United States Patent (19) [11] 3,714,324 Weech (45) Jan
United States Patent (19) [11] 3,714,324 Weech (45) Jan. 30, 1973 54 IRRADIATED FUEL RECOVERY Chemical Processing of Nuclear Fuels, F. S. Martin & SYSTEM G. L. Miles, Academic Press Inc., N.Y., 1958 pp. 105 75 Inventor: Marx E. Weech, Pico Rivera, Calif. & 08 (73) Assignee: General Electric Company Primary Examiner-Carl D. Quarforth Assistant Examiner-F. M. Gittes 22 Filed: June 18, 1968 Attorney-Ivor J. James, Jr., Samuel E. Turner, John (21) Appl. No.: 738,009 R. Duncan, Frank L. Neuhauser, Oscar B. Waddell and Melvin M. Goldenberg 52 U.S. Cl........................................ 23/341, 23/344 57 ABSTRACT (51 int. Cl. ............................................. B01d 11100 58 Field of Search......................... 23/341, 343, 344 An improved process for recovering irradiated nuclear reactor fuel material is disclosed. This process in cludes the steps of extracting uranium, plutonium and 56 References Cited neptunium from a solution of irradiated fuel, passing UNITED STATES PATENTS this stream to a reflux column, where a high saturation of uranium is maintained. Separation of uranium from 2,848,300 8/1958 Warf...................................... 23/341 plutonium and neptunium, and further decontamina 2,979,379 4/1961 Schmieding et al.................... 23/34 tion of uranium results from this high saturation. This 3,092,446 6/1963 Morgan et al.......................... 23.1341 process is simple, has a high recovery efficiency and 3,276,850 101966 Huet et al............................... 23.1341 high decontamination, uses relatively small amounts of 3,387,945 6, 1968 Boudry et al........................... 23/341 process reagents and produces a relatively small OTHER PUBLICATIONS volume of radioactive waste material.
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