Reduction-oxidation of actinides extraction process (ROANEX) for used nuclear fuel recycling

Riddle, Catherine Lynn; Paviet, Patricia D.

Title: Reduction-oxidation of actinides extraction process (ROANEX) for used nuclear fuel recycling

Abstract

The invention relates to the ROANEX method, which extracts actinides from used nuclear fuel in a single purification cycle. The used nuclear fuel contains actinides, U, Am, Pu, Np. and Cm, and fission products, Cs, Sr and Tc. The fission products are separated first from the used nuclear fuel. The actinides are reduced to their lowest oxidation states and then oxidized to their highest oxidations states. Uranium, Pu and Np move to an organic phase solution and Am and Cm move to a nitrate solution. Uranium, Pu, and Np are stripped from the organic phase solution, and then treated with an oxalic acid to form a precipitate. Americium and Cm are treated with a potassium carbonate solution and Am precipitates. Actinides Am, U, Pu, and Np precipitates are heated in an oven and then blended together to form a mixed oxide fuel of UO2, PuO2, NpO2 and AmO2.

Inventors:: Riddle, Catherine Lynn; Paviet, Patricia D.

Issue Date:: 2019-05-21

Research Org.:: Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE

OSTI Identifier:: 1568376

Patent Number(s):: 10297355

Application Number:: 15/378,191

Assignee:: U.S. Department of Energy (Washington, DC)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):: C - CHEMISTRY C22 - METALLURGY C22B - PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

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C - CHEMISTRY C22 - METALLURGY C22B - PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS
C22B60/026 - {liquid-liquid extraction with or without dissolution in organic solvents}

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
Y02E30/30 - Nuclear fission reactors

C - CHEMISTRY C22 - METALLURGY C22B - PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS
C22B60/0239 - {nitric acid containing ion as active agent}

C - CHEMISTRY C01 - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY C01G - COMPOUNDS CONTAINING METALS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C01D OR C01F
C01G56/001 - {Preparation involving a liquid-liquid extraction, an adsorption or an ion-exchange}

C - CHEMISTRY C01 - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY C01B - NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS
C01B13/185 - {Preparing mixtures of oxides}

C - CHEMISTRY C01 - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY C01G - COMPOUNDS CONTAINING METALS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C01D OR C01F
C01G43/025 - Uranium dioxide

G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21C - NUCLEAR REACTORS
G21C19/46 - Aqueous processes {, e.g. by using organic extraction means, including the regeneration of these means}

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02W - CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT
Y02W30/50 - Reuse, recycling or recovery technologies

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02P - CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
Y02P10/20 - Process efficiency

G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21C - NUCLEAR REACTORS
G21C3/623 - {Oxide fuels}

C - CHEMISTRY C22 - METALLURGY C22B - PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS
C22B60/0278 - {by chemical methods

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DOE Contract Number:: AC07-05ID14517

Resource Type:: Patent

Resource Relation:: Patent File Date: 12/14/2016

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Citation Formats


                    Riddle, Catherine Lynn, and Paviet, Patricia D. Reduction-oxidation of actinides extraction process (ROANEX) for used nuclear fuel recycling.  United States: N. p., 2019. 
        Web.

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                    Riddle, Catherine Lynn, & Paviet, Patricia D. Reduction-oxidation of actinides extraction process (ROANEX) for used nuclear fuel recycling.  United States.

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                    Riddle, Catherine Lynn, and Paviet, Patricia D. Tue .  
        "Reduction-oxidation of actinides extraction process (ROANEX) for used nuclear fuel recycling".  United States.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1568376.

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@article{osti_1568376,

  title        = {Reduction-oxidation of actinides extraction process (ROANEX) for used nuclear fuel recycling},

  author       = {Riddle, Catherine Lynn and Paviet, Patricia D.},

  abstractNote = {The invention relates to the ROANEX method, which extracts actinides from used nuclear fuel in a single purification cycle. The used nuclear fuel contains actinides, U, Am, Pu, Np. and Cm, and fission products, Cs, Sr and Tc. The fission products are separated first from the used nuclear fuel. The actinides are reduced to their lowest oxidation states and then oxidized to their highest oxidations states. Uranium, Pu and Np move to an organic phase solution and Am and Cm move to a nitrate solution. Uranium, Pu, and Np are stripped from the organic phase solution, and then treated with an oxalic acid to form a precipitate. Americium and Cm are treated with a potassium carbonate solution and Am precipitates. Actinides Am, U, Pu, and Np precipitates are heated in an oven and then blended together to form a mixed oxide fuel of UO2, PuO2, NpO2 and AmO2.},

  doi          = {},

  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2019},

  month        = {5}

}

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Works referenced in this record:

Preparation of a uniform mixed metal oxide and superconductive oxides
patent, April 1991

Barder, Timothy J.
US Patent Document 5,011,822
URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=5011822

Extractant composition including crown ether and calixarene extractants
patent, April 2009

Meikrantz, David H.; Todd, Terry A.; Riddle, Catherine Lynn
US Patent Document 7,524,469
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Process for recovering actinide values
patent, June 1980

Horwitz, E. Philip; Mason, George W.
US Patent Document 4,208,377
URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=4208377

Extractant compositions for co-extracting cesium and strontium, a method of separating cesium and strontium from an aqueous feed, and calixarene compounds
patent, April 2012

Peterman, Dean R.; Meikrantz, David H.; Law, Jack D.
US Patent Document 8,158,088
URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=8158088

Cesium and strontium extraction using a mixed extractant solvent including crown ether and calixarene extractants
patent, November 2007

Meikrantz, David H.; Todd, Terry A.; Riddle, Catherine Lynn
US Patent Document 7,291,316
URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=7291316

Method for the recovery of actinide elements from nuclear reactor waste
patent, July 1979

Horwitz, E. Philip; Delphin, Walter H.; Mason, George W.
US Patent Document 4,162,230
URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=4162230

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Similar Records

Title: Reduction-oxidation of actinides extraction process (ROANEX) for used nuclear fuel recycling

Abstract

Citation Formats

Preparation of a uniform mixed metal oxide and superconductive oxides patent, April 1991

Extractant composition including crown ether and calixarene extractants patent, April 2009

Process for recovering actinide values patent, June 1980

Extractant compositions for co-extracting cesium and strontium, a method of separating cesium and strontium from an aqueous feed, and calixarene compounds patent, April 2012

Cesium and strontium extraction using a mixed extractant solvent including crown ether and calixarene extractants patent, November 2007

Method for the recovery of actinide elements from nuclear reactor waste patent, July 1979

Preparation of a uniform mixed metal oxide and superconductive oxides
patent, April 1991

Extractant composition including crown ether and calixarene extractants
patent, April 2009

Process for recovering actinide values
patent, June 1980

Extractant compositions for co-extracting cesium and strontium, a method of separating cesium and strontium from an aqueous feed, and calixarene compounds
patent, April 2012

Cesium and strontium extraction using a mixed extractant solvent including crown ether and calixarene extractants
patent, November 2007

Method for the recovery of actinide elements from nuclear reactor waste
patent, July 1979