Uranium chloride extraction of transuranium elements from LWR fuel

Patent · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:868439

Miller, William E ^[1]; Ackerman, John P ^[2]; Battles, James E ^[3]; Johnson, Terry R ^[4]; Pierce, R Dean ^[1]

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1. Naperville, IL
2. Downers Grove, IL
3. Oak Forest, IL
4. Wheaton, IL

A process of separating transuranium actinide values from uranium values present in spent nuclear oxide fuels containing rare earth and noble metal fission products as well as other fission products is disclosed. The oxide fuel is reduced with Ca metal in the presence of Ca chloride and a U-Fe alloy which is liquid at about 800.degree. C. to dissolve uranium metal and the noble metal fission product metals and transuranium actinide metals and rare earth fission product metals leaving Ca chloride having CaO and fission products of alkali metals and the alkali earth metals and iodine dissolved therein. The Ca chloride and CaO and the fission products contained therein are separated from the U-Fe alloy and the metal values dissolved therein. The U-Fe alloy having dissolved therein reduced metals from the spent nuclear fuel is contacted with a mixture of one or more alkali metal or alkaline earth metal halides selected from the class consisting of alkali metal or alkaline earth metal and Fe or U halide or a combination thereof to transfer transuranium actinide metals and rare earth metals to the halide salt leaving the uranium and some noble metal fission products in the U-Fe alloy and thereafter separating the halide salt and the transuranium metals dissolved therein from the U-Fe alloy and the metals dissolved therein.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 5141723
• OSTI ID: 868439
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

uranium
chloride
extraction
transuranium
elements
lwr
fuel
process
separating
actinide
values
spent
nuclear
oxide
fuels
containing
rare
earth
noble
metal
fission
products
disclosed
reduced
presence
u-fe
alloy
liquid
800
degree
dissolve
product
metals
leaving
cao
alkali
iodine
dissolved
therein
contained
separated
contacted
mixture
alkaline
halides
selected
consisting
halide
combination
transfer
salt
thereafter
reduced metal
alkali earth
uranium chloride
thereafter separating
fuels containing
metal halides
metal values
actinide values
dissolved therein
fission product
fission products
nuclear fuel
alkali metal
alkaline earth
oxide fuel
rare earth
metal halide
spent nuclear
noble metal
earth metal
contained therein
alkali metals
uranium metal
earth metals
earth fission
product metals
actinide metals
actinide metal
uranium values
transuranium actinide
halide salt
metal fission
metals dissolved
separating transuranium
transuranium elements
product metal
oxide fuels
nuclear oxide
containing rare
lwr fuel
iodine dissolved
/423/75/205/