Siderocalin-metal chelator combinations that bind metallic radioisotopes used in nuclear medicine with high affinity are described. The high affinity siderocalin-metal chelator combinations include a number of chelator backbone arrangements with functional groups that coordinate with metals. The siderocalin-metal chelator combinations can be used to deliver radionuclides for imaging and therapeutic purposes.

The invention provides methods, compositions, and apparatuses for preventing the formation of scale in heap leach process solution distribution systems comprised of piping, spray nozzels, or emitter tubes. Solution distribution system components often become fouled by scale because of local hot spots more prone to form scale than other locations along the systems length. Positioning sensors that detect periods of high temperature stress and adjusting scale control reagent dosage to send the right amount to inhibit hot spot deposition allows for the control of scale without using wasteful excessive amounts of scale control reagents. This can vastly improve scale control performance under high temperature stress conditions while minimizing scale control reagent waste under less severe stress conditions to reduce the total operating cost of running heap leach mining operations which depend upon well-functioning solution distribution systems

A galvanic cell and methods of using the galvanic cell is described for the recovery of uranium from used nuclear fuel according to an electrofluorination process. The galvanic cell requires no input energy and can utilize relatively benign gaseous fluorinating agents. Uranium can be recovered from used nuclear fuel in the form of gaseous uranium compound such as uranium hexafluoride, which can then be converted to metallic uranium or UO.sub.2 and processed according to known methodology to form a useful product, e.g., fuel pellets for use in a commercial energy production system.

Disclosed herein is a method for recovering an acid or a base during a metal extraction process. The method comprises contacting a feed stream comprising the acid or base and the metal with an ultrafiltration membrane to produce an ultrafiltration retentate and an ultrafiltration permeate, and contacting the ultrafiltration permeate with a nanofiltration membrane. The nanofiltration retentate produced comprises a majority of the metal from the feed stream, and the nanofiltration permeate produced comprises a majority of the acid or base from the feed stream. Also disclosed herein is a recovery apparatus for recovering an acid or a base during a metal extraction process.

The present invention describes a method for purification of .sup.225Ac from irradiated .sup.226Ra-targets provided on a support, comprising a leaching treatment of the .sup.226Ra-targets for leaching essentially the entirety of .sup.225Ac and .sup.226Ra with nitric or hydrochloric acid, followed by a first extraction chromatography separating .sup.25Ac from .sup.226Ra and other Ra-isotopes and a second extraction chromatography for separating .sup.225Ac from .sup.210Po and .sup.210Pb. The finally purified .sup.225Ac can be used to prepare compositions useful for pharmaceutical purposes.

The present invention describes a method for purification of .sup.225Ac from irradiated .sup.226Ra-targets provided on a support, comprising a leaching treatment of the .sup.226Ra-targets for leaching essentially the entirety of .sup.225Ac and .sup.226Ra with nitric or hydrochloric acid, followed by a first extraction chromatography for separating .sup.225Ac from .sup.226Ra and other Ra-isotops and a second extraction chromatography for separating .sup.225Ac from .sup.210Po and .sup.210Pb. The finally purified .sup.225Ac can be used to prepare compositions useful for pharmaceutical purposes.

A method of recovering uranium (U) metal from uranium tetrafluoride (UF.sub.4) using a furnace including a reactor is disclosed. The method comprises placing UF.sub.4, a first material, and a second material that is different from the first material into the reactor. A eutectic composition comprising the first material, the second material, and fluoride has a melting point that is less than the melting point of U. The method further comprises raising the initial temperature of the UF.sub.4, the first material, and the second material to initiate a reaction between the first material, the second material, and the UF.sub.4 which drives the temperature of the reactor to a raised temperature to form a slag phase and a metal phase separate from the slag phase in the reactor.

The present disclosure is directed to processes and methods for recovering rare earth elements and scandium from acidic solutions. Transition metals, lanthanum, cerium, actinides, thorium, or a combinations thereof may be selectively removed from a lanthanide and transition metal comprising solution via the use of an extractant and an alkali compound, such as magnesium chloride to recover valuable rare earth elements. In an embodiment, a lanthanide-comprising solution is contacted with an extractant to form a raffinate and a loaded organic comprising most of the lanthanides and one or more transition metals. At least a portion of the transition metals is removed from the loaded organic based on the alkali compound, forming a transition metal-rich solution and a transition metal scrubbed organic, and at least a portion of the lanthanides are removed from the transition metal scrubbed organic based on the alkali compound to form a lanthanide liquor.

The invention relates to an integrated method for trivalent actinides and lanthanides separation and trivalent actinides mutual separation, which comprises: adjusting the pH value of a solution containing trivalent lanthanide and actinide ions to an appropriate value, wherein the actinide ions include americium ions and curium ions; adding an aqueous phase complexing agent, the solution is contacted with the organic phase of an extractant containing alkyl or aryl dithiophosphonic acid and nitrogen containing reagents, and actinides is extracted into the organic phase. The loaded organic phase containing actinide ions was washed by an aqueous phase with a certain pH value. The loaded organic phase is stripped with an aqueous phase of a certain pH value, and the curium ion is stripped into the aqueous phase to achieve the separation of americium and curium. The organic phase is then contacted with dilute nitric acid solution, and the americium ion in the organic phase is stripped into the aqueous phase. The invention can significantly improve the separation factor of americium and curium and reduce the operating pH value. And within the same system, the separation of trivalent actinides and trivalent lanthanides, as well as the mutual separation of trivalent actinides can be realized simultaneously through extraction and stepwise stripping, simplifying the separation process and improving separation efficiency.

The present disclosure provides a process for the separation and purification of radium and actinium from acidic solution using composite adsorbents. The process includes preparing polyoxometalates (POMs)-based mesoporous composite metal-infused resins using phosphate recovered from waste buffer solution. The resins are prepared using a modified sol-gel technique to form inorganic composite metal-oxide clusters. Embodiments of the resins include silica-coated composite metal oxide particles, including antimony-vanadium oxide particles, and tungsten-doped mesoporous titanium oxide particles. The resins have differing adsorption affinities for actinium, radium, and other metal ions and may thus be utilized for selectively separating radium and actinium from irradiated thorium targets.