Plutonium oxide polishing for MOX fuel fabrication

I&EC 83

Brenda J. Griego1, Elizabeth A. Bluhm2, Fawn Coriz3, Kent Abney4, Jason C. Brock3, Simon Balkey5, David J. Martinez6, and Kevin B. Ramsey7. (1) NMT-2, Los Alamos National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1663, MS E511, Los Alamos, NM 87544, (2) Chemistry Division, Los Alamos National Lab, C-INC, MS-J514, Los Alamos, NM 87545, (3) Nuclear Materials and Technology Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Route 1 Box 11-B, Santa Fe, NM 87506, (4) Nuclear and Radiochemistry Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, MS J514, Los Alamos, NM 87545, (5) NMT-2, Actinide Process Chemistry, Los Alamos National Laboratory, E511, Nuclear Materials Technology Division, Los Alamos, NM 87545, (6) NMT-1, Los Alamos National Laboratory, MS G740, PO Box 1663, LANL, Los Alamos, NM 87545, (7) NMT-15, Los Alamos National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1663/MS E530, Los Alamos, NM 87545
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has been tasked to produce 120 kg of plutonium as highly-purified PuO2 for the European Mixed Oxide (MOX) Lead Test Assembly (LTA) managed by Duke, COGEMA, and Stone & Webster (DCS). To meet technical requirements for PuO2 production, LANL recently demonstrated an ability to meet product quality specification using an aqueous polishing process. Polishing was required to remove undesirable quantities of gallium and other trace-metal impurities from the weapons-grade PuO2. The process flow sheet for PuO2 purification was based on aqueous recovery and included several unit operations of dissolution, ion exchange, oxalate precipitation, and calcination. Recent chemical and physical test results will be presented to show product quality and consistency in the production phase of this project.