Methods of producing and recovering plutonium-238

Abstract

Methods of producing plutonium-238 are disclosed. One method includes dissolving neptunium-237 in a nitric acid solution to produce a neptunium target solution, subjecting the neptunium target solution to neutron radiation to produce plutonium-238, and removing the plutonium-238 from the neptunium target solution. A second method includes exposing a solution of neptunium-237 to neutron radiation to produce plutonium-238, complexing the plutonium-238 with an organophosphorus compound, and separating the plutonium-238 / organophosphorus compound complex from the solution of neptunium-237. A third method includes dissolving neptunium-237 to form a neptunium-237 target solution, exposing the neptunium-237 to thermal neutrons to produce plutonium-238, utilizing an organophosphorus compound to complex the plutonium-238 and the organophosphorus compound, extracting the plutonium-238 / organophosphorus compound complex from the irradiated neptunium target solution, and recovering the plutonium-238.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application is related to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12 / 468,679 to Meikrantz et al., entitled “METHODS OF PRODUCING CESIUM-131,” filed on May 19, 2009, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT[0002]This invention was made with government support under Contract Number DE-AC07-05ID14517 awarded by the United States Department of Energy. The government has certain rights in the invention.TECHNICAL FIELD[0003]The invention, in various embodiments, relates generally to methods of producing and recovering radioisotopes. More specifically, the invention, in various embodiments, relates to methods of producing and recovering plutonium-238 (Pu-238).BACKGROUND[0004]Pu-238 is used to generate electrical power, such as in radioisotope thermoelectric generators and radioisotope heater units, in situations where solar energy or intern...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

However, the supply of Pu-238 is decreasing because there has been no domestic production in over twenty years, and foreign supplies of Pu-238 are limited and will be consumed in the near future.

No alternative production processes are currently available.

This process has limited efficiency because, during solid target irradiation times, the Pu-238 can capture one or two neutrons, forming plutonium-239 (Pu-239) or plutonium-240 (Pu-240), which decrease the purity of the Pu-238.

However, the preparation, loading, unloading, target dissolution, and plutonium separation from the Np-237 target is time consuming, costly, and exposes personnel to radiation.

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