Reduction of Neptunium(V) on Magnetite Surface

Kitamura, Akira  ; Nakata, Kotaro*; Tanaka, Satoru*; Tomura, Tsutomu*; Kamei, Gento 

Redox reactions between neptunium(V) (Np(V)) and magnetite (Fe(II)1Fe(III)2O4) surface were investigated in N gas atmosphere. A batch method was applied to the experiment. High-pure magnetite and a 0.1 M NaCl were mixed in a polypropylene tube, and pH, redox potential and concentration of dissolved neptunium were measured as a function of shaking time (from 1 hour to 7 days), temperature (298 K and 318 K) and liquid/solid ratio (20, 50 and 100 ml.g). It was observed that the concentration of dissolved neptunium was reduced rapidly within a day, due to the reducing of Np(V) to Np(IV) and the precipitation of Np(IV). This result was shown typically when the magnetite/solution ratio and the temperature were high. The rate constant of the redox reaction and the activation energy for the rate constant were preliminarily obtained. It was suggested that the redox reaction was promoted by not only Fe(II) on magnetite surface but also Fe(II) inside the magnetite.