Method of recovering radioactive beryllium
AssigneesJapan Atomic Energy Research Institute, NGK Insulators, Ltd.
InventorsHiroshi Kawamura, Katsuyoshi Tatenuma, Yoshio Hasegawa, Taketoshi Takeuchi, Naoki Sakamoto
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Abstract
The invention provides a method for recovering metal beryllium from waste beryllium that has become radioactive in the reaction with neutrons, by converting the radioactive beryllium to halogenated beryllium with a halogen gas such as chlorine, bromine or iodine, and subsequently submitting the halogenated beryllium to thermal decomposition. In this way, the invention allows effective recovery of metal beryllium from waste, radioactive beryllium, thereby reducing production of radioactive wastes and ensuring an economical use of natural resources.
Claims12
A method of recovering radioactive beryllium, comprising a first step of producing halogenated beryllium by reacting a halogen gas with radioactive beryllium at a temperature above the sublimation temperature of the resulting halogenated beryllium and below a temperature 100.degree. C. higher than that sublimation temperature and a second step of recovering metal beryllium from the halogenated beryllium.
A method of recovering radioactive beryllium, comprising a first step of producing halogenated beryllium by reacting a halogen gas with radioactive beryllium and a second step of recovering metal beryllium from the halogenated beryllium, said first and second steps being conducted in a substantially dry state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.