The Radiochemistry of Americium and Curium
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mLs-IIs-3G05 THE RADIOCHR+ISIIH OF AMERICIIRJIMD CURIUM Urlivweity of’ California Los Alam9, California January 1960 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE NationalTwhnkal InformatloaSmlco National . Academy d Sciences - NUCLEAR SCIENCESERIES d Amerkiwm fm’dlCwkn-% ... ... -- . .. ..” COMMITTEE ON NUCLEAR SCIENCE John Huixmgn, CYrar”rman.Nuclear Structure Re-rch Labamtory lfton~ A. Tombmilo, Wee ~ahxim California Institum of TachnoIogy C. K. Rad. Exacutiw Sacnrrary. N’mend XMY of Sciarrcas Lowell M. 8ollinW, Aqomu Natkmal Mror-stow ~ Dyar, Unititv of Washington Ruaaell Hearh, ~rojet Nuclear Co., Inc. Roy K. Mtddlaton, Uniwtity of Pernaylvmria 1. Lon ~rgan, Columbia -tifie lrrd~strim G. Davis OKallay, Oak Rim National Laboratory G. C. Phillip. Rice Uniwmity Ham N. Wagner,Jr.. The Johm Hopkins Medical Instinmona Josph Wen~, Erookhawn Nsrtiomtl Laboratory Sboldon Wolff, Uniwraity of Califorrm rhien-Shiung Wu. Calumbia Uniwrsty AJaxandm Zudmr, Oais Ridga National La&ratow .- Liaison Members William S. Rodney, National Scianca Foundation Gsorga L. Rogos. (J. S. Department of Enaqy SUBCOMMITTEE ON. RADIC)CHEMISTRY G. 0aui3.=dlby.’Chair.man. D& Rim National Laoorato~ Glsn E. Gordon. Uni.-tiW of Maryland Roffc I-I. Herbar. Rutgarx Univaraky John A. Midtol. Lawrence Livmrrmm Lanorazory Harold A. O’Brien. Jr.. Los Alamm Scimt.fic Lnboratorv Richard W. Pwtmta, Battalta Pacific Normwast Laborarorms Anaranr F. Stahney. Argonna National Lahwarory Kurt Wolfsbarg, Los Alamos .%ant!fic Laboratmy Liaison Members . &hn L. Burnarsa, U. S. Depwbtrant of Ermrgy Frad Finoaia, National Sciinm Foundation (hla~mhip = of November 19771 ---- ...- . ,-- I . .. The Radiocbwnishy d Americium =5cI Curium- mlulaF. 1960 u.s -. %blished W ~=hlli~%l ln+orma~ion C~12i .- U S. ATOMK ENERGY COid%115Sl UH .- -.. 1.(- NationalTechnical inforrriafion Service LJ.S. DepartmentofCommerce Springfield,Virginia22761 Foreword .Tha Sutw.ommi~e on Radiochemisuy is one of a number of subcommirteas working under tie Commitwe on Nuclear Science of the National Raseamn Cmmcil. Ilx members recweaenr government, industrial,” and- univemkry Iaboretorias in the arms of nuclear chemi~ and analytical chemistry. The Sutxmmmittee has comcermd i=elf with those areas of nuclear science wh.km ;nvoive the chemist such as the collection and distribution of rediochemical pr-edtires, me rediochemical purity of reagents, reditxhemistry in environmental science and in nuclear madcine, and the role of radiochemistv in college and university mugrams. This seri- of monographs has grovm out of the need for compile~ions of racliochemical Information, procedure, and techniques. The %bcommhme has endemored to Drasent a series that wilt be of maximum use to the working scientist Each monograph presams pertinent Infonnetion required fir radiochemical work with an individual element or wi~h a specialized wchnique. Expens in the pam-culer rsdlmhemicel -hnique have written the monographs. The U.S. Deparunent of Energy has sponsored the printing of the series. The Subcommittee is confident these publications WW be useful nol cmiy TOradiocmsmim but also to resaarch worksm in other fields such es physics, biochemktr{, or medicme who wish to use radlochemical techniques-to solve specific problems. ...- G. Dawis O’Keliey, Chairman Subcommittee on Radiochamistry . ..- ---- -. ... m Cmmlws I. GmmRKLFmm’Ms. - n. mcmoPEs aFAbfEEucImfANDcuRIm4 =. BEWU3’UWAMERICIfJM AND CURIUM~ htmmctlml A. Meslcium 1. The Wtallic State - h(o) 2. 190n4ExLctenceof DivaLent Americium 3. The Trhelezm state - Am(III) lb.The Tetmval=t State - Am(IV) 5. The Pemtavaleut State - AndV] 6. The Hexavelent State - Am(VI) 7* SP?ctra of Am(=), -(V) and kI(VI) 0. HIcatlcm & Americium fran Other Ekts (a) Tracer Scale AmEwIcium or Curl-an (b) (c) to Gram of bricim with Wlt2fdd Levels of I@urities B. curium 1. Tne Metelik State - ~(0) 2. The &iVBIGIIT *te - Ch( III) 3. sperm- of c!zl(m] k. The Temmmhm State - IC!M(IV) 5. sep5m5tlOzS d ‘C$lrtalh tihe~ FZ~ei=9 Iv. WUIRC~ lEXH!II~- . v. COEKX1ON OF LET- tiI_cAL PRO~S ----- .. .— .. .-. .. ..- --- -.l%cwiingpageblank - -- —.. _ 7 INTRODUCTION dea18 vith tlm radiochemiszryof ~rici~ amriam of mmgmpha on radiochemiatryof the elemants. llww im included a =viaw of the nuclear and ckmical fmtures of particular intoreat ta t~ radiockmist, a diecuanx~ of problems of dtimolutionof a sample and counting techniques,and finally, a collectingof radiz~cal Eo- d,~g for CM ai~ntm am fo~ in t~ lita~t~ . lhe aarl~m of mnographa will cover all •l~ts * which radlocne’aical- pocedurea are per~lnent. Plans incllde mvimion of the monograph ~riodicall y ●m new teahniq~m and ~edumm warrant. W reader is tbemfore encouraged to call to t.M attenti~n of tM author any publi~d or vnpublitid =terial on tk radiocbemimmy of ~ricium and curiua which nigh% be incltied in a reviasd ~ion of the ~graph. Ihe autbora haw retiewd b-fly tln c~nuy 6f amri- cinE and curim, attemptingto keep tki Omphaain dn meparatiom of zbsae el~ntm while inolaulingenough backgroundinformation to give rho reader mm familiaritywith the topic. Mwh tlm~ dynamic and electrochemicaldata bavu -n ~tted; homver, mst of the original reference have been giwm and rny be consulted m obtain further info~tion. Cmmplete nwlear data such as crona a8ctionm,decay ac~m, ●tc. are m= I=lM am this Infomatlon in readily available h mtandard aonrces. Referenced reports which are followedby (OT2) and their price =Y be obtdned f~ the Office of Yechnical Services,-Mprwnt Ot C!omoem, WaaMWton 23, D. C. YM ●ymb019 W“ cad ‘ph” xufer to microfilm and photostat. If M such aymhol follow- the lirting of a report, the author- mre wiable to damrmine itm present availability.-W“ U,6. Atomic Energy ~mmion ham X w azmngemento for tlw sale of ticmcopies rith tk Hicrocard ~un- dation, P.O. Box 2145, Miaon 5, Wiao.onain and =ith 2aiadexMicro- print Corporation,115 Uniwrmity Place, Raw York S, 11.Y. It im pommlble chat them organiaazionsmay be able to supply ticmcopiom of reports. The flyleaf of each volm of I?mleu &iemw Abetr~tm may be conwlwd for further I.nfomation. single oopiea Of the 195B Goneva -f ●rence papera -y h ●vailable for 25 aents f~ Rui~d Nation8 Bmka-, United ?Jatiom W8dquuter8, East 42nd Sznrez and lmr Avon-, lWw York, 19.Y. We are ido~ that ●ingle copim of the 19SS @neva Conferencewmra are no loog9r a-lable. ------- ....... .. -.. vi .- I. CmERAL REvmws. (%0 Rafa. 1 to 12) (13) II. ISOTOPES OF-AMERICIUM ANTI“CUR17JM Isotope HsM-llfe we of Decay Isotope HaH-ltie Type of Dece.y - 1.3 h Ec & c.&3s 2.5 h EC < gc$, ““j@m3 1.9 h EC (z>lq% ~2SB Uh m * 2.9 h EC #40 !51 h“” Ec 25.8 d a A&= 450,y Q! 35 d Ec *, a O.*$ .#4an 16.o1 h P“ E@, Ec lti, 162.5d a no D Um. 35 Y a 6% 17.9y a ~242 152 +4) p- gq, Ec @ 8xlPy a 6.6 x I@ Y a AI&= 7.95X. “. l@y ,,a >4xlo7y a ~244 26~ P-99+% 4.7X105 y a 8%, &p45 1.98h @- Spon-b. ffssion U$ &M 25.0 m P“ F- ,,.,,. ,. .’. ,. ,,. Hi. =.={ OF ~CIIJE MD CKF.ZIM~TRY -Ii:mduczion ~-aveilab~:ty of Longer lived iootopea h h-ge quantitiesin appmmbi.ng. In ~Lcul&-, a~ zel.yagmuoffm ‘s (a, tl/2 -7951 PE) end Qz=4 (a, t:/2 = 17.9 yeasa) ulXL be aepmnmed in 1~+1*0 in the Wited %a=ee. Oae cm, sn:icipatethe fomaziaa of longer lived isotopes of CIEi-~ by re-~azion of W = (eee Tabie of 160t~) . Ml of the chemicalmanipulationsulth even the lan@sat Ilved Isr.cpes 0: eme5clum 0= curium require extreme caution end care. Qd.y :racer scale e~=-tE, i.e., i 1~ cumm/min, should be perf-d cm z-hebath top dnce the total body kn~den (bone) ia only O.~ EIcro curies. IEIy~o-scale Inveetigs=iona-t be ctied out in encloeume au& as @ova boxes to prevent my physical Mspersal 6f contminatf.cm. ‘z1 :s a Zriba:e 32 the Q vorkera h tia field that *tivel.y few acci&-zs kve eve= occu+~. .Zhere em no loiown casea of ●ez50ua IJlneas or dea=h frcm me=:clum or cu%um poflaming;however, pr~ mmdlcel treamrc is meadatory h. t-hece2e of au accident, e.g. surgical Exclsl= an~ Ii=mvenoua mea~r vlth calciumEUiA m mueJiy used followlng akin pizctms ‘M* *oatt..- the mdloarcive eiement. A report of a (i7) medlcai cafi=e~ce d fle Argonce Na:icmel tioo=.ory SulImerms “ ne~cd q:i=ce in-t“tiafield. .E the case of the.cirmwn ieotope of americium,P,. .... .care Is -O req&reE == am~d exceae&m hand expoeure to the Pr9dnent - 60 kev gama raz:m . (Leed foil or x-ray glesa IE a uneful ebeorber. ) With kge quantities& eme=iclun or curium, nemrao expmure frm (a,n) reactims beccmea a Dzchlen. + T!5enext kt@e eiemezt,berkeliwn (Z . ~), la in a pautl~-ly timmaze aituatiaa. Iaompee capehle of tioingformed by newrm kradlation & pMtonium, e.g. EJ!?4=end end ‘5EWSisrge descrucz:oncross sections.%3 yJm_-&”&’. bat dementig vork c= and %fl be &me on EMUU quautitiee, e.g. the ahac~-im spemm of Bk was exadned on a 6tihJIcrogramemoua%. -.. 2 .-. .- .-. A. Americlwn -. Rmerlciwl, •l~ I@mated zrlnknz la, actimiae or I-authcdae. -. a S.oluxicul Conzadning midheainthepre- precipitationby -Ma Gfthelanthanumti ram zempemmre, k= -- the fo*. kJc#*)g.7H@. Its decqaition was arudied a a thenrbal kl-ante.~=y! On heattig fi vacm, vater b lom 6tep@3e, fozmlng the anhytrow cmelate a: 2LC)”. On heatL5g to 2LO= in air, mhydrom mericium GXS3SZe i= somed uhiti - decompGBe5on further ham-q. Decwsizian, f- tilack&&, begins at shout 31CC”end ia canplete at ca ~70°. The (a) SOlubfiity Gf Ad ‘=1) G%akte under U50UE cmditiona ia @v~ bdou.