Rare earth removal from americium oxide

Claim 2

The method of claim 1 including recovering trapped americium in the rare earth precipitates comprising the further steps of dissolving said rare earth precipitates containing said trapped americium in nitric acid, adding sufficient oxalic acid to the solution containing said dissolved rare earth precipitates and said americium to thereby effect reaction with said oxalic acid and form americium oxalate, filtering to remove said americium oxalate, washing said americium oxalate with water, heating said americium oxalate to about 600* C for about 4 hours calcining said americium oxalate to americium oxide, and thereafter reprocessing said calcined americium oxide through the recited the process steps of the method of claim 1 in one or more additional stages.