Degradation purex-relevanter Trialkylphosphat-Phasen von Uran, Thorium, Cer und Zirkonium

The formation of difficultly soluble dialkylphosphates, which — as it is well known — are also able to accumulate as crud by precipitation of Zr(IV) or Pu(IV) with dibutylphosphate, can offer problems at the recovery of nuclear fuels, during the purification of crystalline trialkylphosphate-complexes with some of the relevant isotopes, such as of U, Th, Ce and Zr. As those reactions can be already observed at ambient temperature and under exclusion of all radiolytic effects, and since explosive alkylnitrate is being formed during those degradations, conclusions are discussed concerning the technical procedure of the purex process to prevent any influences of possible damages to environment during the recovery.