THE RADIOCHEMISTRY OF PLUTONIUM - Sciencemadness.org

I.0
D o. I
K
Pu (Vl)n Pu CO NCENTRAT10Nm2mg/ml
o 1, ,, # “ , Oadju6tBd
Pu(IV) ● Pu CONCENTRATION= 2 mg/ml
w. II “ d.,, .
,D
. . . .
aalustoa
Fig. 32. Distribution of Pu(IV ) and Pu(VI) into hexone from HN03 solutions.
concentration. MacKenzie
260 found that the distribution coefficient for both Pu(IV) and
Pu(VI) in nitric acid increased in the range 0,01-2 mg/ml, while Groot et al. 153 re-
port no dependence on Pu concentration from 0.00003 to 0.5 mg/ml for the extraction
153
of Pu(IV). Groot et al. also find that the distribution coefficients are not affected by
either (). 03 ~ Na2Cr207 or O.3 ~ 9ulfOniC acid. These reagents are commonly used
as oxidizing and reducing agents in redox processes. Rider ~.332 has used hexone in a
laboratory procedure to determine Pu and U in reactor targets.
Other Aqueous Systems
Stewart3’3 reports on the comparative extraction of Pu (unspecified
initial valence) by hexone from hydrochloric, nitric, sulfuric, and acetic acids under
various conditions (Table IV-20). Plutonium (presumably a mixture of Pu(IV) and Pu(VI))
extracts well from 6 ~ HC1, but not from H2S04 or acetic acid, while the extraction
is very low under reducing conditions for all these acids.
59
260