Abstract:
The 1B unit is a critical separation unit in the Purex process, primarily responsible for the efficient separation of uranium (U) and plutonium (Pu). The separation principle is to use a reducing agent to reduce Pu(Ⅳ) to Pu(Ⅲ) that is not easily extracted by 30%TBP-kerosene or n-dodecane, so that Pu(Ⅲ) remains in the aqueous phase, thereby achieving the separation between uranium and plutonium. To elevate the plutonium concentration ratio in the 1B unit, simulation calculations were performed on 4-fold, 5-fold, and 6-fold Pu concentration processes using dimethylhydroxylamine (DMHAN) and monomethylhydrazine (MMH) as composite reducing agents. Additionally, a 16-stage counter current stripping experiment for the 6-fold Pu concentration process was conducted at 25 ℃ to verify the simulation results. Simulation results reveal that under the 6-fold Pu concentration condition, when 99.99% of Pu(Ⅳ) in the first-stage organic phase is reduced, the total oxidation rate of Pu(Ⅲ) by nitric acid (HNO
3) and nitrous acid (HNO
2) in both aqueous and organic phases remains lower than the two-phase reaction rate of trace Pu(Ⅳ) in the organic phase with DMHAN in the aqueous phase, ensuring effective reduction of Pu. Meanwhile, the recovery rates of U and Pu reach 99.999% and 99.995% respectively, with Pu/U separation factor (SF
Pu/U) of 2.0×10
4 and U/Pu separation factor (SF
U/Pu) of 2.3×10
5. Countercurrent experimental data confirm that at 6-fold Pu concentration, the U recovery rate is 99.999%, Pu recovery rate is 99.988%, SF
Pu/U is 7.3×10
3, and SF
U/Pu is 1.4×10
5, showing good consistency with simulation results. These findings demonstrate that adopting DMHAN-MMH as the reducing agent in the 1B unit can safely raise the Pu concentration ratio from the current 4-fold to 6-fold, providing technical support for optimizing the Purex process.