Recovery of noble metals from fission products

Journal Article · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984 · Nucl. Technol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5459310

Jensen, G A; Bjorklund, W J; Mellinger, G B; Platt, A M

Spent nuclear fuels contain significant quantities of three of the platinum-group metals--ruthenium, rhodium, and palladium--plus a related element, technetium, which is nearly absent in nature. Applications for the ruthenium, rhodium, and palladium are well established, and since the supply of these and other noble metals is largely from foreign sources, they are considered strategic materials. Thus, there is considerable incentive to recover them from nuclear fuels. The technical feasibility of using fission product (FP) noble metals extensively in industry depends on resolution of three major problems: 1. They must be thoroughly decontaminated from all other radioactive materials in the waste stream. 2. They must be separated from one another in very high purity because of internal decay processes. 3. Applications selected must provide appropriate control of radioactivity or the radioisotopes must be removed by isotope-separation techniques or normal decay.

• Research Organization: Battelle-Pacific Northwest Laboratories, Richland, WA
• OSTI ID: 5459310
• Journal Information: Nucl. Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: Nucl. Technol.; (United States) Vol. 65:2; ISSN NUTYB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052001* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Processing
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ADSORBENTS
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ANTIMONY COMPOUNDS
ANTIMONY OXIDES
BISMUTH COMPOUNDS
BISMUTH OXIDES
CARBON
CHALCOGENIDES
CHARCOAL
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COPPER COMPOUNDS
COPPER OXIDES
ELEMENTAL MINERALS
ELEMENTS
EXTRACTION
FISSION PRODUCTS
GLASS
GRAPHITE
ISOTOPES
LEAD COMPOUNDS
LEAD OXIDES
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MATERIALS RECOVERY
MATERIALS TESTING
METALS
MINERALS
NONMETALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PALLADIUM
PLATINUM METALS
PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
REAGENTS
RECOVERY
REDUCING AGENTS
REDUCTION
REDUCTIVE EXTRACTION
RHODIUM
RUTHENIUM
SCAVENGING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
STRONTIUM COMPOUNDS
STRONTIUM OXIDES
TESTING
TIN COMPOUNDS
TIN OXIDES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING