THE NITRIC ACID DISSOLUTION OF URANIUM-ALUMINUM ALLOY IN A FLOODED CONTINUOUS DISSOLVER
Extensive pilot plant studies of the mercury-catalyzed nitric acid dissolution of unirradiated 7.5% uranium--92.5% aluminum alloy slugs were carried out in tall-pipe, flooded, continuous dissolvers, In producing an acidic product containing 1.2M aluminum nitrate, dissolution rates as high as 15 kg of aluminum per day per square inch of cross section were achieved. Countercurrent flow of metal and acid has some advantages over concurrent flow, The large heat of reaction produced great volumes of steam in the dissolvers; the operational problems due to the resulting foam were best solved by the use of an over head reflux condenser to condense, partially or totally, the steam in the off-gas. Only minor quantities of solids were found in acidic product solutions. Extruded alloy dissolved abcut twice as fast as cast alloy, The metal dissolving rate was directly proportional to the 0.8 power of the nitric acid feed rate and tc the cube root of the mercuric ion (catalyst) concentration. The maximim dissolving rates occurred at feed acid concentrations of abcut 3M for cast slugs and 5M for extruded alloy, The system studied is inherently self-regulating in that a uniform product composition will normally be produced by feeding slugs, nitric acid, and catalyst at constant rates. The occasional minor rate adjustments are best accomplished by varying the catalyst concentration. Data and correlations developed are given. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Phillips Petroleum Co. Atomic Energy Div., Idaho Falls, Idaho
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AT(10-1)-205
- NSA Number:
- NSA-15-023566
- OSTI ID:
- 4039579
- Report Number(s):
- IDO-14321
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Decl. Feb. 3, 1961. Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-61
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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