Process and apparatus for recovery of yellow cake dust

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR RECOVERY OF YELLOW CAKE DUST FROM THE OFF-GAS FROM A YELLOW CAKE DRIER DOWNSTREAM OF A MILL PRODUCING WET URANIUM YELLOW CAKE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A GAS-SOLIDS CYCLONE SEPARATOR HAVING ITS FEED INLET CONNECTED BY A FIRST CONDUIT WITH THE GAS OUTLET OF SAID DRIER; A LIQUID CYCLONE HAVING ITS FEED INLET CONNECTED BY A SECOND CONDUIT WITH THE GAS OUTLET OF SAID SEPARATOR AND A LIQUID EFFLUENT LINE FROM ITS LOWER SECTION; AN AQUEOUS LIQUID LINE CONNECTED WITH SAID SECOND CONDUIT; A HYDROFILTER HAVING A GAS INLET IN ITS LOWER SECTION CONNECTED BY CONDUIT WITH THE GAS OUTLET OF SAID LIQUID CYCLONE, A LIQUID INLET IN ITS UPPER SECTION, AND A LIQUID EFFLUENT LINE FROM ITS LOWER SECTION; AN AQUEOUS LIQUID FEED LINE CONNECTED WITH THE LIQUID INLET OF SAID HYDROFILTER; AND MEANS FOR RECOVERING YELLOW CAKE FROM THE LIQUID EFFLUENT LINES FROM THE LOWER SECTIONS OF SAID LIQUID CYCLONE AND SAID HYDROFILTER.

Claim 3

A METHOD FOR RECOVERING DRY YELLOW CAKE FROM WET YELLOW CAKE IN A URANIUM RECOVERY PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES PASSING SAID WET YELLOW CAKE INTO A DRIER AND THEREIN CONTACTING SAME WITH A STREAM OF HOT DRYING GAS SO AS TO DRY SAID CAKE, WHEREBY THE OFF-GAS FROM SAID DRIER CARRIES ENTRAINED YELLOW CAKE DUST; RECOVERING THE DRIED YELLOW CAKE FROM SAID DRIER AS PRODUCT; PASSING SAID OFF-GAS THRU A GAS-SOLIDS CYCLONE SEPARATOR SO AS TO RECOVER DIRECTLY THE MAJOR PORTION OF SAID DUST AS PRODUCT; PASSING THE OFF-GAS FROM SAID SEPARATOR AND A STREAM OF AQUEOUS LIQUID INTO A LIQUID CYCLONE TO FORM AND SEPARATE A SLURRY OF SAID DUST FROM SAID GAS; PASSING OFF-GAS FROM SAID LIQUID CYCLONE TO A HYDROFILTER TO SCRUB SAME AND RECOVER RESIDUAL DUST IN AN EFFLUENT AQUEOUS SLURRY; PASSING SAID SLURRIES TO A THICKENER TO FORM WET YELLOW CAKE AND REMOVE AQUEOUS LIQUID; AND PASSING RESULTING WET YELLOW CAKE TO SAID DRIER TO DRY SAME.

Claim 4

A METHOD FOR RECOVERING DRY YELLOW CAKE FROM WET YELLOW CAKE IN A URANIUM RECOVERY PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES PASSING SAID WET YELLOW CAKE INTO A DRIER AND THEREIN CONTACTING SAME WITH A STREAM OF HOT DRYING GAS SO AS TO DRY SAID CAKE, WHEREBY THE OFF-GAS FROM SAID DRIER CARRIES ENTRAINED YELLOW CAKE DUST; RECOVERING THE DRIED YELLOW CAKE FROM SAID DRIER AS PRODUCT; PASSING SAID OFF-GAS THRU A GAS-SOLIDS CYCLONE SEPARATOR SO AS TO RECOVER DIRECTLY THE MAJOR PORTION OF SAID DUST AS PRODUCT; PASSING THE OFF-GAS FROM SAID SEPARATOR AND A STREAM OF AQUEOUS LIQUID INTO A LIQUID CYCLONE TO FORM AND SEPARATE A SLURRY OF SAID DUST FROM SAID GAS; PASSING OFF-GAS FROM SAID LIQUID CYCLONE TO A HYDROFILTER TO SCRUB SAME AND RECOVER RESIDUAL DUST IN AN EFFLUENT AQUEOUS SLURRY; PASSING SAID SLURRIES TO A THICKENER TO FORM WET YELLOW CAKE AND REMOVE AQUEOUS LIQUID; AND PASSING RESULTING WET YELLOW CAKE TO SAID DRIER TO DRY SAME.