPCE RAS), Leninsky prospect 31/4, Moscow, Russia, 119071

    Yulia V. Serenko, Ivan V. Skvortsov, Alexander V. Ponomarev & Elena V. Belova

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  1. Yulia V. Serenko
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  2. Ivan V. Skvortsov
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  3. Alexander V. Ponomarev
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  4. Elena V. Belova
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Correspondence to Elena V. Belova.

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Serenko, Y.V., Skvortsov, I.V., Ponomarev, A.V. et al. Effect of vaporization on thermal stability of model PUREX-process raffinates. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 332, 2733–2739 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-023-08925-1

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