Doryokuro Kakunenryo Kaihatsu Jigyodan

Hitachi Cable, Inc.

Akio Todokoro

Hideo Akiyama

Masahito Ui

Yukio Natsui

Hiroshi Kogure

Tsuneo Ozaki

Yujiro Kato

Takashi Okada

Yoshiharu Takahashi

Katsuyuki Otsuka

Yoshiyuki Kihara

Kazuhito Hiroe

Yoshinobu Ishikawa

Osamu Takanobu

A method of separating and recovering Pu and Np from a Pu- and Np-containing nitric acid solution. The method comprises the steps of subjecting a nitric acid solution containing Pu and Np to valence adjustment by adding a reducing agent consisting of hydroxylamine nitrate and hydrazlne to said nitric acid solution so as to reduce Pu and Np in said nitric acid solution to Pu (III) and Np (IV), respectively; adjusting a nitric acid concentration of said nitric acid solution after said valence adjustment to 6 to 8 M; bringing said nitric acid solution after said nitric acid concentration adjustment into contact with a strong basic anion exchange resin so as to cause Np to be selectively adsorbed by said resin and to separate and recover Pu as a plutonium nitrate solution; and eluting said adsorbed Np (IV) by using diluted nitric acid of 1 M or below so as to recover Np as a neptunium nitrate solution. The valence adjustment step may be carried out by subjecting the Pu- and Np-containing nitric acid solution to electrolytic reduction instead of using the reducing agent.

Method of separating and recovering plutonium and neptunium from

A hermetically sealed connector for a glove box and a method for exchanging such connectors in which leakage of radioactive material from within the glove box is minimized and an auxiliary glove box is not needed to exchange the connectors. The connector is formed as a cylindrical member having a flange portion hermetically sealed to a packing provided in a through hole in the wall of the glove box. To exchange connectors, a nut is removed from the outer end of the old connector and a tube is screwed thereto. The other end of the tube is fitted to the inner end of the new connector. The tube is then shoved through the packing until the flange of the new connector aligns with the packing. The tube is then removed from the inner end of the new connector and a nut is screwed on in replacement for the tube.

Hermetically sealed connector for glove box and method for exchanging

Method for exchanging an hermetically sealed connector on a glove box

An apparatus for continuously concentrating and denitrating a radioactive nitrate solution by microwave includes a rotatably supported concentrating and denitrating vessel disposed within an oven into which microwave is applied through waveguides. The concentrating and denitrating vessel comprises a circular vessel body supported rotatably about its center and a plurality of partition plates positioned radially inside the vessel body so as to divide the interior of the vessel body into a plurality of compartments. The nitrate solution supplied into the vessel is heated, evaporated, concentrated and denitrated in sequence in each of the compartments during one rotation of the vessel to form a denitrated oxide powder. The denitrated powder produced in one of the compartments is transferred into a receiving pan positioned adjacent to the outer periphery of the vessel.

Apparatus for continuously concentrating and denitrating nitrate

An annular tank for storing nuclear reaction material in an annular space formed among seamless upper and lower annular dies disposed elevationally in a predetermined space and inner and outer sheaths extended on the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the upper and lower dies. The tank avoids thermal strain and deformation by forming the upper and lower dies in a seamless manner to thus enhance the heat dissipating effect together with high working accuracy and strength. The method of fabricating the annular tank is simple by omitting the use of jigs for welding the segments with less loss and high production yield.

Method of fabricating an annular tank

Growing community of inventors

Ibaraki, Japan

Akio Todokoro