Greening Uranium-Containing Solid Fuels

Abstract

The results of thermodynamic and experimental investigation of plasma processing of uranium-containing Nizhneilli brown coal (NBC) and Estonian dictyonema shale (EDS) are presented. The essence of plasma processing of the uranium-containing solid fuels (SF) is in the conversion of the organic mass of SF into synthesis gas, with the simultaneous release of uranium-containing compounds into the gas phase, followed by the production of uranium-free ash. Thermodynamic analysis showed that the gaseous phase of the SF plasma steam gasification products consists, basically, of synthesis gas with a concentration of up to 95.2 vol.% at 1,800 K. At this temperature, uranium-containing compounds completely pass into the gas phase in the form of uranium oxides. Experiments on plasma steam gasification of EDS were performed in entrained-flow plasma reactor. The results of the research testify to the insensitivity of the plasma processing technology to the quality of the SF used.