Thorium process operation report

Technical Report · Fri Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1967

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4156051· OSTI ID:4156051

Preparation for the Purex thorium campaign began on April 15, 1966 when the plant was cleaned out and stripped from uranium processing. Flushing and equipment changes involved in the turnaround for thorium processing were completed on May 11, 1966, when irradiated thoria was first introduced to the plant dissolvers. The last of the thoria was charged to the dissolvers on July 2, 1966, and product stripping operations were completed on July 10, 1966. Plant flushing and equipment changes associated with reconversion of the plant to uranium processing were completed by August 20, 1966. One hundred ninety-four tons of thoria was processed during the campaign; the product, thorium nitrate solution, was transferred to the WR Vault for temporary storage. Two hundred twenty-three kilograms of $sup 233$U were recovered during the campaign. One hundred twenty kilograms have been delivered to the Nuclear Fuels Services facility in Erwin, Tennessee; the remainder has been shipped to Oak Ridge. At the start of the campaign, 3.4 tons of thorium nitrate product from the thorium test run were reworked to meet specifications. Tight specifications for both thorium and $sup 233$U products were met during the campaign. The quality of the $sup 233$U product exceeded target specifications in almost every area. Recovery of thorium and $sup 233$U were 97 percent and 94 percent, respectively. The overall material balance on the two products was within 1.2 percent and 2.3 percent, respectively. (auth)

• Research Organization: Isochem Inc., Richland, Wash. (USA)
• NSA Number: NSA-33-007032
• OSTI ID: 4156051
• Report Number(s): ISO--419
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

*SPENT FUELS-- PUREX PROCESS
*THORIUM-- SOLVENT EXTRACTION
050800* --Nuclear Fuels--Spent Fuels Reprocessing
N40450* --Chemistry--Radiochemistry & Nuclear Chemistry-- Reactor Fuel Processing
REPROCESSING
THORIUM OXIDES
URANIUM 233