# US 2014/0192941 A1 · Method of acceleration of nuclear transmutation of isotopes by carrying out exothermic reactions

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2014/0192941 A1
- Document ID: US20140192941A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/605,032
- Filed: 2012-09-06
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2011-10-26
- Inventors: Lev Bernstein
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140192941A1

## CPC

- G21G 7/00: Conversion of chemical elements not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- G21B 3/002: {Fusion by absorption in a matrix}
- G21F 9/28: Treating solids
- G21F 9/30: Processing (separating different isotopes of the same chemical element B01D59/00)
- G21G: CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ELEMENTS; RADIOACTIVE SOURCES (applications of radiation in general G21H5/00; handling particles, e.g. neutrons, or electromagnetic radiation not otherwise provided for G21K)
- G21B: FUSION REACTORS (uncontrolled reactors G21J)
- G21F: PROTECTION AGAINST X-RADIATION, GAMMA RADIATION, CORPUSCULAR RADIATION OR PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT; TREATING RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED MATERIAL; DECONTAMINATION ARRANGEMENTS THEREFOR (radiation protection by pharmaceutical means A61K8/00, A61Q17/04; in cosmonautic vehicles B64G1/54; combined with a reactor G21C11/00; combined with X-ray tubes H01J35/16; combined with X-ray apparatus H05G1/02)

## Abstract

Methods for acceleration of nuclear transmutation of tritium and radioactive isotopes of metals, and decontamination of metals contaminated with radioactive isotopes by destroying radioactive isotopes to a required level of residual radioactive inventory in metals with simultaneous release of thermal energy via stimulating accelerated transmutation with the half-life parameters describing kinetics of radioactive isotope destruction much shorter than their generally accepted half-life. The stimulus is applied to radioactive metals by placing them into a chamber, exposing them to gaseous substances of the group of hydrogen, deuterium, tritium, or a mixture of these isotopes in a molecular hydrogen form for said gaseous substances to be absorbed by the metals, heating the metals to a temperature of at least 200° C. and maintaining at the said temperature. Exothermic reactions of non-radioactive metals with deuterium, tritium, or a mixture of these isotopes in a molecular hydrogen form release a significant amount of energy.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for acceleration of nuclear transmutation of radioactive isotopes of metals comprising the steps of:
placing the metals in a chamber;
exposing the metals in the chamber to gaseous substances of the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, tritium or a mixture of these isotopes in a molecular hydrogen form;
heating the metals in the chamber to a temperature of at least 200° C.; and
maintaining this steady temperature until radioactivity of the metals decreases to a desired level.

### Claim 2

A method for acceleration of nuclear transmutation of tritium in metals comprising the steps of:
placing the metals contaminated with tritium in a chamber;
heating the metals contaminated with tritium in the chamber to a temperature of at least 200° C.; and
maintaining this steady temperature until radioactivity of the metals decreases to a desired level.

### Claim 3

A method of decontamination of radioactive metal waste contaminated with tritium comprising the steps of:
placing the waste contaminated with tritium in a chamber;
heating the waste in the chamber to a temperature of at least 200° C.; and
maintaining this steady temperature until radioactivity of the waste decreases to a desired level.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

A method of claim 3 where a purge agent is passing through the chamber during the steps of heating and steady temperature maintaining, and a gas exchange rate of the purge agent is controlled thereby leading to partial removal of tritium from the metals and partial transmutation of tritium.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

A method of claim 4 where the metals comprise any metal of the following list: stainless steel, copper alloy, tungsten, or beryllium contaminated with tritium and the purge agent is any mixture of the following list: argon+hydrogen, nitrogen+hydrogen, or argon+water vapor.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A method of claim 5 where the metals comprise any metal of the following list: stainless steel, copper alloy, or tungsten contaminated with tritium comprising the steps of:
placing metals in a chamber;
heating the metals in the chamber to a temperature of substantially 800° C. at atmospheric pressure; and
maintaining this steady temperature within no less than 24 hours while simultaneously purging the chamber during the heating and maintaining steps with a mixture of 95 vol % argon+5 vol % hydrogen (the purge agent) with the gas exchange rate of no less than substantially 6 h−1, which allows recovering the maximum and transmutating the minimum amounts of tritium during the decontamination process.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

A method of claim 5 where metals comprise beryllium contaminated with tritium comprising the steps of:
placing metals in a chamber;
heating the metals in the chamber to a temperature of substantially 800° C. at atmospheric pressure; and
maintaining this steady temperature within no less than 24 hours while simultaneously purging the chamber during the heating and maintaining steps with a mixture of 95 vol % argon+5 vol % (the purge agent) with the gas exchange rate of no less than substantially 80 h−1 which allows recovering the maximum and transmutating the minimum amounts of tritium during the decontamination process.

### Claim 8

A method of thermal energy generation by processing radioactive metals comprising the steps of:
placing the metals in a chamber;
exposing the metals in the chamber to gaseous substances of the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, tritium or a mixture of these isotopes in a molecular hydrogen form;
heating the metals in the chamber to a temperature of at least 200° C.; and
maintaining this steady temperature until heat release rate of the metals is decreased to a desired level.

### Claim 9

A method of thermal energy generation by processing metals with gaseous substances of the group consisting of deuterium, tritium or a mixture of these isotopes in a molecular hydrogen form comprising the steps of:
placing the metals in a chamber;
exposing the metals in the chamber to the said gaseous substances for the said substances to be absorbed by the metals;
heating the metals in the chamber to a temperature of at least 200° C.; and
maintaining this steady temperature until heat release rate of the metals is decreased to a desired level.

### Claim 10

A method of decontamination of radioactive metal waste comprising the steps of placing the waste in a chamber;
exposing the waste in the chamber to gaseous substances of the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, tritium or a mixture of these isotopes in a molecular hydrogen form for the said substances to be absorbed by the waste;
heating the waste in the chamber to a temperature of at least 200° C.; and
maintaining this steady temperature until radioactivity of the waste is decreased to a desired level.

### Claim 11

A method of thermal energy generation by processing metals contaminated with tritium comprising the steps of:
placing the metals contaminated with tritium in a chamber;
heating the metals in the chamber to a temperature of at least 200° C.; and
maintaining this steady temperature until heat release rate of the metals is decreased to a desired level.

### Claim 12

A system for decontamination of metals contaminated with a plurality of radioactive isotopes comprising of:
a conveyor to submit radioactive metals to a chamber;
a heat source for heating the chamber;
a system to pump into the chamber gaseous substances of the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, tritium, or a mixture of these isotopes in a molecular hydrogen form;
a purge gas source in fluid communication with the chamber if needed; and
a collection system in fluid communication with the chamber for collecting gases released during heating of the said metals and purged from the said chamber.

### Claim 13

A system for production of thermal energy from radioactive metals comprising:
a chamber configured to accept metals; and expose them to gaseous substances of the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, tritium, or a mixture of these isotopes in a molecular hydrogen form, wherein exothermic reactions, which involve the substances, occur in the chamber;
a controller configured to control the rate of supply of the gaseous substances to the said chamber; and,
a collection system to collect the ingredients not used in the reaction and other radioactive gases released during the reactions.

### Claim 14

A system for production of thermal energy from non-radioactive metals comprising:
a chamber configured to accept metals; and expose them to gaseous substances of the group consisting of deuterium, tritium, or a mixture of these isotopes in a molecular hydrogen form, wherein exothermic reactions, which involve the gaseous substances, occur in the chamber;
a controller configured to control the rate of supply of the gaseous substances to the said chamber; and,
a collection system to collect the gaseous substances not used in the reaction and other radioactive gases released during the reactions