Process of treating nuclear fuel
US4656011A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 5, 1985 |
| Grant date | Apr 7, 1987 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 5, 2005 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02W30/50
- WIPO fieldMaterials, metallurgy
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
In the process for treating irradiated nuclear fuel to effect separation of uranium plutonium other higher actinides, and fission products, in which nitric acid treatment, followed by solvent extraction, then backwashing the reduction of tetra- and hexa-valent plutonium to the tri-valent form, then a second solvent extraction by which the tri-valent plutonium remains in the aqueous phase while uranium goes into the solvent phase, the reduction step is performed by hydrazine with or without tetra-valent uranium nitrate and catalyzed by technetium in the tetra-valent form with or without technetium in one or more higher valency states. The technetium can be present in the system as an irradiation product or be added to the process stream in a combined form.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.