Patent Number: 058754067
Section: claims

1. A process for the reduction of radioactive waste containing radioactive metallic ions, comprising the steps of: forming an oil mixture by pouring the radioactive waste into a reservoir;  subjecting said mixture to continuous agitation;  preheating said mixture to a temperature between 15.degree. C. and 80.degree. C.;  chemically treating said mixture for reduction of the radioactive metallic ions;  passing said mixture through a centrifuge for separation;  carrying out one of electrostatic precipitation and filtration; and  testing a level of radioactivity of said mixture,  said chemically treating step comprises adding 0.01% by weight of cobalt chloride, 0.2% by weight of a sodium hydroxide solution NaOH(1N) and mixing said mixture, followed by adding 0.05% by weight of sodium borohydride and mixing said solution. 2. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of adding an entrainment salt to said mixture. 3. The process of claim 2, wherein the entrainment salt used is one of the group consisting of disodium acetate, manganese dioxide, zirconium iodate and phosphate, bismuth phosphate, lanthanum fluoride, and chlorides and sulfates of nickel and cobalt. 4. The process of claim 1, wherein said step of chemically treating said mixture for reduction of the radioactive metallic ions comprises the addition of a boron salt to said mixture. 5. The process of claim 4, wherein said boron salt is sodium borohydride. 6. The process of claim 2, wherein the preheating step preheats said mixture to a temperature between 40.degree. C. and 50.degree. C.; and