Development and trials of a process for extraction recovery of 99Mo for medical purposes from dissolved irradiated uranium targets

Abstract

A process was developed for extraction recovery of 99 Мо from irradiated enriched uranium target. Dissolution of the uranium-aluminum composite in nitric acid in the presence of fluoride ions with the addition of mercury ions, which are subsequently separated by precipitation in the form of iodide, was suggested. Conditions were determined for joint recovery of uranium and molybdenum into the organic phase with 10-15% solutions of HDEHP in a paraffin diluent in the presence of equimolar amounts of TBP, and also for selective backwashing of Mo into a strongly acidic H 2 O 2 solution with the backwash reflux. The efficiency of using a mixture of DTPA with methylamine carbonate for uranium backwashing and solvent regeneration was demonstrated. The recovery and separation process was successfully tested on simulated and real solutions in 20-and 19-step cascades of centrifugal contactors with the feed adjuster without Mo backwash reflux and with its reflux, respectively.