Method for the recovery of cesium values

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR THE RECOVERY OF CESIUM VALUES FROM AN EQUEOUS SOLUTION CONTAINING SAID CESIUM VALUES AT A CONCENTRATION SUFFICIENTLY LOW TO PREVENT THE FORMATION OF AN INSOLUBLE CESIUM ALUM PRECIPITATE, TOGETHER WITH FISSION PRODUCT VALUES IN SOLUTION, WHICH COMPRISES PROVIDING A SUFFICIENT CONCENTRATION OF SULFATE, AMMONIUM, AND ALUMINUM IONS IN SAID SOLUTION, WHILE MAINTAINING SAID SOLUTION AT A PH LESS THAN APPROXIMATELY 4.5, TO PRECIPITATE AMMONIUM ALUM IN SAID SOLUTION WHEREBY CESIUM VALUES ARE CARRIED DOWN, SEPARATING THE RESULTING CESIUM CONTAINING ALUM PRECIPITATE FROM THE RESULTING SUPERNATANT SOLUTION, DISSOLVING THE SEPARATED PRECIPITATE IN AN AQUEOUS MEDIUM PROVIDING HYDROXIDE IONS IN THE RESULTING AQUEOUS SOLUTION UNTIL A PH WITHIN THE RANGE FROM APPROXIMATELY 4.5 TO APPROXIMATELY 7.5 IS REACHED, WHEREBY ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE IS PRECIPITATED, SEPARATING THE ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE PRECIPITATE, FROM THE RESULTING ALUMINUM-FREE SOLUTION, CONTACTING SAID ALUMINUM-FREE SOLUTION WITH AN ANION EXCHANGE RESIN BED, COLLECTING THE RESULTING EFFLUENT, CONTAINING UNABSORBED CESIUM AND AMMONIUM IONS, FROM THE RESULTING ANION-IMPURITY-CONTAINING RESIN BED, ELIMINATING THE AMMONIUM IONS FROM THE COLLECTED EFFLUENT AND RECOVERING SUBSTANTIALLY AMMONIUM-FREE CESIUM VALUES FROM THE RESULTING EFFLUENT.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR THE RECOVERY OF CESIUM VALUES FROM AN EQUEOUS SOLUTION CONTAINING SAID CESIUM VALUES AT A CONCENTRATION SUFFICIENTLY LOW TO PREVENT THE FORMATION OF AN INSOLUBLE CESIUM ALUM PRECIPITATE, TOGETHER WITH FISSION PRODUCT VALUES IN SOLUTION, WHICH COMPRISES PROVIDING A SUFFICIENT CONCENTRATION OF SULFATE, AMMONIUM, AND ALUMINUM IONS IN SAID SOLUTION, WHILE MAINTAINING SAID SOLUTION AT A PH LESS THAN APPROXIMATELY 4.5, TO PRECIPITATE AMMONIUM ALUM IN SAID SOLUTION WHEREBY CESIUM VALUES ARE CARRIED DOWN, SEPARATING THE RESULTING CESIUM CONTAINING ALUM PRECIPITATE FROM THE RESULTING SUPERNATANT SOLUTION, DISSOLVING THE SEPARATED PRECIPITATE IN AN AQUEOUS MEDIUM PROVIDING HYDROXIDE IONS IN THE RESULTING AQUEOUS SOLUTION UNTIL A PH WITHIN THE RANGE FROM APPROXIMATELY 4.5 TO APPROXIMATELY 7.5 IS REACHED, WHEREBY ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE IS PRECIPITATED, SEPARATING THE ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE PRECIPITATE, FROM THE RESULTING ALUMINUM-FREE SOLUTION, CONTACTING SAID ALUMINUM-FREE SOLUTION WITH AN ANION EXCHANGE RESIN BED, COLLECTING THE RESULTING EFFLUENT, CONTAINING UNABSORBED CESIUM AND AMMONIUM IONS, FROM THE RESULTING ANION-IMPURITY-CONTAINING RESIN BED, ELIMINATING THE AMMONIUM IONS FROM THE COLLECTED EFFLUENT AND RECOVERING SUBSTANTIALLY AMMONIUM-FREE CESIUM VALUES FROM THE RESULTING EFFLUENT.