METHOD OF PROCESSING URANIUM-ZIRCON WASTES Russian patent published in 2010 - IPC G21C19/44 

FIELD: nuclear physics.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to hydrometallurgy, specifically to methods of processing wastes of uranium-zircon compositions in form of unwanted fuel cells, rejects and wastes from their production with the aim of extracting uranium and its subsequent use in production of nuclear fuel. The method of processing uranium-zircon wastes involves dissolving wastes in a mixture of hydrofluoric and nitric acid and nitric-acid raffinate solutions from extraction processing uranium-aluminium wastes which contain aluminium nitrate and sodium nitrate, filtration of the solution and extraction of uranium from the solution using an extraction method, where the raffinate solutions are taken in an amount which provides molar ratio of complexed fluorine ion to aluminium in aluminium nitrate equal to 1:(2-3).

EFFECT: simplification of the method of processing uranium-zircon wastes, increased cost effectiveness and degree of extraction of uranium from wastes.