British Nuclear Fuels Plc

Harry Eccles

Christopher Robin Lowe

Neil C Bruce

Geoffrey William Garnham

Trevor Simon Ngawoofah

Jennifer Benson

Theresa Elizabeth Kearney

Stephen A Fell

A composite bioreactor and a method of using same is described. The bioreactor ( ) comprises a combination of a sulfur oxidizing bacteria (SOB) bioreactor ( ) directly on top of a sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB) bioreactor ( ); the SOB bioreactor ( ) comprising a heap of said soil to be rernediated and having suitable microorganisms therein to react with degrade contained contaminants; said SRB bioreactor comprising trough means ( ) having support means to support said soil heap associated with an opening thereof, said support means having permeable membrane ( ) associated therewith to allow passage of liquid but substantially no soil and sulfur reducing bacteria within said trough means ( ); and liquid and nutrient supply means to promote growth of said sulfur oxidizing bacteria and said sulphate reducing bacteria within said composite bioreactor.

Biodecontamination reactor

Process for the treatment of contaminated material

Method of decontaminating a cementitious or a metallic surface

A biosensor for detecting metal ions of elements such as Hg, Cr, As, Tc, Cu, Ag, Se, V, Mo and U which are capable of being reduced to metal by a reductase enzyme. The reductase enzyme is contained in an immobilized enzyme composition also including a cofactor and a coenzyme. The cofactor, for example NADPH, is oxidized by a reaction coupled with the reductase reduction of the metal ions and the cofactor in its oxidized state, e.g., NADP.sup.+, is re-reduced thereby maintaining a supply of the reduced state cofactor by action of the coenzyme in a further oxidation reaction coupled with the cofactor reduction. The further oxidation reaction may be oxidation of an alcohol to an aldehyde brought about by a dehydrogenase coenzyme. The oxidation brought about by the coenzyme, i.e., the amount of oxidized product, is a measure of the amount of oxidized state cofactor produced which, in turn, is a measure of the concentration of metal ions being detected. The amount of oxidation may be detected in one of a number of ways, especially by coupling the oxidation product with a reaction catalyzed by a light emitting coenzyme such as luciferase.

Biosensors for detecting metal ions capable of being reduced by

In a process for the production of uranium tetrafluoride (UF.sub.4), uranic oxides, UO.sub.3 and U.sub.3 O.sub.8, are dissolved in dilute sulphuric acid (H.sub.2 SO.sub.4) and hydrofluoric acid (HF) is added to produce a uranyl fluoride-sulphate solution which is electrolytically reduced to uranous fluoride-sulphate complexes from which hydrated uranium tetrafluoride is precipitated by the addition of dilute HF at elevated temperature (preferably above 90.degree. C.). The uranyl fluoride-sulphate solution can alternatively be produced by dissolving uranyl fluoride in H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 or from uranyl sulphate solutions (derived from solvent extraction or ion exchange purification processes) conditioned with HF.

Production of uranium tetrafluoride

Growing community of inventors

Preston, United Kingdom

Harry Eccles