Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A method for the separation of rare-earth fission product poisons from spent nuclear fuel comprising:a) providing a spent nuclear fuel comprising UO2 and rare-earth oxides;b) said step of providing said nuclear fuel comprises providing a nuclear fuel and performing one or more oxidation-reduction cycles each cycle comprising:i. oxidizing said nuclear fuel; andii. reducing said nuclear fuel;c) providing a compound comprising Th or Zr;d) mixing said provided nuclear fuel and said Th or Zr into a mixture;e) heating said mixture to a temperature sufficient to reduce said UO2 of said provided nuclear fuel; andf) extracting rare-earth metals or oxides from said heated mixture thereby producing a treated nuclear fuel, whereby said treated nuclear fuel comprises said nuclear fuel with a significant reduction in rare-earths. 2. The method for the separation of rare-earth fission product poisons from spent nuclear fuel of claim 1 whereby said step of extracting rare-earth metals or oxides comprises extracting rare-earth metals or oxides from the group consisting of Sm, Gd, Nd, Eu, and combinations thereof metals or oxides thereof. 3. The method for the separation of rare-earth fission product poisons from spent nuclear fuel of claim 1 whereby:a) said step of mixing said provided nuclear fuel comprises mixing said provided nuclear fuel and Th into a mixture; andb) said step of heating said mixture comprises heating said mixture to a temperature sufficient to reduce both UO2 and any rare-earth oxides. 4. The method for the separation of rare-earth fission product poisons from spent nuclear fuel of claim 1 further comprising:a) said step of mixing said provided nuclear fuel comprises mixing said provided nuclear fuel and Zr into a mixture; andb) said step of heating said mixture comprises heating said mixture to a temperature sufficient to reduce UO2. 5. The method for the separation of rare-earth fission product poisons from spent nuclear fuel of claim 1 whereby said step of providing said nuclear fuel comprises:a) providing nuclear fuel;b) crushing said nuclear fuel into a powder; andc) oxidizing said nuclear fuel to a temperature between 200-800° C. 6. The method for the separation of rare-earth fission product poisons from spent nuclear fuel of claim 1 whereby said step of oxidizing said nuclear fuel comprises:a) oxidizing said nuclear fuel to a temperature of 400-600° C. 7. The method for the separation of rare-earth fission product poisons from spent nuclear fuel of claim 1 whereby said step of heating said mixture comprises:a) heating said mixture in a vacuum, heating said mixture in an inert gas, heating said mixture in a reducing fluid, or a combination thereof. 8. The method for the separation of rare-earth fission product poisons from spent nuclear fuel of claim 1 whereby said step for extracting rare-earth metals comprises vaporization, selective chlorination, air classification, or a combination thereof. 9. The method for the separation of rare-earth fission product poisons from spent nuclear fuel of claim 1 whereby said step of extracting rare-earth metals or oxides comprises:a) exposing said heated mixture to a chlorine gas at a temperature and pressure capable of converting said uranium to uranium chloride, rare-earth metals and oxides to rare-earth chlorides and rhodium metal to rhodium chloride;b) heating said rare-earth chlorides and rhodium chloride to a temperature capable of creating a significant vapor pressure of the rare-earth chlorides and rhodium chloride; andc) extracting said heated rare-earth chlorides and rhodium chloride using a carrier gas or in vacuum and fractional vaporization, whereby rare-earth chlorides and rhodium chloride are segregated from uranium chloride. 10. The method for the separation of rare-earth fission product poisons from spent nuclear fuel of claim 1 whereby said step of extracting rare-earth metals or oxides comprises:a) oxidizing said heated mixture, whereby oxides of uranium and thorium are formed; andb) exposing said oxidized heated mixture to temperature up to 750° C. and a pressure whereas the rare-earth oxides and rhodium form chlorides. 11. The method for the separation of the rare-earth fission product poisons from spent nuclear fuel of claim 1 further comprising:a) enriching said treated nuclear fuel comprising the steps of adding U-235, said treated nuclear fuel not exceeding 17 weight percent of U-235; andb) subjecting said enriched treated nuclear fuel to nuclear fission. 12. The method for the separation of the rare-earth fission product poisons from spent nuclear fuel of claim 1 further comprising:a) enriching said treated nuclear fuel comprising the steps of adding U-235, said treated nuclear fuel not exceeding 8 weight percent of U-235; andb) subjecting said enriched treated nuclear fuel to nuclear fission. 13. The method for the separation of the rare-earth fission product poisons from spent nuclear fuel of claim 1 whereby said step of mixing and heating further comprises:a) adding a dissolving agent to said heated mixture; andb) extracting said rare-earth metals with a dissolving agent. 14. The method for the separation of the rare-earth fission product poisons from spent nuclear fuel of claim 13 whereby said dissolving agent comprises nitric acid. 15. The method for the separation of the rare-earth fission product poisons from spent nuclear fuel of claim 1 whereby said step for extracting rare-earth metals comprises:a) vaporizing rare-earth metals during said step of heating said mixture; andb) collecting said vaporized rare-earth metals on a cooled surface, whereby said cooled surface has a temperature less than said mixture. 16. The method for the separation of the rare-earth fission product poisons from spent nuclear fuel of claim 2 whereby:a) said step of mixing said provided nuclear fuel comprises mixing said provided nuclear fuel and Th into a mixture;b) said step of heating said mixture comprises heating said mixture to a temperature above 850° C. and sufficient to reduce both UO2 and any rare-earth oxides; andc) said step for extracting rare-earth metals comprises:i. vaporizing rare-earth metals during said step of heating said mixture; andd) collecting said vaporized rare-earth metals on a cooled surface, whereby said cooled surface has a temperature less than said heated mixture. 17. The method for the separation of the rare-earth fission product poisons from spent nuclear fuel of claim 16 whereby:a) said step of heating said mixture comprises heating said mixture in a vacuum, heating said mixture in an inert gas, heating said mixture in a reducing fluid, or a combination thereof;b) said step for extracting rare-earth metals comprises vaporization, selective chlorination, air classification, or a combination thereof;c) enriching said treated nuclear fuel comprising the steps of adding U-235, said treated nuclear fuel not exceeding 8 weight percent of U-235; andd) subjecting said enriched treated nuclear fuel to nuclear fission. 18. The method for the separation of the rare-earth fission product poisons from spent nuclear fuel of claim 2 further comprising:a) said step of mixing said provided nuclear fuel comprises mixing said provided nuclear fuel and Zr into a mixture;b) said step of heating said mixture comprises heating said mixture to a temperature less than 600° C. and sufficient to reduce UO2; andc) whereby said step of extracting rare-earth metals or oxides comprises:i. exposing said heated mixture to a chlorine gas at a temperature and pressure capable of converting said uranium and rare-earth metals of said heated mixture to uranium chloride and rare-earth chlorides;ii. heating said rare-earth chlorides to a temperature capable of creating a significant vapor pressure of the rare-earth chlorides; andiii. extracting said heated rare-earth chlorides using a carrier gas or in vacuum and fractional vaporization to segregate the rare-earth chlorides and rhodium chloride from uranium chloride. 19. The method for the separation of the rare-earth fission product poisons from spent nuclear fuel of claim 18 whereby:a) said step of heating said mixture comprises heating said mixture in a vacuum, heating said mixture in an inert gas, heating said mixture in a reducing fluid, or a combination thereof;b) said step for extracting rare-earth metals comprises vaporization, selective chlorination, air classification, or a combination thereof;c) enriching said treated nuclear fuel comprising the steps of adding U-235, said treated nuclear fuel not exceeding 8 weight percent of U-235; andd) subjecting said enriched treated nuclear fuel to nuclear fission.