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US 8,475,747 B1Granted
Processing fissile material mixtures containing zirconium and/or carbon
AssigneeU.S. Department of Energy
InventorsMichael Ernest Johnson, Martin David Maloney
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of processing spent TRIZO-coated nuclear fuel may include adding fluoride to complex zirconium present in a dissolved TRIZO-coated fuel. Complexing the zirconium with fluoride may reduce or eliminate the potential for zirconium to interfere with the extraction of uranium and/or transuranics from fission materials in the spent nuclear fuel.
Claims10
A method for processing TRIZO-coated fuel comprising:
- dissolving a fuel kernel containing zirconium, whereby the zirconium is dissolved and organic acids are formed, wherein the organic acids comprise oxalic acid and mellitic acid;
- separating solids from the dissolved fuel kernel;
- oxidizing the organic acids;
- complexing the dissolved zirconium with fluoride;
- and
- processing the dissolved fuel kernel using a solvent extraction process to separate fission products, including the zirconium, from uranium and transuranics.
3 more elements
A method for processing fissile material mixtures comprising:
- dissolving a fuel kernel of a fissile material mixture including at least one of zirconium and carbon, whereby the zirconium is dissolved and organic acids are formed, wherein the organic acids comprise oxalic acid and mellitic acid;
- separating solids from the dissolved fuel kernel;
- oxidizing the organic acids;
- complexing the dissolved zirconium with fluoride;
- and
- processing the dissolved fuel kernel using a solvent extraction process to separate fission products, including the zirconium, from uranium and transuranics.
3 more elements
A method for separating transuranics from a TRIZO-coated spent fuel comprising:
- dissolving a fuel kernel containing zirconium, whereby the zirconium is dissolved and organic acids are formed, wherein the organic acids comprise oxalic acid and mellitic acid;
- separating solids from the dissolved fuel kernel;
- oxidizing the organic acids;
- extracting the zirconium from the dissolved fuel kernel;
- and
- processing the dissolved fuel kernel by at least one of the following processes:
- UREX (uranium extraction), ZrTcEX (zirconium technetium extraction), CCD-PEG (chlorinated cobalt dicarbollide polyethelene glycol), FPEX (fission product extraction), TRUEX (transuranic extraction), TALSPEAK (trivalent actinide lanthanide separations by phosphorous-reagent extraction from aqueous [K] complexes) and PUREX (plutonium uranium extraction).
4 more elements
A method for processing fissile material mixtures comprising:
- dissolving a fuel kernel of a fissile material mixture including at least one of zirconium and carbon, whereby the zirconium is dissolved and organic acids are formed, wherein the organic acids comprise oxalic acid and mellitic acid;
- separating solids from the dissolved fuel kernel;
- oxidizing the organic acids;
- extracting the zirconium from the dissolved fuel kernel;
- and
- processing the dissolved fuel kernel by at least one of the following processes:
- UREX (uranium extraction), ZrTcEX (zirconium technetium extraction), CCD-PEG (chlorinated cobalt dicarbollide polyethelene glycol), FPEX (fission product extraction), TRUEX (transuranic extraction), TALSPEAK (trivalent actinide lanthanide separations by phosphorous-reagent extraction from aqueous [K] complexes) and PUREX (plutonium uranium extraction).
4 more elements
A method for processing TRIZO-coated fuel comprising:
- dissolving a fuel kernel containing zirconium in a composition comprising HF and HNO3, whereby the zirconium is dissolved and organic acids are formed, wherein the organic acids comprise oxalic acid and mellitic acid;
- separating solids from the dissolved fuel kernel;
- oxidizing the organic acids;
- and
- processing the dissolved fuel kernel using a solvent extraction process to separate fission products, including the zirconium, from uranium and transuranics.
2 more elements
A method for processing fissile material mixtures comprising:
- dissolving a fuel kernel of a fissile material mixture including at least one of zirconium and carbon in a composition comprising HF and HNO3, whereby the zirconium is dissolved and organic acids are formed, wherein the organic acids comprise oxalic acid and mellitic acid;
- separating solids from the dissolved fuel kernel;
- oxidizing the organic acids;
- and
- processing the dissolved fuel kernel using a solvent extraction process to separate fission products, including the zirconium, from uranium and transuranics.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.