The precipitation of some actinide element complex ions by using hexammine cobalt(III) cation—I: The precipitation of thorium and plutonium(IV) carbonate complex ions with hexammine cobalt(III) chloride

Abstract

The precipitation behavior of thorium, neptunium(V), plutonium(IV) and americium(III) in ammonium carbonate solution with hexammine cobalt(III) chloride was studied. Orange and green-yellow precipitates were produced in the case of thorium and plutonium(IV), respectively, while no precipitate of americium(III) was observed under the same conditions. On the other hand, neptunium(V) was precipitated as a white compound in ammonium carbonate solution before hexammine cobalt(III) chloride was added. The composition of the thorium and plutonium(IV) compounds were dihexammine cobalt(III) thorium pentacarbonate aquo trihydrate, [Co(NH 3) 6] 2[Th(CO 3) 5·H 2O]·3H 2O, and dihexammine cobalt(III) plutonium(IV) pentacarbonate aquo tetrahydrate, [Co(NH 3) 6] 2[Pu(CO 3) 5·H 2O.]·4H 2O. Chemical and crystallographic properties of the two compounds and crystallographic property of the uranium(VI) compound were also studied.