Uranium isotope separation by continuous anion exchange chromatography

Patent · Tue Jul 14 04:00:00 EDT 1992

OSTI ID:7079685

Snyder, T S; Ferrari, H M

This paper reports a process for producing nuclear quality Uranium 235 (U{sup 235}) from a substantially impure feed stock containing a mixture of uranium isotopes, including U{sup 235}, forming a stationary phase from an anion exchange resin in the annulus of a rotating annular chromatograph; feeding the feed stock to the stationary phase to load less than 10% of the stationary phase; injecting a mobile phase comprising an eluant selected from the group consisting of aqueous solutions of sulfates, chlorides, nitrates and carbonates into the stationary phase; continuously rotating the annular chromatograph; collecting the U{sup 235} isotope in substantially pure, enriched form from the stationary phase; precipitating the U{sup 235} isotope as ammonium diurante with ammonium hydroxide; and calcining the ammonium diuranate to produce uranium oxide rich in U{sup 235} suitable for nuclear applications requiring substantially pure U{sup 235}.

• Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (US))
• Patent Number(s): US 5130001; A
• Application Number: PPN: US 7-620807
• OSTI ID: 7079685
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050400 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Feed Processing
050700 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Fuels Production & Properties
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400202* -- Isotope Effects
Isotope Exchange
& Isotope Separation
ACTINIDE ISO
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHROMATOGRAPHY
DISPERSIONS
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
ION EXCHANGE CHROMATOGRAPHY
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPE SEPARATION
ISOTOPES
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
MIXTURES
NUCLEI
RADIOISOTOPES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPONTANEOUS FISSION RADIOISOTOPES
URANIUM 235
URANIUM ISOTOPES