APPLICATIONS OF ULTRASONIC ENERGY. Progress Report No. 8 Covering Period from February 1, 1958 to March 31, 1958

Technical Report · Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1958

OSTI ID:4324518

Precipitation of thorium oxalate carried out under ultrasonic influence was investigated using three techniques: addition of solid oxalic acid to thorium nitrate solution; mixing of solutions of oxalic acid and thorium nitrates and mixing of solid oxalic acid and solid thorium nitrate, with subsequent addition to water under ultrasonc influence. Parameters of reagent concentration, solution temperature, rate of adddtion of precipitant, duration of ultrasonic treatment, and mechanical agitation are being investigated. The smallest and most uniform thorium oxolate particles to date were produced by fast addition of solid oxalic acid to thorium nitrate solution at low temperature, with short (6 to 7 minutes) ultrasonic treatment times the particles thus produced were generally less than 1 micron diameter, with a very few as large as 2 microns. Studies were continued in the ultrasonic dissolution or disintegration of fuelelement materials in mercury. A suitable coupler material appears to be heat- treated Allegheny-Ludlum DBL-2 tool steel, which successfully withstood more than 40 hours of nitrasonic application in molten mercury with no evidence of erosion. Ultrasonic dissolution of representative materials (thorium, powdered iron compacts, and Type 504 stainess steel) in mercury at room temperature was found in preliminary tests to be significantly greater in all cases than that achieved without ultrasonic application. Ultrasonic leaching of cesium-bearing alumina waste with 0.01 N nitric acid, using batch-type treatment in a fixedbed'' cylindrical vessel operating at a frequency of 20 kc and a low (50 watts) power level, was considerably more effective than comparable non-ultrasonic leaching. In a control test, only about 5% of the cesium was removed in 3 hours, while 35 to 50% was removed in the same time under ultrasonic influence. Investigations oriented to ultrasonic agglomeration of submicron radio-active particles in dilute gus streams, using a additive liquid aerosol to aid in coslescence, were continued. A very dilute aerosol of solid potassium chloride particles which could be analyzed by flame photometry was used as a simudant. The dense additive liquid aerosol was a non-evaporating glycerinewater mixture prepared in the optimum size range for the promotion of agglomeration. Preliminary experiments with an 8-foot-long ultrasonic agglomeration chamber through which the aerosol was drawn at low flow rate indicated order of magnitude improvement in fallout of potassium chloride particles when an ultrasonic standing-wave field was imposed upon this aerosol after a dense aerosol of non-evaporating glycerine had been mixed with it. Assembly and preliminary test of an annular agglomeration chamber, utilizing a relatively uniform, high-intensity acoustic pattern produced by a center-mounted, modified Hartmann whistle, indcated the production of annular standing waves and the possibility of highly effective agglomeration. (For preceding period see NYO-7927,) (auth)

• Research Organization: Aeroprojects, Inc., West Chester, Penna.
• DOE Contract Number: AT(30-1)-1836
• NSA Number: NSA-12-008303
• OSTI ID: 4324518
• Report Number(s): NYO-7928
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-58
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CHEMISTRY
AEROSOLS
ALCOHOLS
ALUMINUM OXIDES
CESIUM
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION
COMPACTING
CONCENTRATION
CONTROL
DECOMPOSITION
DECONTAMINATION
EFFICIENCY
ENERGY
EROSION
EVAPORATION
FREQUENCY
FUEL ELEMENTS
GAS FLOW
GLYCERIN
GRAIN SIZE
HEAT TREATMENTS
INSTRUMENTS
IRON
LEACHING
LIQUIDS
MERCURY
MIXING
NITRIC ACID
OPERATION
OXALIC ACID
PARTICLES
PERFORMANCE
PHOTOMETRY
POTASSIUM CHLORIDES
POWDER METALLURGY
POWDERS
PRECIPITATION
QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS
QUANTITY RATIO
RADIOACTIVITY
REPROCESSING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLIDS
SOLUTIONS
STEELS
SUSPENSIONS
TEMPERATURE
TESTING
THORIUM
THORIUM COMPOUNDS
THORIUM NITRATES