Method for loading resin beds
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
InventorsKarl J. Notz, Robert H. Rainey, Charles W. Greene, William E. Shockley
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Abstract
An improved method of preparing nuclear reactor fuel by carbonizing a uranium loaded cation exchange resin provided by contacting a H.sup.+ loaded resin with a uranyl nitrate solution deficient in nitrate, comprises providing the nitrate deficient solution by a method comprising the steps of reacting in a reaction zone maintained between about 145.degree.-200.degree. C, a first aqueous component comprising a uranyl nitrate solution having a boiling point of at least 145.degree. C with a second aqueous component to provide a gaseous phase containing HNO.sub.3 and a reaction product comprising an aqueous uranyl nitrate solution deficient in nitrate.
Claims9
In a method for providing a uranium loaded cation exchange resin comprising contacting a cation exchange resin with an aqueous uranyl nitrate solution deficient in nitrate ions, the improvement comprising providing said solution deficient in nitrate ions by a method comprising the steps of:
- reacting in a reaction zone maintained between about 145.degree.14 200.degree. C, a first aqueous component comprising a uranyl nitrate solution having a boiling point of at least 145.degree. C with a second aqueous component to provide a gaseous phase containing HNO.sub.3 and a reaction product comprising an aqueous uranyl nitrate solution deficient in nitrate ion and containing a solid phase.
A continuous process for providing a cation exchange resin loaded with uranium ions comprising the steps of:
- a. in a reaction zone maintained between about 145.degree.-200.degree. C, contacting a first aqueous uranyl nitrate solution having a boiling point of at least about 145.degree. C with a distillation feed comprising a second uranyl nitrate solution more dilute than the first solution to provide a gaseous phase containing HNO.sub.3 and an aqueous uranyl nitrate product solution deficient in nitrate ion and containing a solid phase;
- b. recovering HNO.sub.3 from said gaseous phase;
- c. withdrawing said product solution from said reaction zone at a rate sufficient to maintain a constant volume of reactants within said reaction zone;
- d. contacting said product with at least sufficient water to provide a flowable slurry thereby providing an ion exchange feed;
- e. contacting said ion exchange feed with a cation exchange resin to provide a cation exchange resin loaded with uranium ions and an ion exchange effluent solution comprising a uranyl nitrate solution having a NO.sub.3 /U mole ratio greater than said ion exchange feed solution;
- f. combining said ion exchange effluent solution with make-up uranyl nitrate solution to provide said distillation feed, said distillation feed having a NO.sub.3 /U mole ratio greater than said product solution deficient in nitrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.