Electroprecipitation of potassium americyl carbonate from potassium carbonate solutions

Precipitation of potassium americyl carbonate was carried out at multigram scale by oxidizing americium(III) at the platinum anode in 3M K2CO3 solutions. Early investigations were conducted on pure americium 241 solutions on the 10 to 40 mg scale, in order to study the different parameters of the electrolysis, and to prove the feasibility of the process. Further experiments were performed on the 20 g scale, in impure americium 241 solutions. Electrolysis performed at 600C with a platinum grid as the anode, and a tantalum rod immersed in a cathodic compartment, precipitated 20 g of americium 241 with yields above 99% in 2 h. The electroprecipitation process presents the advantage of being clean and suitable for automation techniques in comparison with the chemical oxidation process using potassium persulphate. (orig.)