Dissolution of uranium-molybdenum and/or uraniummolybdenum-plutonium reactor fuel elements

摘要

Uranium and/or plutonium values are recovered from uranium and/or plutonium molybdenum compositions by treating the mixture at 375-600 DEG C. with a 10-60% hydrogen chloride gas and air mixture producing a volatile molybdenum oxychloride and a non-volatile uranium product, mainly oxides, which is then dissolved in nitric acid yielding stable uranium nitrate solution. The uranium values obtained from the first stage may be treated with hydrogen chloride gas to remove further molybdenum before dissolving in nitric acid. Chlorine impurity may be removed from the oxychlorination mixture by heating in air containing up to 3% of water to volatilize chlorine impurity. The uranium/molybdenum mixture is carried in aluminium or zirconium or stainless steel cans which are removed before treatment of the composition by using chlorine or hydrogen chloride gas at temperatures of approximately 600 DEG C.