Flowsheet for coprocessing uranium and plutonium

A coprocessing solvent extraction flowsheet for recovering and purifying LWR fuels has been altered to achieve partial partioning of uranium and plutonium to eliminate streams with pure plutonium. Partial partitioning has been demonstrated in the laboratory with simulated feeds and irradiated LWR fuel solutions. Hydroxylamine nitrate was the reductant in these tests. Plutonium was concentrated by factors of 6 to 27.4. Tests have shown that 1 to 2 plutonium atoms are reduced for each hydroxylamine molecule consumed. Nitrite interferes with the reduction of plutonium, unless the hydroxylamine concentration is increased. 12 tables, 11 figures