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Recovery of uranium from an irradiated solid target after removal of molybdenum-99 produced from the irradiated target

Patent ·
OSTI ID:1399866
; ; ;
A process for minimizing waste and maximizing utilization of uranium involves recovering uranium from an irradiated solid target after separating the medical isotope product, molybdenum-99, produced from the irradiated target. The process includes irradiating a solid target comprising uranium to produce fission products comprising molybdenum-99, and thereafter dissolving the target and conditioning the solution to prepare an aqueous nitric acid solution containing irradiated uranium. The acidic solution is then contacted with a solid sorbent whereby molybdenum-99 remains adsorbed to the sorbent for subsequent recovery. The uranium passes through the sorbent. The concentrations of acid and uranium are then adjusted to concentrations suitable for crystallization of uranyl nitrate hydrates. After inducing the crystallization, the uranyl nitrate hydrates are separated from a supernatant. The process results in the purification of uranyl nitrate hydrates from fission products and other contaminants. The uranium is therefore available for reuse, storage, or disposal.
Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC52-06NA25396
Assignee:
Los Alamos National Security, LLC
Patent Number(s):
9,793,023
Application Number:
14/042,115
OSTI ID:
1399866
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (14)

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Behavior of Actinide Elements and Fission Products in Recovery of Uranyl Nitrate Hexahydrate Crystal by Cooling Crystallization Method journal April 2011
Crystallization of Uranium Complexes for Partitioning of Spent Nuclear Fuel book June 2006
Effect of crystal size on purity of uranyl nitrate hexahydrate crystalline particles grown in nitric acid medium journal November 2012
Flowsheet Study of U-Pu Co-Crystallization Reprocessing System journal January 2012
Scrambling to Close the Isotope Gap journal January 2011
Large scale production of fission 99Mo by using fuel elements of a research reactor as starting material journal August 1984
Precipitation Behavior of Dicesium Tetravalent Plutonium Hexanitrate in Cooling Crystallization of Uranyl Nitrate Hexahydrate journal February 2011
The isolation of 99Mo from fission material for use in the 99Mo/99mTc generator for medical use journal January 2004
Enhancement of Decontamination Performance of Impurities for Uranyl Nitrate Hexahydrate Crystalline Particles by Crystal Purification Operation journal April 2011
Challenges of Extracting and Purifying Fission-Produced Molybdenum-99
  • McDonald, Marion J.; Carson, Susan D.; Naranjo, Gerald E.
  • Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol. 39, Issue 9, p. 3146-3150 https://doi.org/10.1021/ie990377h
journal September 2000
Continuous-Operation Test at Engineering Scale Uranium Crystallizer System conference January 2009
Purification Rate of Uranyl Nitrate Hexahydrate Crystal for Transuranium Elements on Isothermal Sweating Phenomenon
  • Nakahara, Masaumi; Nomura, Kazunori; Koizumi, Tsutomu
  • Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol. 49, Issue 22, p. 11661-11666 https://doi.org/10.1021/ie1012097
journal November 2010
Study on the separation of molybdenum-99 and recycling of uranium to water boiler reactor
  • Cheng, W. L.; Lee, C. S.; Chen, C. C.
  • International Journal of Radiation Applications and Instrumentation. Part A. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, Vol. 40, Issue 4, p. 315-324 https://doi.org/10.1016/0883-2889(89)90224-4
journal January 1989

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Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY