CHEMICAL PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORT, JULY-SEPTEMBER, 1960

Technical Report · Wed Feb 15 00:00:00 EST 1961

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4066077· OSTI ID:4066077

Bower, J.R. ed.

ICPP. Liquid wastes in permanent storage were recycled and further concentrated to conserve waste storage space. Ba/sup 140/ production was continued with good recovery of highquality product. The use of a packed steam stripper to free waste solvent from low concentrations of Pu prior to incineration is discussed. Aqueous Zr Processing. Studies showed that precipitation of barium fluozirconate from dissolver solutions by mixtures of Ba(OH)/sub 2/ or BaF/sub 2/ with BaNO/sub 3/ rather than with BaNO/sub 3/ alone, resulted in better Zr separation, lower U loss, and better definition of fission product behavior. Studies of the dissolution of BeO-UO/sub 2/ fuels in molten ammonium bifluoride demonstrated that a true solution of U is not achieved, but that the dispersion will pass through a 20 mu filter and is readily dissolved in HNO/sub 3/. It was found that extracted Zr degrades TBP approximately 1000 times faster than extracted HNO/sub 3/. A means of criticality control in a non- geometrically safe vessel through uniform interior distribution of neutron absorbing materials was investigated. Waste Calcination. A study was made of the operating characteristics, in a 2-ft square calciner. of one of the feed spray nozzles intended for use in the Demonstrational Waste Calcining Facility. The physical structure of the alumina produced during operation of the fluidized bed calciner has rapidly shifted between an amorphous and a predominantly alpha - crystalline form. Data indicated that material which is spray dried directly from the nozzle is predominantly amorphous, while that deposited on calcine particles can either remain largely amorphous or be rapidly converted to the alpha form. The major components of the pilot plant calciner and NaK heater showed little corrosion damage after approximately 6000 hr of service. Optimum ranges of certain reaction conditions were selected for the calcination of fluoridecontaining waste solutions: temperature near 500 deg C, CaO/F equivalency ratio of 0.75 to 1.0, Al concentration above 0.3M, and nitrate concentrations either below 2N or above 3N. Waste Treatment. It was found that an exchange bed of ammonium phosphomolybdate (APM) supported on silica gel shows a decontamination factor of approximately 1000 for Cs/sup 137/ in Al/sub 2/(NO/sub 3/)/sub 2/-HNO/sub 3/ solutions and a capacity of 35 mg of Cs per gram of APM. It was demonstrated that silica gel could be used to absorb a liquid waste and the waste calcined in situ. Ca and Sr fluozirconates were prepared and their x- ray diffraction patterns determined. In an investigation of the practical aspects of removal. by mecury cathode electrolysis. of Fe, Ni, and Cr from waste solutione, it was demonstrated that up to 3% Fe or Ni could be electrolyzed into the Hg before the amalgam reached a semi-solid state which would require treatment to remove the base metals. A maximum of 0.3% Cr was taken up before electrolysis ceased and a fine black powder separated from the Hg. Electrolric Dissolution. Electrolytic dissolution in HNO/sub 3/ was demonstrated to be applicable to a wide variety of stainless steel and other alloy materials. A search for information on the effect of cell and electrode geometry on electrolytic resistance and current density distributions during electrolytic dissolution was continued. An equation summarizing all the data for the electrolytic dissolution of Zr in HCl-methanol obtained on the potential-current density relationships as functions of temperature and HCl concentration was developed. ARCO Process. Use of HCl as a leaching agent to recover U from the salt matrix in the ARCO process proved unsatisfactory. (M.C.G.)

• Research Organization: Phillips Petroleum Co. Atomic Energy Div., Idaho Falls, Idaho
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AT(10-1)-205
• NSA Number: NSA-15-014335
• OSTI ID: 4066077
• Report Number(s): IDO-14540
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-61
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CHEMISTRY
ABSORPTION
ALLOYS
ALUMINUM NITRATES
ALUMINUM OXIDES
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
ARCO PROCESS
BARIUM 140
BARIUM COMPOUNDS
BEHAVIOR
BERYLLIUM OXIDES
BUTYL PHOSPHATES
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM OXIDES
CATHODES
CESIUM 137
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMIUM
COLLOIDS
CONTROL
CORROSION
CRITICALITY
DECOMPOSITION
DECONTAMINATION
DENSITY
DIFFRACTION
DISTRIBUTION
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTRODES
ELECTROLYSIS
ELECTROLYTES
ELECTROLYTIC CELLS
FILTERS
FISSION PRODUCTS
FLUORIDES
FUELS
HYDROCHLORIC ACID
IRON
LEACHING
LIQUIDS
MATRICES
MERCURY
MERCURY ALLOYS
METHANOL
MOLYBDENUM COMPOUNDS
NEUTRONS
NICKEL
NITRATES
NITRIC ACID
NOZZLES