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US 9,040,014 B2Granted
Graphite thermal decontamination with reducing gases
AssigneeElectricite de France
InventorsJ. Bradley Mason, Thomas Brown, Sahar Torabzadeh, Jonathan Olander
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Providing a roaster that operates at temperatures in the range of 800° Celsius to 2000° Celsius with inert, optional oxidizing and reducing gases to treat graphite contaminated with radionuclides including tritium, carbon-14, and chlorine-36. The combination of temperatures and gases allow for the removal of most to substantially all the carbon-14 within the graphite while substantially limiting gasifying the bulk graphite.
Claims15
A method comprising the steps of:
- heating a roaster to a temperature between 800° Celsius to 2000° Celsius;
- introducing graphite contaminated with radionuclides into the roaster;
- introducing an inert gas into the roaster;
- introducing an oxidizing gas into the roaster so as to initiate an oxidation of said radionuclides;
- and
- removing volatilized radionuclides from the roaster;
- wherein a reducing gas is further introduced into the roaster in an amount between 2% and 20% of the total gas introduced so as to inhibit an oxidation of C-12 atoms of said graphite during the oxidation of said radionuclides.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.