Patent Number: 041772415
Section: claims

1. A process for recovering in solution form enriched nuclear fuel compounds from scrap materials, said process comprising the steps of: (a) calcining the scrap material that is readily combustible to yield an oxidized material;  (b) comminuting the oxidized material to form a particulate material of particle size less than about 250 microns;  (c) contacting the particulate material with an acid containing some recycled acid from step (g) in a mechanically agitated leaching zone of a slab-shaped nuclear-safe configuration to dissolve said compounds and yield an acid solution of said compounds;  (d) mulching non-combustible material such as filter media so that it is in the form of particulate material;  (e) contacting the mulched non-combustible material with the acid solution of (c);  (f) filtering the nonsuspended insoluble solids from the acid solution in a filtering zone;  (g) separating the suspended solids from the acid solution in a clarification zone;  (h) recycling at least a portion of the acid solution of (g) from the clarification zone to the leaching zone; and  (i) collecting the remainder of the acid solution for subsequent treatment. 2. A process according to claim 1 in which the calcination step is conducted at a temperature in the range of 750.degree. to 1000.degree. C. 3. A process according to claim 1 that further includes a step of screening the oxidized material so that particles of less than about 250 microns are directly contacted with the acid and particles of greater than about 250 microns are subjected to the comminuting step prior to contacting with the acid. 4. A process according to claim 1 in which the acid comprises nitric acid. 5. A process according to claim 4 in which the concentration of the acid is in the range of about 3 to about 8 normal. 6. A process according to claim 1 in which the separating step is performed in a wet pulp separator zone. 7. A process according to claim 1 in which the comminuting step yields a particulate material of particle size in the range of about 10 to about 250 microns. 8. A process according to claim 1 in which the nuclear fuel compound is an oxide compound. 9. A process according to claim 8 in which the oxide compound is a uranium oxide. 10. A process according to claim 8 in which the oxide compound is comprised of a mixture of uranium oxide and plutonium oxide. 11. A process according to claim 8 in which the oxide compound is uranium dioxide.