A Model for Calculating the Characteristics of Separation of Transplutonium and Rare Earth Elements by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

Resumo

A mathematical model was developed for calculating the characteristics of a process for chromatographic separation of metals as applied to the problem of preparing pure transplutonium elements for their subsequent return into the fuel cycle or long-term storage. The model includes interrelated blocks allowing solution of the following problems: calculation of the separation factors of the mixture components, calculation of the installation parameters, determination of the distribution profile of the components being separated in the eluted fractions, determination of the dynamic characteristics of the process and of the volume and composition of the target products and by-products, estimation of thermal effects due to the heat evolution from the mixture components, and estimation of the extent to which the complexone degrades in the course of storage of the fractions. The model is being continuously improved. It meets the requirements of the process developers and is being refined in accordance with the newly obtained experimental data.