There are a number of patent applications related to the processing of protactinium, notably for its separation, recovery and extraction.
Separation:
- A selective extraction of uranium and Protactinium from material containing thorium (2013)
- Process For Separation Of Protactinium,Thorium And Uranium From Neutronirradiated Thorium (1974)
- Separation of protactinium from contaminants (1959)
- Separation of polonium, protactinium or mixtures thereof in aqueous solution from bismuth, lead, zirconium and/or columbium values (1959)
- Separation process for protactinium and compounds thereof (1959)
- Separation of protactinium from molten salt reactor fuel compositions (1963)
Recovery:
- Recovery of protactinium from molten fluoride salts (1968)
- Recovery Of Protactinium From Molten Fluoride Nuclear Fuel Compositions (1973)
- Cation exchange method for the recovery of protactinium (1959)
- Recovery of protactinium from aqueous solutions (1959)
- Recovery of protactinium (1959)
Extraction:
- Method Of Extracting Elements Particularly The Elements Gold Protactinium Rhenium Rhodium Lanthanides And Natural Radioactive Isotopes Such As Of Uranium Thorium And Radium (1977)
- Protactinium extraction process (1957)
- Protactinium extraction (1962)
- Solvent extraction process for the separation of uranium and thorium from protactinium and fission products (1962)
- Solvent extraction process for protactinium (1961)
Protactinium is claimed as an alloying component, amongst others, for iron or steel:
- Activator To Increase Iron Based Alloys Strength – Comprises Calcium, Sodium, Silicon, Vanadium, Molybdenum, Niobium, Protactinium, Zirconium, Cerium, Titanium, Aluminium, Etc. Process For Incrense The Mechanic Strength Of Iron Alloys Through Addition Of A Activator Mixture (1989)
- Thorium and uranium as trace contaminants can be determined in semiconductor materials via neutron activation analysis and detection of the resultant Pa 233 isotope
- Detecting uranium and thorium in materials used in semiconductors – by activating with thermal neutrons and quantitative determination of activity of protactinium-233 and neptunium-239 isotopes formed (1991)
References:
All patent information has been obtained from Espacenet (European Patent Office).