Filtrate processing in oxidic nuclear fuel prodn. - by ammonium uranium (plutonium) carbonate process

• Main Authors: WITTMANN, KURT., 6455 ERLENSEE, DE, DRUCKENBRODT, WOLF-GUENTHER., 6458 RODENBACH, DE, LASBERG, INGO, 8755 ALZENAU, DE
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; German
• Published: 07.02.1991
• Subjects: DECONTAMINATION ARRANGEMENTS THEREFOR; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING; NUCLEAR PHYSICS; PHYSICS; PROTECTION AGAINST X-RADIATION, GAMMA RADIATION, CORPUSCULARRADIATION OR PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT; TREATING RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED MATERIAL

Filtrate processing, in uranium oxide fuel prodn. by the AUC process or in U/Pu mixed oxide fuel prodn. by the AU/PuC process, involves (a) feeding the alkaline filtrate into a first scrubber stage, heated by calcination off-gas, to expel dissolved ammonium carbonate; (b) recycling the resulting gaseous components to the pptn. stage; (c) feeding the suspension-like filtrate soln. from the first scrubber stage to a heated second scrubber stage for ammonium nitrate decompsn. by introduction of nitrogen oxide formed from the ammonia evolved in the pptn. stage; and (d) feeding the resulting N2 into the off-gas line and recycling the resulting nitric acid filtrate soln. to an U and/or Pu extn. stage. ADVANTAGE - The ammonium carbonate content of the filtrate can be directly recovered and recycled; the amt. of fresh NH3 required in the pptn. stage can be reduced; the ammonium nitrate content of the filtrate is converted into environmentally neutral N2, H2O and HNO3; and the filtrate is concd. using the energy content of the off-gases.