METHOD FOR PHOTOCHEMICALLY SEPARATING PLUTONIUM AND NEPTUNIUM

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To extract plutonium to an organic phase so that plutonium and neptunium are mutually separable by emitting an ultraviolet ray while mixing a nitric acid solution containing plutonium and neptunium with the organic phase containing tributyl phosphate. SOLUTION: When a valency regulating process for emitting an ultraviolet ray to a mixture containing plutonium and neptunium in a nitric acid solution to regulate the valencies of plutonium and neptunium and an extracting process for extracting plutonium and neptunium from the mixture to an organic phase by use of the organic phase containing tributyl phosphate are simultaneously performed, plutonium is extracted to the organic phase, and plutonium and neptunium are mutually separated. When the valency regulating process is performed before the extracting process, plutonium and neptunium are coextracted to the organic phase, and the mutual separation or coextraction of plutonium and neptunium can be performed only by selectively setting the timing of the extracting process to the same time as the valency regulation or after it.