PROCESS DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY REPORT. PART II. PILOT PLANT WORK

Technical Report · Sat Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1959

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4256346· OSTI ID:4256346

Shepardson, J U; Nelson, J.A. eds.

Efficiency of the pilot plant pumper-decanters was greatly improved by the maintenance of interfaccs. The low efficiency of the D-3 pumper-decanter in the plant could be substantially raised by an interface to prevent backmixing. A review of refinery performance, based on a correlation of wash raffinate density with extract uranium saturation showed that high-thorium product resulted from low extract saturation. Tributyl phosphate recovery by hexane stripping of raffinate can be greatly improved through the use of a pamper-decanter in place of the present open column. The pilot plant fluid-bed denitrator has been operated at production rates as high as 500 lb UO/sub 3/hr-sq ft using hlgh feed concentrations. Correlations of previous particle size and heat transfer data are presented. A pilot plant fluid-bed reduction reactor with a tapered internal mandrel has been placed in service. The equipment has performed well in preliminary runs. Equipment to convent low concentration to 38% HF by distillation has been installed. Runs have been made in the green salt reactors in order to simulate the conditions whereby the 38% HF will be utilized. These runs demonstrate the ability to produce high-quality UF/sub 4/ utilizing 38% HF to the Air reactor tube. Laboratory analysis of green salt produced at Port Hope, Canada, indicated the green salt to be approximately comparable a Weldon Spring material, with the exception of hydrogen content, which was about twice the level found in Weldon Spring green salt. Metal from 3300-lb dingots, produced from this green salt by the long-soak technique, had hydrogen levels of 3.9 ppm and 3.4 ppm, which are higher than is normally found in metal produced by the long-soak technique. (auth)

• Research Organization: Mallinckrodt Chemical Works, St. Louis
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-13-018769
• OSTI ID: 4256346
• Report Number(s): MCW-1431
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

BUTYL PHOSPHATES-- DECANTATION-- DENSITY-- EFFICIENCY-- EXTRACTION COLUMNS-- FABRICATION-- HEXANE-- PERFORMANCE-- PILOT PLANT-- PUMPS-- RECOVERY-- REFINING-- SEPARATION PROCESSES-- SOLVENT EXTRACTION-- SURFACES-- THORIUM-- URANIUM
DENITRATION-- FLUIDIZATION-- NITRATES-- NITRIC ACID-- OPERATION-- QUANTITY RATIO-- URANIUM TRIOXIDE-- USES
DISTILLATION-- ENRICHMENT-- HYDROFLUORIC ACID-- LABORATORY EQUIPMENT-- REACTORS-- URANIUM TETRAFLUORIDE-- USES
FABRICATION-- FLUIDIZATION-- PERFORMANCE-- PILOT PLANT-- REACTORS
GRAIN SIZE-- HEAT TRANSFER
GREEN SALT-- HYDROGEN-- LEACHING-- QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS-- URANIUM-- URANIUM MINERALS-- URANIUM TETRAFLU
TECHNOLOGY