Gas Phase Decontamination of Gaseous Diffusion Process Equipment

Conference · Wed Apr 27 04:00:00 EDT 1994

OSTI ID:10132789

Bundy, R. D. ^[1]; Munday, E. B. ^[1]; Simmons, D. W. ^[1]; Neiswander, D. W. ^[2]

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1. Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (K-25), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Technical Division
2. Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (K-25), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Decontamination and Decommissioning Project

D&D of the process facilities at the gaseous diffusion plants (GDPs) will be an enormous task. The EBASCO estimate places the cost of D&D of the GDP at the K-25 Site at approximately $7.5 billion. Of this sum, nearly $4 billion is associated with the construction and operation of decontamination facilities and the dismantlement and transport of contaminated process equipment to these facilities. In situ long-term low-temperature (LTLT) gas phase decontamination is being developed and demonstrated at the K-25 site as a technology that has the potential to substantially lower these costs while reducing criticality and safeguards concerns and worker exposure to hazardous and radioactive materials. The objective of gas phase decontamination is to employ a gaseous reagent to fluorinate nonvolatile uranium deposits to form volatile LJF6, which can be recovered by chemical trapping or freezing. The LTLT process permits the decontamination of the inside of gas-tight GDP process equipment at room temperature by substituting a long exposure to sub atmospheric C1F for higher reaction rates at higher temperatures. This paper outlines the concept for applying LTLT gas phase decontamination, reports encouraging laboratory experiments, and presents the status of the design of a prototype mobile system. Plans for demonstrating the LTLT process on full-size gaseous diffusion equipment are also outlined briefly.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (K-25), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 10132789
• Report Number(s): CONF-940406--4; ON: DE94007911
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

054000
400702
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECONTAMINATION
Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectrometer
GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANTS
GASES
Gas Phase Treatment
Gaseous Diffusion Plants (GDPs)
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Long-Term Low-Temperature (LTLT)
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
PROPERTIES OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
REMEDIAL ACTION
SEPARATION EQUIPMENT
URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE