Uranium chloride extraction of transuranium elements from LWR fuel

Patent · Tue Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1991

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
• 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

/423/75/205/
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actinide
actinide metal
actinide metals
actinide values
alkali
alkali earth
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alkali metals
alkaline
alkaline earth
alloy
cao
chloride
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earth
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fission
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fuel
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halide
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iodine
iodine dissolved
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lwr
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metal
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metal halide
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mixture
noble
noble metal
nuclear
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nuclear oxide
oxide
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product metals
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rare
rare earth
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reduced metal
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spent
spent nuclear
thereafter
thereafter separating
therein
transfer
transuranium
transuranium actinide
transuranium elements
u-fe
uranium
uranium chloride
uranium metal
uranium values
values