SEPARATION OF ISOTOPES BY IONISATION FOR PROCESSING OF NUCLEAR FUEL MATERIALS

摘要

Improved processing apparatus and methods are provided which involve the selective ionisation of a feed material; the separation of ionised and non-ionised species; a selective excitation of the still ionised species; introduction of a chemical material to cause selective transition to a non-ionised state of part of the feed; a further separation of ionised and non-ionised species. Other improvements in selective excitation based processing are also disclosed. Separation of isotopes and/or elements from one another and changing chemical and physical form is provided in a single process from a variety of feeds.