Lab Scale Production of NpO2

The Savannah River Site (SRS) plans to disposition its legacy H-Canyon neptunium to Oak Ridge National Laboratory after converting it to oxide in HB-Line. Neptunium oxide, (NpO{sub 2}) was produced at the Savannah River Technology Center using the anticipated HB-Line flowsheet conditions. The oxide was produced from a neptunium nitrate solution via anion exchange, oxalate precipitation, and calcination at either 600 C or 650 C. The 98 grams of NpO{sub 2} produced in the laboratory should be representative of material produced in HB-Line and is to be used for gas generation testing to support radioactive material transportation safety analysis as part of the neptunium stabilization and disposition program at SRS. Results of each step of the oxide production will be presented