Process for removing technetium from iron and other metals
Technetium is a radioactive product of the nuclear fission process. During reprocessing of spent or partially spent fuel from nuclear reactors, the technetium can be released and contaminate other, otherwise good, metals. A specific example is equipment in gaseous diffusion uranium enrichment cascades which have been used to process fuel which was returned from reactors, so-called reactor returns. These returns contained volatile technetium compounds which contaminated the metals in the equipment. Present regulations require that technetium be removed before the metal can be re-used at non-radioactive sites. Removing the technetium from contaminated metals has two desirable results. First, the large amount of nonradioactive metal produced by the process herein described can be recycled at a much lower cost than virgin metal can be produced. Second, large amounts of radioactively contaminated metal can be reduced to relatively small amounts of radioactive slag and large amounts of essentially uncontaminated metal. A new and improved process for removing technetium from iron and other metals is described in which between 1/10 atom % and 5 atom % of manganese is added to the contaminated metal in order to replace the technetium.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- Assignee:
- DOEGC; EDB-00:057965
- Patent Number(s):
- PATENTS-US-A8884128
- Application Number:
- 8-884,128; TRN: AH200022%%56
- OSTI ID:
- 756664
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 1997 Jun 27; Other Information: PBD: 1 Dec 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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