Heavy metal separations using strongly paramagnetic column packings in a nonhomogeneous magnetic field

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10632400-B2
Application number	US-201715837726-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2017
Priority date	Dec 11, 2017
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method for the separation of an actinide from another metal. The method comprises the following steps: (a) establishing a non-homogeneous magnetic field across a separation column containing a paramagnetic packing material and (b) providing a fluid containing the actinide and the another metal to the separation column wherein the fluid and the paramagnetic packing material are exposed to the non-homogeneous magnetic field. The non-homogeneous magnetic field is produced by a magnet having a first pole for magnetic interaction with a second pole of the magnet wherein the first pole has a different surface area than the second pole. The non-homogeneous magnetic field has a magnetic field gradient of about 500 lines/cm 2 /cm or more. In addition, the present invention is also directed to a method for the separation of one heavy metal from another heavy metal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for the separation of an actinide from another metal, the method comprising:
establishing a non-homogeneous magnetic field across a separation column containing a paramagnetic packing material,
providing a fluid containing ions of the actinide and the another metal to the separation column wherein the fluid and the paramagnetic packing material are exposed to the non-homogeneous magnetic field,
separating the ions of the actinide from the ions of the another metal,
wherein the non-homogeneous magnetic field is produced by a magnet having a first pole for magnetic interaction with a second pole of the magnet and wherein the first pole has a different surface area than the second pole,
wherein the non-homogeneous magnetic field has a magnetic field gradient of about 500 lines/cm 2 /cm or more.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field gradient is from about 500 lines/cm 2 /cm to about 3,000 lines/cm 2 /cm.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the paramagnetic packing material has a longest dimension of from 0.4 cm to 2 cm.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the paramagnetic packing material has a longest dimension of at least 2.5 cm.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one pole has a non-planar surface.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein at least one pole has a parabolic surface.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein at least one pole has a vertice.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least 90% of the length of the separation column is within the non-homogeneous magnetic field.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a magnetic susceptibility of the another metal is at least 10 times greater than a magnetic susceptibility of the actinide.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the actinide comprises actinium, thorium, protactinium, uranium, neptunium, plutonium, americium, curium, or mixtures thereof.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the actinide comprises americium, curium, or mixtures thereof.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the another metal comprises a lanthanide.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the paramagnetic packing material comprises a metal, a metal alloy, or a mixture thereof.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the paramagnetic packing material comprises a ferrite.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least 90% of the actinide is separated from the fluid.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluid passes through the separation column at a temperature of from greater than 0° C. to 40° C.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the another metal is a fission product.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the actinide is a product of transmutation.

19. A method for the separation of a first heavy metal from a second heavy metal, the method comprising:
establishing a non-homogeneous magnetic field across a separation column containing a paramagnetic packing material,
providing a fluid containing ions of the first heavy metal and the second heavy metal to the separation column wherein the fluid and the paramagnetic packing material are exposed to the non-homogeneous magnetic field,
separating the ions of the first heavy metal from the ions of the second heavy metal,
wherein the non-homogeneous magnetic field is produced by a magnet having a first pole for magnetic interaction with a second pole of the magnet and wherein the first pole has a different surface area than the second pole,
wherein the non-homogeneous magnetic field has a magnetic field gradient of about 500 lines/cm 2 /cm or more.

Assignees

• Savannah River Nuclear Solutions Llc

Inventors

• Rudisill Tracy S
• Fondeur Fernando F
• Roy Lindsay E
• Daniel Jr William E

Classifications

• C22B60/00

  Obtaining metals of atomic number 87 or higher, i.e. radioactive metals · CPC title

• G01N27/72

  by investigating magnetic variables · CPC title

• B01D15/3885 Primary

  using electrical or magnetic means · CPC title

• G21F9/12

  by absorption; by adsorption; by ion-exchange · CPC title

• C22B60/0252

  treatment or purification of solutions or of liquors or of slurries (C22B60/0221 takes precedence) · CPC title