Reprocessing technology development for irradiated beryllium
- Oarai Research Establishment, Ibaraki-ken (Japan)
- KAKEN Co., Ibaraki-ken (Japan); and others
At present, beryllium is under consideration as a main candidate material for neutron multiplier and plasma facing material in a fusion reactor. Therefore, it is necessary to develop the beryllium reprocessing technology for effective resource use. And, we have proposed reprocessing technology development on irradiated beryllium used in a fusion reactor. The preliminary reprocessing tests were performed using un-irradiated and irradiated beryllium. At first, we performed beryllium separation tests using un-irradiated beryllium specimens. Un-irradiated beryllium with beryllium oxide which is a main impurity and some other impurities were heat-treated under chlorine gas flow diluted with Ar gas. As the results high purity beryllium chloride was obtained in high yield. And it appeared that beryllium oxide and some other impurities were removed as the unreactive matter, and the other chloride impurities were separated by the difference of sublimation temperature on beryllium chloride. Next, we performed some kinds of beryllium purification tests from beryllium chloride. And, metallic beryllium could be recovered from beryllium chloride by the reduction with dry process. In addition, as the results of separation and purification tests using irradiated beryllium specimens, it appeared that separation efficiency of Co-60 from beryllium was above 96%. It is considered that about 4% Co-60 was carried from irradiated beryllium specimen in the form of cobalt chloride. And removal efficiency of tritium from irradiated beryllium was above 95%.
- Research Organization:
- Lockheed Idaho Technologies Co., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 212921
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9509218-; ON: DE96002404; TRN: 96:010070
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 2. International Energy Agency (IEA) workshop on beryllium technology for fusion, Jackson, WY (United States), 6-8 Sep 1995; Other Information: PBD: Sep 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings: 2nd IEA international workshop on beryllium technology for fusion; Longhurst, G.R.; PB: 399 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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