Metal and fluorine values recovery from fluoride salt matrices

Abstract

The process for converting feed materials of high mineral content and substantial radioactivity levels to concentrated radionuclide products of high radioactivity levels and to other products of discard or very low radioactivity levels, wherein the feed materials consists of a difficultly soluble matrix contain substantial metal, fluorine, and radionuclide values assaying above about 30 pCi/g, the process having the steps of contacting the feed materials with high temperature steam of from about 200.degree. C. to about 1500.degree. C., the contacting being carried out such as to convert the metal and radionuclide values to oxide residues at commercially acceptable rates and to evolve gaseous fluorides from the feed, digesting the oxide residues in an acidic digest medium separating the radionuclide values from the resulting digest liquor and subsequently isolating the metal values from the resulting raffinate whereby the metal values have a radionuclide value assay of less than about 20% of the radioactivity level of the feed materials.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.