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ABSTRACT,omvarative s t u d i e s of a s e r i e s OL ualogenated solvents, a s c a r r i e r s f o r TTA Bn t h e -chelate proecsa f o r alutonium e x t~a c t f o n , indicate t h a t '.>?tho-diehlorobenzene most nearly s a t i s f i e s the reouirements t h a t are s e t f o r t h , A complete process design i s prssented f o r use with t h i s soivmt, and flow d a t a and equ7-pent e a~a e i t i e s a r e d v e n f o r dissolver s o h t i o n ond f o r uranium-free ffssiona product s c l u t i o n a s a l t e r n a t e feeds t o the although pulsed columns o r ?ac:isd c c l m n -are also believed to be s u i t a b l e , CHOTCX OF A SOLVENT A solvent f o r use in t h i s process must satfs* several r e q u i r e m e n t s~The s o l u b i l i t y of ?U(TTA) i n the solvent must be of the order of 0,Oll.J 4.o r g r e a t e~, Tfre solvent must be r e s i s t a n t t o oxidatLon and n i t r a t i o n by strong HN03. and i t s vapors should be r e l a t i v e l y non-inflamable. It must a l s o be a v a i l a b l e i n l a r g e q u a n t i t i e s a t a reasonable price, Finally, t o avo-id excessive l o s s e s , f t should be very i n s o l u b l e i n water,The requirement of oxidation s t a b i l i t y suggests t h e use of a halogenated * solvenS, Several a v a i l a b l e materials of t h i s t p e have been considered9 and t h e b solvent p r o p e r t i e s investigated I n comparison t o those of benzene, Distrtbution d a t a obtalned by Doris Heisig of t h i s laboratory, l i s t e d i n

The desirable properties of pentaether as a solvent In a process for uralum extraction from an experimental dissolver solution have been illustrated.These include: (a) excellent uranium recovery, (b) fission product decontanination to a level of 1*57 above the natural uranium background by the use of a 16-stage center-fed batch countercurrent mixer-settler, a 1-stage batch strip-extraction, and ruthenium distillation, (c) good decontamination from ionic cerium, barium and lanthanum, (d) excellent stability when in contack with 2£ nitric acid and a high level of beta, gamma and alpha radiation.As a disadvantage of the process, ruthenium oust be eliminated in a sep arate step, either prior to or after any continuous uranium extraction process. The behavior of zirconium is still open to question since ionic slrconlum proved to be extractable but zirconium present in solution was not.The presence of tvo types of ruthenium species in a column product stream v&s shovn. Distribution coefficients (organic phase concentration divided by aqueous phase concentration) of 6 and 0.1 were tentatively as signed to these tvo species. . Steady-state uranium and nitric ad d equilibrium curves have been obtained for various possible flow patterns in countercurrent center-fed columns.-3- PHYSICAL-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF PENTAETHERCoamercial pentaether was obtained from Carbon and Carbide Chemical Company as a lig h t yellow-brown, viscous, high-boiling liq u id which de composes when heated a t atmospherlo pressure* I t has a pu rity o f abcut 80-90 percent, the main Impurities being monobutoxytetraethyleneglycol and tetraethyleneglycol* I t Is thought to be produced as a by-product of the carbitols and cellosolves*

The extraction of plutonlum chelate from the sec-butylbenzene phaseInto an aqueous phase in the presence of various reducing agents was also studied.-7-

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