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AssigneeCommissariat a l'Energie Atomique
InventorsAgnès Grandjean, Gilles Leturcq, Christophe Baron
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The present invention relates to the use of a mixed carbonate of formula AB(CO3)2, in which A and B are different and chosen from alkali metals, alkaline-earth metals and rare earths, for the containment of radioactive carbon. This use may for example involve a process comprising: mixing CO2 having a radioactive carbon to be contained, or a simple carbonate of an alkali, alkaline-earth or rare-earth metal having a radioactive carbon to be contained, with an aqueous solution of a mixture of ACln and BClm or with an aqueous solution of a mixture of A(OH)n, and B(OH)m in order to obtain a precipitate of AB(CO3)2, where n and m are integers sufficient to compensate for the charge of A and B respectively; recovery of the AB(CO3)2 precipitate in powder form; and then pressing and sintering of the powder at a 20 temperature below the decarbonation temperature of the mixed carbonate manufactured in order to obtain sintered pellets of mixed carbonates for the containment of the radioactive carbon.
A radioactive carbon containment process, comprising a step of containing said radioactive carbon in a mixed carbonate of formula AB(CO3)(n+m)/2, the sintering temperature of which is below the decarbonation temperature of the mixed carbonate and the hardness of which is greater than or equal to 4 on the Mohs scale, in which A and B are different and chosen from the group consisting of alkali metals, alkaline-earth metals and rare earths, and in which n and m are positive integers such that the charge of AB(CO3)(n+m)/2 is neutral.
A radio carbon containment process, comprising the following steps:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.