Process for the conversion of uranium oxide to uranium metal and uranium alloys
AssigneeM4 Environmental Management Inc.
InventorsMichael J. Stephenson, Waldo R. Golliher, Paul A. Haas, Lark A. Lundberg
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Abstract
A process for preparing uranium metal or alloy thereof suitable for use in a metal-based uranium enrichment plant or other use requiring a superdense metal comprising providing a molten metal bath containing the alloy metal and feeding uranium oxide and a reactive metal reductant into the molten metal bath so that the oxide is reduced to elemental uranium and alloying the thus formed uranium with the bath metal.
Claims46
A process for preparing a uranium metal alloy from a uranium oxide feed, said process comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a molten metal bath, said molten metal having a Gibbs free energy of formation of oxide, under the temperature and oxygen partial pressure of the bath, greater than the Gibbs free energy of formation of said uranium oxide;
- (b) feeding uranium oxide under the surface of said molten metal bath;
- (c) co-feeding reactive metal reductant under the surface of said molten metal bath at a rate and with mixing which causes said uranium oxide to be reduced to the metal, said reactive metal reductant having a Gibbs free energy of formation of oxidation, under the temperature and oxygen partial pressure of the bath, less than the Gibbs free energy of formation of said uranium oxide;
- (d) forming a liquid uranium metal alloy with said molten metal bath whereby said liquid uranium metal alloy is discharged from the molten metal bath for subsequent recovery;
- and
- (e) discharging the oxide of said reactive metal reductant from the molten metal reactor for subsequent recovery and recycle.
A process for preparing uranium metal from a uranium oxide feed, said process comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a molten metal bath of uranium metal;
- (b) feeding uranium oxide under the surface of said molten metal bath;
- (c) co-feeding reactive metal reductant under the surface of said molten metal bath at a rate and with mixing which causes said uranium oxide to be reduced to the metal, said reactive metal reductant having a Gibbs free energy of formation of oxide, under the temperature and oxygen partial pressure of the bath, less than the Gibbs free energy of formation of said uranium oxide;
- (d) forming a liquid uranium metal product whereby said liquid uranium metal is discharged from said molten metal bath for subsequent recovery;
- and
- (e) discharging the oxide of said reactive metal reductant from the molten metal reactor for subsequent recovery and recycle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.