ANALYTICAL PROGRAM FOR PROCESSING STAINLESS STEEL URANIUM DIOXIDE REACTOR FUEL ELEMENTS

Technical Report · Fri Sep 18 04:00:00 EDT 1959

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4228782· OSTI ID:4228782

Huff, G A

Analytical programs have been described for uranium recovery processes for aluminum-uranium and zirconiumuranium reactor fuel elements. It is the purpose of this paper to describe the analytical program for the uranium recovery process involving stainless steel-uranium reactor fuel elements. The recovery process consists of a two step dissolution and the regular liquid-liquid solvent extraction using TBP in kerosene. Sulfuric acid is used to dissolve the stainless steel. As a result of the sulfuric acid dissolution the uranium is converted to a slurry. The uranium slurry is then dlssolved in nitric acid. After the nitric acid dissolution the feed material is compatible with the extraction columns used at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant for other type fuel elements previously described. In order to analyze samples of dissolver solutions for constituents necessary for plant operation, three new analytical methods were developed. These methods are a rapid method for determining uranium, one for nitrate and one for sulfate. Methods are described for urarium, acidity, specific gravity, nitrate, and sulfate in the dissolver solution; also for small amounts of uranium in the extraction column raffinates. Samples of dissolver solution and first cycle aqueous raffinate contain large amounts of fission products. These samples require shielded facilities for analytical work. The remote analytical facility described by Dykes and his co-workers was used for this work. Precision and accuracy data are given for the analytical methods described. (auth)

• Research Organization: Phillips Petroleum Co. Atomic Energy Div., Idaho Falls, Idaho
• DOE Contract Number: AT(10-1)-205
• NSA Number: NSA-14-001583
• OSTI ID: 4228782
• Report Number(s): IDO-14493
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ACIDITY
ALUMINUM
BUTYL PHOSPHATES
CANNING
CHEMISTRY
EXTRACTION COLUMNS
FISSION PRODUCTS
FUEL ELEMENTS
HYDROCARBONS
NITRATES
NITRIC ACID
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
REACTORS
RECOVERY
REMOTE HANDLING
SLURRIES
SOLUTIONS
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
STAINLESS STEELS
SULFATES
SULFURIC ACID
URANIUM
URANIUM DIOXIDE
WATER
ZIRCONIUM