The separation of plutonium from uranium and fission products

Claim 1

A PROCESS OF ISOLATING PLUTONIUM VALUES FROM A FEED SOLUTION CONTAINING SAID PLUTONIUM VALUES IN A MAXINUM VALENCE STATE OF +4 TOGETHER WITH URANIUM VALUES AND FISSION PRODUCT VALUES, COMPRISING CONTACTING SAID SOLUTION WITH A FIRST ADSORBENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PHENOL-FORMALDEHYDE RESIN, SULPHONATED PHENOLFORMALDEHYDE RESIN, PHENOL-TANNIC ACID RESIN, LIGNITE, SILICA GEL AND DIATOMACEOUS EARTH, WHEREBY SAID PLUTONIUM VALUES AND PART OF SAID FISSION PRODUCT VALUES ARE ADSORBED WHILE SAID OTHER PART OF SAID FISSION PRODUCT VALUES AND THE URANIUM VALUES REMAIN IN SOLUTION; SEPARATING SAID ADSORBENT FROM SAID SOLUTION; CONTACTING SAID ADSORBENT WITH AN INORGANIC ACID SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SULFURIC ACID, HYDROCHLORIC ACID, NITRIC ACID, A DILUTE MIXTURE OF PHOSPHORIC AND NITRIC ACIDS AND SODIUM BISULFATE, WHEREBY AN ELUATE IS FORMED CONTAINING SAID PLUTONIUM AND SAID FISSION PRODUCT VALUES PREVIOUSLY HELD BY SAID ADSORBENT; CONTACTING SAID ELUATE WITH A SECOND ADSORBENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ZIRCONIUM PHOSPHATE, BARIUM IODATE, SODIUM ALUMINUM SILICATE ZEOLITE, SODIUM TITANIUM SILICATE ZEOLITE, SODIUM ZIRCONIUM SILICATE ZEOLITE AND SULPHONATED PHENOL-FORMALDEHYDE RESIN HAVING A HIGHER DEGREE OF SULPHONATION THAN SULPHONATED PHENOL-FORMALDEHYDE RESIN USED AS SAID FIRST ADSORBENT, WHEREBY SAID PLUTONIUM VALUES ARE PREFERENTIALLY ADSORBED WHILE MOST OF SAID FISSION PRODUCTS REMAIN IN SOLUTION; AND REMOVING SAID PLUTONIUM FROM SAID SECOND ADSORBENT BY CONTACTING WITH A MINERAL ACID.