From the ashes

A new recycling plant will be able to recover enriched uranium from the ashes of contaminated materials.

The recycling process itself is based on the work of University of Idaho chemistry professor Prof Chien Wai, who has developed a means to use supercritical fluids to dissolve toxic metals.

When coupled with a purifying process developed in partnership with Sydney Koegler, an engineer with Areva, enriched uranium can be recovered from the ashes of contaminated materials.

Areva and the university are to share the technologies that will pave the way for the recycling plant’s construction.

Because the technology is so simple, cost-effective and environmentally friendly, Areva is eager to test its first full-scale use on 32 tons of incinerator ash from its facility in Richland, Washington.

The plant there fabricates fuel for commercial nuclear power plants from raw enriched uranium supplied by utility customers as uranium hexafluoride (UF6).

During normal operation, common items, including filters, rags, paper wipes and gloves, become contaminated with uranium. The waste is burned to reduce its volume, making it easier to recover the uranium. Nearly 10 per cent of the ash’s weight is usable enriched uranium, worth about $900 (£482) per pound on today’s market.