Production of U-233 metal at Los Alamos and Oak Ridge

Technical Report · Mon Apr 18 04:00:00 EST 1955

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10146887· OSTI ID:10146887

Jenkins, W A

It is presently planned that thorium metal, irradiated at SRP, will be shipped to Oak Ridge for separation and the U-233 so derived will be shipped to Los Alamos as a solution for reduction to metal and fabrication of weapons components. Should production exceed the Oak Ridge capacity (about 13,000 lb Th per month) it is probable that responsibility for separations and U-233 fabrication will shift to SRP. It is the purpose of this letter to present an outline of the processes as developed at Oak Ridge (Y-12) and Los Alamos for the reduction to metal and fabrication of components. The Oak Ridge process was developpd for production of U-235 while processes at Los Alamos were developed for U-235 and U-233. Differences in U-235 and U-233 processing arise from the high purity required of U-233 metal. Dr. R. D. Baker of Los Alamos emphasized the inability of the weapons people to specify the purity required for the final U-233 metal and strongly recommended that the production facility be designed to produce maximim purity material. In addition, he recommended that maximum flexibility be incorporated for future changes and that the capacity be adequate to handle a 50% recycle from weapons fabrication. In the following discussions, the Los Alamos U-233 process is presented in most detail but major variations from this process at Oak Ridge are discussed at the conclusion of each unit operation.

• Research Organization: Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Wilmington, DE (United States). Explosives Dept.
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-76SR00001
• OSTI ID: 10146887
• Report Number(s): DPW--55-217; SR/H--716; ON: DE94010577
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
400702
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
450200
FABRICATION
LANL
METALLURGY
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS AND EXPLOSIVES
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIVES
ORNL
PRECIPITATION
PROPERTIES OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
PURIFICATION
TRAVEL
URANIUM 233
URANIUM 235
URANIUM OXIDES
URANIUM PEROXIDE