AN IMPROVED AQUEOUS PROCESS FOR ZIRCONIUM ALLOY NUCLEAR REACTOR FUELS. PART II. CONTINUOUS DISSOLUTION WITH 5M HYDROFLUORIC ACID

Technical Report · Wed Sep 25 00:00:00 EDT 1963

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4084192· OSTI ID:4084192

Newby, B. J.

Increased use of uranium-- zirconium alloy fuels in propulsion reactors indicates that a high-capacity process for the recovery of enriched uranium from such fuels will be needed in the near future. Modification of the existing batch hydrofluoric acid process, to provide continuous dissolution, appears to be the most practicable way to install a high capacity process for uranium--zirconium alloy fuels in the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant. Dissolution in about 5M hydrofluoric acid is preferred because it results in the dissolution of fuels containing higher percentages of uranium and solutions more stable with respect to zirconium and fluoride salts than do higher concentrations of hydrofluoric acid. All of the zirconium and uranium and one-third of the tin in a 2.5% uranium--Zircaloy-2 fuel can be dissolved continuously and retained in solution with 5M hydrofluoric acid at a dissolution temperature of 60 to 80 deg C and a dissolver feed rate to fuel-surface ratio of 0.04 cm/min. The hydrofluoric acid also readily attacks oxidized zirconium alloy. Oxidants are not necessary in the dissolution. The dissolver product contains only a trace of zirconium fluoride salts, even after standing for several months. (auth)

• Research Organization: Phillips Petroleum Co. Atomic Energy Div., National Reactor Testing Station, Idaho Falls, Idaho
• Sponsoring Organization: US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
• DOE Contract Number: AT(10-1)-205
• NSA Number: NSA-18-010181
• OSTI ID: 4084192
• Report Number(s): IDO-14619
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-64
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CHEMISTRY
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMICALS
ENRICHMENT
FLUORIDES
FUEL CANS
FUELS
HYDROFLUORIC ACID
IMPURITIES
LIQUID FLOW
OPERATION
OXIDATION
PERFORMANCE
PROPULSION
QUANTITY RATIO
REACTORS
RECOVERY
REPROCESSING
SOLUTIONS
STABILITY
TIN
TRACE AMOUNTS
URANIUM
URANIUM 235
URANIUM ALLOYS
USES
WATER
ZIRCALOY
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS
ZIRCONIUM FLUORIDES
ZIRCONIUM OXIDES