Process for making a ceramic composition for immobilization of actinides

US6320091A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• United States Department of Energy · US

Inventors

• Bartley B. Ebbinghaus · Livermore, US
• Richard A. Van Konynenburg · Livermore, US
• Eric R. Vance · Sydney, AU
• Martin William Alexander Stewart · Forbes, AU
• Philip A. Walls · Sydney, AU
• William A. Brummond · Livermore, US
• Guy A. Armantrout · Livermore, US
• Connie Cicero Herman · Pleasanton, US
• Beverly F. Hobson · Livermore, US
• David T. Herman · Aiken, US
• Paul G. Curtis · Tracy, US
• Joseph C. Farmer · Tracy, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 22, 1999
• Grant date: Nov 20, 2001
• Expiry date: Jun 22, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C04B35/51
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Disclosed is a process for making a ceramic composition for the immobilization of actinides, particularly uranium and plutonium. The ceramic is a titanate material comprising pyrochlore, brannerite and rutile. The process comprises oxidizing the actinides, milling the oxides to a powder, blending them with ceramic precursors, cold pressing the blend and sintering the pressed material.