After dissolving irradiated nuclear fuel in a nitric acid medium, the vapor produced by this dissolution and consisting of water, nitrogen oxides and iodine is passed into a condenser, then into a column for the absorption of the nitrous vapor in which is formed recombined nitric acid containing iodine and nitrous ions, the iodine contained in the recombined acid being then separated-out. The nitrous ions present in the recombined acid have a favorable influence on the important first stage of that separation.
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