Method for recycling contaminated metal parts

US5998689A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Ernst Haas · Buckenhof, DE
• Nikolaus Neudert · Feucht, DE
• Roland Hofmann · Sankt Goar, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 15, 1998
• Grant date: Dec 7, 1999
• Expiry date: Jun 15, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P10/20
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A method for recycling metal parts contaminated by radioactive elements, in particular by .alpha.-emitters, includes forming a melt and a slag from the metal parts and then separating the slag from the melt. The radioactive elements are oxidized prior to the formation of the melt and the slag. For that purpose, the contaminated metal parts are exposed to an oxygen-containing atmosphere for a period at a temperature below the melting temperature of the metal parts.