Process for separating volatile, radioactive substances obtained in the reprocessing of nuclear fuel

Patent · Tue Jun 03 04:00:00 EDT 1980

OSTI ID:5994300

Hesky, H; Wunderer, A

Volatile, radioactive substances, obtained in the reprocessing of nuclear fuel and contained in the gas mixtures formed and in the liquid wastes are retained and separated in several stages. In the first stage the higher nitrogen oxides contained in the gas mixtures formed in the dissolution of the nuclear fuel with nitric acid and in the denitration of the uranium and plutonium nitrates are reduced to nitric oxide (NO) and iodine is absorbed. In the second stage, the gas mixture of the first stage is separated into a fraction containing the volatile, radioactive substances and nitric oxide and a fraction mainly consisting of nitrogen and xenon. Oxygen is added to the liquid, radioactive substances and enriched with volatile, radioactive substances. The enriched oxygen and the fraction of the second stage consisting of volatile, radioactive substances and nitric oxide are jointly subjected to a chemical treatment and the oxygen is reacted with the nitric oxide. The reaction product formed is recycled into the reprocessing.

• Assignee: Hoechst Ag (Germany, Federal Republic Of)
• Patent Number(s): US 4206073
• OSTI ID: 5994300
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050800 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Spent Fuels Reprocessing
052001* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Processing
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ACTINIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUELS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MATTER
METALS
NONMETALS
NUCLEAR FUELS
OXYGEN
PLUTONIUM
PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REPROCESSING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPENT FUEL ELEMENTS
SPENT FUELS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
URANIUM
VOLATILE MATTER
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING