A PROCESS FOR THE RECOVERY OF URANIUM FROM NUCLEAR FUEL ELEMENTS USING FLUID-BED DRYING AND VOLATILITY TECHNIQUES

摘要

A process scheme for the recovery of uranium from a wide variety of nuclear fuel elements has been developed. The scheme combines con-tinuous fluid-bed drying and fluoride volatility techniques after initial dissolution of the fuel element in the appropriate aqueous system, hence the designation ADF, Aqueous Dry Fluorination Process. The work described in this report is the application of this process to the recovery of uranium from highly enriched, low uranium-zirconium alloy plate-type fuels.nIn the process, the feed solution is sprayed horizontally through a two-fluid nozzle and is atomized directly in the heated fluidized bed. The spray droplets are dried on the fluidized particles and form a dense coat¬ing. Excessive particle growth was limited by the use of air attrition-jets inserted directly in the bed.