Nearly complete extraction of cerium (a stand-in for all highly electropositive fission products) from molten uranium-10 w/o plutonium-10 w/o fissium alloys by molten halide salts has been realized within one hour at 1150°C. MgCl, in a CaCl2-BaCl2 flux was used to oxidize the ceriuixi and thereby effect its transfer to the molten salt phase. The molten phases have been satisfactorily contained in aberyllia crucible. Flux and metal phases have been separated by cooling the system to about 860°Cto solidify the metal phase, and then by pouring off the still-molten salt layer. The metal phase was subsequently remelted and poured into a different mold. An alternative procedure is to pour both phases together and subsequently break apart the solidified metal and salt phases. Yields of purified metal ingots have been about 98%. When llO'/'o of the amount of MgCl2 required to oxidize all of the cerium toCeCL was employed, 98% of the cerium was removed along with less than 0.5% of the plutonium. This represents a, cerium-pimonium separation factor of about 7000. Very littJe plutonium (less than 0.1%) has been vaporized.
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