Magnesium transport extraction of transuranium elements from LWR fuel
Abstract
A process of separating transuranium actinide values from uranium values present in spent nuclear oxide fuels which contain rare earth and noble metal fission products. The oxide fuel is reduced with Ca metal in the presence of CaCl.sub.2 and a U-Fe alloy containing not less than about 84% by weight uranium at a temperature in the range of from about 800.degree. C. to about 850.degree. C. to produce additional uranium metal which dissolves in the U-Fe alloy raising the uranium concentration and having transuranium actinide metals and rare earth fission product metals and the noble metal fission products dissolved therein. The CaCl.sub.2 having CaO and fission products of alkali metals and the alkali earth metals and iodine dissolved therein is separated and electrolytically treated with a carbon electrode to reduce the CaO to Ca metal while converting the carbon electrode to CO and CO.sub.2. The Ca metal and CaCl.sub.2 is recycled to reduce additional oxide fuel. The U-Fe alloy having transuranium actinide metals and rare earth fission product metals and the noble metal fission products dissolved therein is contacted with Mg metal which takes up the actinide and rare earth fission product metals. The U-Fe alloy retains the noble metalmore »
- Inventors:
-
- Downers Grove, IL
- Oak Forest, IL
- Wheaton, IL
- Naperville, IL
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 868466
- Patent Number(s):
- 5147616
- Assignee:
- United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
C - CHEMISTRY C22 - METALLURGY C22B - PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS
G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21C - NUCLEAR REACTORS
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- magnesium; transport; extraction; transuranium; elements; lwr; fuel; process; separating; actinide; values; uranium; spent; nuclear; oxide; fuels; contain; rare; earth; noble; metal; fission; products; reduced; presence; cacl; u-fe; alloy; containing; 84; weight; temperature; range; 800; degree; 850; produce; additional; dissolves; raising; concentration; metals; product; dissolved; therein; cao; alkali; iodine; separated; electrolytically; treated; carbon; electrode; reduce; converting; recycled; contacted; mg; takes; retains; stored; distilled; leaving; isolated; alkali earth; carbon electrode; actinide values; dissolved therein; alloy containing; fission product; fission products; alkali metal; oxide fuel; rare earth; spent nuclear; noble metal; earth metal; alkali metals; uranium metal; earth metals; earth fission; product metals; actinide metals; actinide metal; uranium values; transuranium actinide; metal fission; separating transuranium; transuranium elements; product metal; oxide fuels; nuclear oxide; produce additional; lwr fuel; iodine dissolved; transport extraction; contain rare; /423/75/205/
Citation Formats
Ackerman, John P, Battles, James E, Johnson, Terry R, Miller, William E, and Pierce, R Dean. Magnesium transport extraction of transuranium elements from LWR fuel. United States: N. p., 1992.
Web.
Ackerman, John P, Battles, James E, Johnson, Terry R, Miller, William E, & Pierce, R Dean. Magnesium transport extraction of transuranium elements from LWR fuel. United States.
Ackerman, John P, Battles, James E, Johnson, Terry R, Miller, William E, and Pierce, R Dean. Wed .
"Magnesium transport extraction of transuranium elements from LWR fuel". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/868466.
@article{osti_868466,
title = {Magnesium transport extraction of transuranium elements from LWR fuel},
author = {Ackerman, John P and Battles, James E and Johnson, Terry R and Miller, William E and Pierce, R Dean},
abstractNote = {A process of separating transuranium actinide values from uranium values present in spent nuclear oxide fuels which contain rare earth and noble metal fission products. The oxide fuel is reduced with Ca metal in the presence of CaCl.sub.2 and a U-Fe alloy containing not less than about 84% by weight uranium at a temperature in the range of from about 800.degree. C. to about 850.degree. C. to produce additional uranium metal which dissolves in the U-Fe alloy raising the uranium concentration and having transuranium actinide metals and rare earth fission product metals and the noble metal fission products dissolved therein. The CaCl.sub.2 having CaO and fission products of alkali metals and the alkali earth metals and iodine dissolved therein is separated and electrolytically treated with a carbon electrode to reduce the CaO to Ca metal while converting the carbon electrode to CO and CO.sub.2. The Ca metal and CaCl.sub.2 is recycled to reduce additional oxide fuel. The U-Fe alloy having transuranium actinide metals and rare earth fission product metals and the noble metal fission products dissolved therein is contacted with Mg metal which takes up the actinide and rare earth fission product metals. The U-Fe alloy retains the noble metal fission products and is stored while the Mg is distilled and recycled leaving the transuranium actinide and rare earth fission products isolated.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1992},
month = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1992}
}