Method for recycling plutonium from spent radioactive fuel
US11834730B2 · kind B2 · utility
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 22, 2017 |
| Grant date | Dec 5, 2023 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 28, 2040 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02W30/50
- WIPO fieldMaterials, metallurgy
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
The present invention relates to a method for recovering plutonium from spent radioactive fuel. In one embodiment, the method comprises steps of extracting tetravalent plutonium from an aqueous solution of the spent radioactive fuel using a first organic solvent comprising tributyl phosphate; reducing tetravalent plutonium to trivalent plutonium by adding to an organic phase a second organic solvent comprising dimethylhydroxylamine; and stripping plutonium into the aqueous phase for recycling by adding an aqueous dilute acid solution into an organic phase. The method can significantly improve the efficiency of recovering plutonium from spent radioactive fuel compared with HAN stripping, and at the same time, can avoid the problems resulting from U(IV) reduction and extraction.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.