Washington Facility To Recycle Radioactive Ash
A recycling plant soon to be constructed in Richland, Wash. will recover uranium from the ashes of radioactive waste to be recycled back into nuclear fuel, reports Science Daily.
The technology is environmentally friendly and was inspired, oddly enough, by decaffeinated coffee.
Chien Wai, a University of Idaho chemistry professor, has been developing the process for more than 20 years. His technology uses a supercritical carbon dioxide to dissolve toxic metals. No solvents or acids are used, and no organic waste is left behind, only the extracted metals. A similar process is used to dissolve the caffeine from whole coffee beans.
The facility will combine Wai’s technology with a purifying process developed by AREVA, a leading company in nuclear industry. The two processes will allow for the recovery of enriched uranium from the ashes of contaminated materials.
Last month, representatives from the company and the university signed an agreement to share the technologies and make possible the new recycling plant. The new technology may hold the key to recycling the most dangerous forms of radioactive waste in the future, according to Science Daily.
You probably don’t have nuclear waste in your house waiting to be recycled, but what about common electronics that contain dangerous toxins and also require special handling? Find a location to recycle your e-waste with Earth911.
