DOE Patents title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Pyrochemical recovery of plutonium from calcium fluoride reduction slag

Abstract

A pyrochemical method of recovering finely dispersed plutonium metal from calcium fluoride reduction slag is claimed. The plutonium-bearing slag is crushed and melted in the presence of at least an equimolar amount of calcium chloride and a few percent metallic calcium. The calcium chloride reduces the melting point and thereby decreases the viscosity of the molten mixture. The calcium reduces any oxidized plutonium in the mixture and also causes the dispersed plutonium metal to coalesce and settle out as a separate metallic phase at the bottom of the reaction vessel. Upon cooling the mixture to room temperature, the solid plutonium can be cleanly separated from the overlying solid slag, with an average recovery yield on the order of 96 percent.

Inventors:
OSTI Identifier:
5383601
Application Number:
ON: DE84006164
Assignee:
EDB-84-036615
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-36
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; PLUTONIUM; RECOVERY; CALCIUM FLUORIDES; REDUCTION; SLAGS; ACTINIDES; ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS; CALCIUM COMPOUNDS; CALCIUM HALIDES; CHEMICAL REACTIONS; ELEMENTS; FLUORIDES; FLUORINE COMPOUNDS; HALIDES; HALOGEN COMPOUNDS; METALS; TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS; 360101* - Metals & Alloys- Preparation & Fabrication; 050700 - Nuclear Fuels- Fuels Production & Properties

Citation Formats

Christensen, D C. Pyrochemical recovery of plutonium from calcium fluoride reduction slag. United States: N. p., Web.
Christensen, D C. Pyrochemical recovery of plutonium from calcium fluoride reduction slag. United States.
Christensen, D C. . "Pyrochemical recovery of plutonium from calcium fluoride reduction slag". United States.
@article{osti_5383601,
title = {Pyrochemical recovery of plutonium from calcium fluoride reduction slag},
author = {Christensen, D C},
abstractNote = {A pyrochemical method of recovering finely dispersed plutonium metal from calcium fluoride reduction slag is claimed. The plutonium-bearing slag is crushed and melted in the presence of at least an equimolar amount of calcium chloride and a few percent metallic calcium. The calcium chloride reduces the melting point and thereby decreases the viscosity of the molten mixture. The calcium reduces any oxidized plutonium in the mixture and also causes the dispersed plutonium metal to coalesce and settle out as a separate metallic phase at the bottom of the reaction vessel. Upon cooling the mixture to room temperature, the solid plutonium can be cleanly separated from the overlying solid slag, with an average recovery yield on the order of 96 percent.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {},
month = {}
}

Patent:
Search for the full text at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Note: You will be redirected to the USPTO site, which may require a pop-up blocker to be deactivated to view the patent. If so, you will need to manually turn off your browser's pop-up blocker, typically found within the browser settings. (See DOE Patents FAQs for more information.)

Save / Share: