RECOVERY OF URANIUM FROM RESIDUES PRODUCED IN HYDROCHLORINATION OF NUCLEAR FUEL ALLOYS

Chlorination at 550 to 600 deg C of Zircex residues with carbon tetrachloride resulted in greater than 99.99% recovery of the uranium. Both the hydrochlorination residue and the solids which remain after leaching the hydrochlorination residue with nitric acid were chlorinated with similar results. By this technique, loss of 1 to 6% of the uranium to the nitric acid insoluble residue, which occurs in simple hydrochlorination and dissolution of STR fuel, is avoided. Other advantages include reduced corrosion and the elimination of possible explosions between U-Zr alloys and nitric acid. A modified flowsheet is proposed. (auth