Patent Number: 059986891
Section: claims

1. A method for recycling metal parts contaminated by radioactive elements, which comprises: oxidizing radioactive elements which form non-volatile oxides by holding contaminated metal parts in an oxygen-containing atmosphere for a period at a temperature below a melting temperature of the metal parts;  forming a melt and a slag from the metal parts after oxidizing the radioactive elements; and  then separating the slag from the melt.  oxidizing radioactive elements which form non-volatile oxides by holding metal parts contaminated by .alpha.-emitters in an oxygen-containing atmosphere for a period at a temperature below a melting temperature of the metal parts;  forming a melt and a slag from the metal parts after oxidizing the radioactive elements; and  then separating the slag from the melt. 2. The method according to claim 1, which comprises carrying out the oxidizing step in dry air as the oxygen-containing atmosphere. 3. The method according to claim 1, which comprises carrying out the oxidizing step in moist air as the oxygen-containing atmosphere. 4. The method according to claim 1, which comprises setting the period to be between 10 minutes and 60 minutes long. 5. A method for recycling metal parts contaminated by .alpha.-emitters, which comprises: