Evaluation of PFP Furnace Systems for Thermal Stabilization of Washed High Chloride Plutonium Oxide Items

Technical Report · Tue Dec 17 00:00:00 EST 2002

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/15010232· OSTI ID:15010232

Fischer, Christopher M; Elmore, Monte R; Schmidt, Andrew J; Gerber, Mark A; Muzatko, Danielle S; Gano, Susan R; Thornton, Brenda M

High chloride content plutonium (HCP) oxides are impure plutonium oxide scrap which contains NaCl, KCl, MgCl2 and/or CaCl2 salts at potentially high concentrations and must be stabilized at 950 C per the DOE Standard, DOE-STD-3013-2000. The chlorides pose challenges to stabilization because volatile chloride salts and decomposition products can corrode furnace heating elements and downstream ventilation components. A high-temperature furnace (same make and model as used at the RMC at Plutonium Finishing Plant) and the associated offgas system were set up at PNNL to identify system vulnerabilities and to investigate alternative materials and operating conditions that would mitigate any corrosion and plugging of furnace and offgas components. The key areas of interest for this testing were the furnace heating elements, the offgas line located inside the furnace, the offgas line between the furnace and the filter/knockout pot, the filter/knockout pot, the sample boat, and corrosion coupons to evaluate alternative materials of construction. The evaluation was conducted by charging the furnace with CeO2 that had been impregnated with a mixture of chloride salts (selected to represent the expected residual chloride salt level in washed high chloride items) and heated in the furnace in accordance with the temperature ramp rates and hold times used at PFP.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy (US)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 15010232
• Report Number(s): PNNL-14260; 820201000; TRN: US0500226
• Resource Relation: Other Information: PBD: 17 Dec 2002
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
CHLORIDES
CORROSION
FURNACES
PLUTONIUM OXIDES
STABILIZATION
PERFORMANCE TESTING
CORROSIVE EFFECTS
OFF-GAS SYSTEMS
CERIUM OXIDES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
CHLORIDES
CHLORIDE SALTS
CORROSION
CORROSION RATE
DOE-STD-30313-2000
FURNACE
HIGH CHLORIDE PLUTONIUM OXIDES
HANFORD
HCP
MATERIAL BALANCE
MATERIALS TESTING
MUFFLE FURNACE
NUCLEAR MATERIALS STABILIZATION PROJECT
PLUTONIUM FINISHING PLANT
PFP
PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM OXIDES
PLUTONIUM SCRAP
OFFGAS
STORAGE
THERMAL STABILIZATION