“Ural Innovation Technologies” JSC, Ekaterinburg, Russia:

A. V. Ermakov, Chief Executive Officer, phone: +7 (343) 270-87-00

Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin, Ekaterinburg, Russia:

A. M. Panfilov, Assistant Professor of a Chair of Metallurgical Processes' Theory

Production Association “Mayak”, Ozersk, Russia:

G. Sh. Batorshin, Technical Officer – First Deputy Chief Executive Officer
B. I. Ryabov, Executive Officer of Chemical-Metallurgical Plant
K. V. Bugrov, Deputy Executive Officer of Radiochemical Plant – Head of Processing Production

Purification of processed platinum group metals from a small content of radioactive elements (plutonium, thorium, uranium etc.) is often complex because of extremely low content of radioactive elements and their fairly equal distribution across the whole matrix of the base metal. In this case, traditional methods of purification and deactivation, used by Rosatom enterprises, become ineffective. Capability of effective purification of secondary platinum from radioactive pollution by methods of fire purification is shown. There were considered two methods of platinum purification from plutonium by the plutonium conversion into gas or slag phases. There was established, that conversion of plutonium in oxide form into the slag phase is more preferable. According to this, minimum loss of platinum is an apparent advantage of this method. For a score of reasons, both methods of platinum purification were used in practical application. The method of plutonium removal through its conversion into the slag phase has proved its efficiency and economic reasonability. Technology of fire purification of radioactively polluted platinum was developed on the basis of experiments, carried out at the Production Association “Mayak” (“Rosatom” Corporation). This technology was realized, using the inclusion of preliminary hydrometallurgical purification of platinum scrap surface from impurities of non-ferrous metals (Cu, Ni) into the technical plan.

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