Patents by Inventor Patricia D. Paviet

Patricia D. Paviet has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Reduction-oxidation of actinides extraction process (ROANEX) for used nuclear fuel recycling
    Patent number: 10297355
    Abstract: The invention relates to the ROANEX method, which extracts actinides from used nuclear fuel in a single purification cycle. The used nuclear fuel contains actinides, U, Am, Pu, Np. and Cm, and fission products, Cs, Sr and Tc. The fission products are separated first from the used nuclear fuel. The actinides are reduced to their lowest oxidation states and then oxidized to their highest oxidations states. Uranium, Pu and Np move to an organic phase solution and Am and Cm move to a nitrate solution. Uranium, Pu, and Np are stripped from the organic phase solution, and then treated with an oxalic acid to form a precipitate. Americium and Cm are treated with a potassium carbonate solution and Am precipitates. Actinides Am, U, Pu, and Np precipitates are heated in an oven and then blended together to form a mixed oxide fuel of UO2, PuO2, NpO2 and AmO2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: U.S. Department of Energy
    Inventors: Catherine Lynn Riddle, Patricia D. Paviet