Salt transport extraction of transuranium elements from LWR fuel
A process is described for separating transuranium actinide values from uranium values present in spent nuclear oxide fuels which contain rare earth and noble metal fission products. The oxide fuel is reduced with Ca metal in the presence of CaCl[sub 2] and a Cu--Mg alloy containing not less than about 25% by weight Mg at a temperature in the range of from about 750 C to about 850 C to precipitate uranium metal and some of the noble metal fission products leaving the Cu--Mg alloy having transuranium actinide metals and rare earth fission product metals and some of the noble metal fission products dissolved therein. The CaCl[sub 2] having CaO and fission products of alkali metals and the alkali earth metals and iodine dissolved therein is separated and electrolytically treated with a carbon electrode to reduce the CaO to Ca metal while converting the carbon electrode to CO and CO[sub 2]. The Ca metal and CaCl[sub 2] is recycled to reduce additional oxide fuel. The Cu--Mg alloy having transuranium metals and rare earth fission product metals and the noble metal fission products dissolved therein is contacted with a transport salt including MgCl[sub 2] to transfer Mg values from the transport salt to the Cu--Mg alloy while transuranium actinide and rare earth fission product metals transfer from the Cu--Mg alloy to the transport salt. Then the transport salt is mixed with a Mg--Zn alloy to transfer Mg values from the alloy to the transport salt while the transuranium actinide and rare earth fission product values dissolved in the salt are reduced and transferred to the Mg--Zn alloy. 2 figs.
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- Assignee:
- Dept. of Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
- Patent Number(s):
- US 5160367; A
- Application Number:
- PPN: US 7-770385
- OSTI ID:
- 7235994
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 3 Oct 1991
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Salt transport extraction of transuranium elements from lwr fuel
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Related Subjects
SPENT FUELS
REPROCESSING
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
URANIUM
PRECIPITATION
CALCIUM
CALCIUM CHLORIDES
COPPER ALLOYS
DISSOLUTION
ELECTROLYSIS
MAGNESIUM ALLOYS
REDUCTION
URANIUM OXIDES
ZINC ALLOYS
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDES
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ALLOYS
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM HALIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FUELS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
LYSIS
MATERIALS
METALS
NUCLEAR FUELS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
REACTOR MATERIALS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
050800* - Nuclear Fuels- Spent Fuels Reprocessing