Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Union Carbide Corporation

Edward Mitchell

Thomas S Snyder

Regis R Stana

Herbert A Burgman

Jose G Lopez

John W Koenst, Jr

Joseph S Rudolph

Disclosed is a method of reducing the volume of a material containing addition polymerizable bonds by contacting the material with sufficient butyrolactone to dissolve the soluble organic material therein and form a slurry. About 0.1 to about 2% by weight, based on the slurry weight, of an addition polymerizable catalyst is added to polymerize and solidify the slurry. About 10 to about 50% by weight, based on total slurry weight, of an ethylenically unsaturated monomer, such as styrene, can be added to aid in the polymerization process. The process is especially suited to filter elements containing radioactive contaminants.

Filter element reduction method

Wet process phosphoric acid is oxidized with nitric acid so that uranium values therein are in the +6 state. The organic extractant which contacts the acid extracts the +6 uranium and nitrate and/or nitrite ions. Urea is added to the oxidized acid to react with the nitrate and/or nitrite ions so that the organic does not extract them. The organic is reductively stripped with an aqueous solution containing ferrous ions. The efficacy of the ferrous ions is not lost through reaction with nitrate and/or nitrite ions.

Maintaining reductive strip efficiency in uranium recovery processes

An open pore liquid purification apparatus containing semipermeable membranes, is made by: (1) placing a module, made of bonded, resin coated filler particles, having a plurality of spaced circular bores therethrough, in a stationary vertical position, (2) placing a viscous casting composition into each of the bores, the composition containing 10 parts polysulfone resin and 10-40 parts of an organic solvent, the solvent being effective to homogeneously disperse and partly dissolve the polysulfone, (3) gravity dropping a casting bob, having a circular cross-section at its widest point, down through each bore to form a continuous film of casting composition on the inside of each bore, and then (4) immediately exposing the film to a low humidity atmosphere, and (5) contacting the film with a suitable leaching liquid, to form a polysulfone ultrafiltration membrane on the inside of each module bore; the membrane being resistant to solvents and operable at a pH of about 1 to 12 and a temperature of about 5.degree. to 85.degree. C.

Method of casting tubular polysulfone ultrafiltration membranes in sand

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Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

Edward Mitchell