Zirconium-uranium alloys dissolved readily in molten zinc (>800°C), but the resulting alloy did not dissolve completely in nitric acid. The frac¬tion of the uranium remaining in the solids was lower with higher Zn/Zr ratios or when another metal, e.g., magnesium, was added to the melt. In the latter case uranium retention by the nitric acid—insoluble residue was as low as 0.3%, compared to at least 6% when molten zinc alone was the dissolvent.
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