THE RECOVERY OF FISSION PRODUCT XENON AND KRYPTON BY ABSORPTION PROCESSES

Technical Report · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1959

OSTI ID:4255309

Steinberg, M

Highly concentrated fission product xenon and krypton can be economically produced with high rates of recovery from diluted nuclear off-gas streams by means of a continuous selective solvent absorption process. The process involves a threc-column absorption-fractionation-stripping operation. The absorber removes xenon and krypton along with part of the diluent gases, nltrogen and oxygen; the fractionator removes the nitrogen and oxygen from thc solvent; and the stripper produces the highly concentrated noble gas product. Solvent flow rates and stripping gas requirements are considerably reduced by operating the absorber under higher pressure, and the fractionator and stripper at lower pressures. Experimental data on the solubilities of xenon, krypton, nitrogen, oxygen, and argon in liquid nitrous oxide and Freon, measured over a range of temperatures, are presented. The selectivity and solubility of xenon and krypton in these solvents at temperatures of the order of -70 C are significantly higher than ln solvents at ambient temperatures. Based on these and carrier solubility measurements, process designs, flow sheets, and column design data are given for each of three solvent systems: kerosene, liquid nitrous oxide, and liquid Freon. The kerosene -carbon dioxide stripping process has the advantages of operation at ambient temperatures and elimination of all heat exchange equipment; however, the cost of carbon dioxide is an economic factor in this case. In the liquld nitrous oxide process, the necessity for a nitrous oxide removal operation is eliminated, but thc hazard of using a thermodynamically unstable solvent must be taken into consideration. The Freon process has the lowest refrigeration requirements, a low solvent cost, and maximum stability. The use of solvents having boiling points higher than those of xenon and krypton has the advantages of reducing equipment freeze-up, shielding requirements, and accumulation of hazardous materials in the process. (auth)

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, N.Y.
• NSA Number: NSA-13-013329
• OSTI ID: 4255309
• Report Number(s): BNL-542
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ABSORPTION
ARGON
BOILING
CARBON DIOXIDE
CHEMISTRY
CRYOGENICS
ECONOMICS
ENRICHMENT
EXTRACTION COLUMNS
FISSION PRODUCTS
FREONS
GASES
HEAT TRANSFER
KRYPTON
LIQUIDS
LOW TEMPERATURE
MEASURED VALUES
NITROGEN
NITROGEN OXIDES
ORGANIC FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN
PETROLEUM
PLANNING
PRODUCTION
RECOVERY
SAFETY
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SHIELDING
SOLUBILITY
SOLVENTS
STABILITY
THERMODYNAMICS
XENON