Abstract: A process of preparing anhydrous actinide metal trichlorides of plutonium or neptunium by reacting an aqueous solution of an actinide metal trichloride selected from the group consisting of plutonium trichloride or neptunium trichloride with a reducing agent capable of converting the actinide metal from an oxidation state of +4 to +3 in a resultant solution, evaporating essentially all the solvent from the resultant solution to yield an actinide trichloride hydrate material, dehydrating the actinide trichloride hydrate material by heating the material in admixture with excess thionyl chloride, and recovering anhydrous actinide trichloride is provided.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 5, 1991
Date of Patent:
March 24, 1992
Assignee:
The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
Inventors:
Jerry Foropoulos, Jr., Larry R. Avens, Eddie A. Trujillo