Silver iodide reduction in aqueous solution: application to iodine enhanced separation during spent nuclear fuels reprocessing

Silver iodide is a key-compound in nuclear chemistry either in accidental conditions or during the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. In that case, the major part of iodine is released in molecular form into the gaseous phase at the time of dissolution in nitric acid. In French reprocessing plants, iodine is trapped in the dissolver off-gas treatment unit by two successive steps: the first consists in absorption by scrubbing with a caustic soda solution and in the second, residual iodine is removed from the gaseous stream before the stack by chemisorption on mineral porous traps made up of beds of amorphous silica or alumina porous balls impregnated with silver nitrate. Reactions of iodine species with the impregnant are assumed to lead to silver iodide and silver iodate. Enhanced separation policy would make necessary to recover iodine from the filters by silver iodide dissolution during a reducing treatment. After a brief silver-iodine chemical bibliographic review, the possible reagents listed in the literature were studied. The choice has been made to use ascorbic acid and hydroxylamine. An experimental work on silver iodide reduction by this two compounds allowed us to determinate reaction products, stoichiometry and kinetics parameters. Finally, the process has been initiated on stable iodine loaded filters samples. (author)