Separation of stainless steel from a nuclear fuel

Claim 1

A METHOD OF SEPARATING STAINLESS STELL CLADDING FROM A STAINLESS STELL CLAD URANIUM BEARING NUCLEAR FUEL ELEMENT, WHEREIN THE METHOD IS CARRIED OUT IN A STAINLESS STEEL CLAD REACTION VESSEL WITHOUT HARMING THE VESSEL, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: CONTACTING THE STEEL CLAD ELEMENT WITH A METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MILD STEEL AND A NICKEL-PHOSPHORUS BRAZE COMPOSITION; PLACING SAID STEEL CLAD ELEMENT INTO A STAINLESS STELL DOWNDRAFT CONDENSER VESSEL CONTAINING NITRIC ACID, HEATING SAID NITRIC ACID TO APPROXIMATELY 100*C., ADDING SULFURIC ACID AND SULFAMIC ACID TO SAID SOLUTION IN AN AMOUNT TO RESULT IN A FINAL SOLUTION, WHICH COVERS SAID MIXTURE WITH A SOLUTION HAVING SULFURIC ACID IN A MOLEARITY OF FROM 5.0 M TO 7.0 M, NITRIC ACID IN A MOLARITY OF FROM 0.03 M TO 0.07 M AND SULFAMIC ACID IN A MOLARITY OF FROM 0.02 M TO 0.10 M, HEATING SAID FINAL SOLUTION TO A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF APPROXIMATELY 116*C., INTRODUCING OXYGEN IN THE COLD LEG OF SAID DOWNDRAFT CONDENSER TO FORM NITROGEN DIOXIDE WHICH COMBINES WITH THE CONDENSATE CONTAINED THEREIN TO FORM NITRIC ACID; AND RETURNING SAID NITRIC ACID TO THE DOWNDRAFT CONDENSER VESSEL IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THE MOLARITY OF SAID NITRIC ACID AT 0.03 M TO 0.07 M.