CRITICALLY SAFE EQUIPMENT FOR AQUEOUS SEPARATIONS PROCESSES

Technical Report · Fri Oct 31 00:00:00 EST 1958

OSTI ID:4328408

Colven, T J

The operating characteristics of critically-safe''slab'' mixer-settlers and continuous solvent washers are described. The effectiveness of some experimental units of each type was evaluated for a number of tributyl - phosphate-kerosene and uranyl nitrate-nitric acidaluminum nitrate systems. The units described are prototypes of equipment that could be used in a full scale he mixer-settlers are of the ''pump-mix'' type and are shaped in the form of slabs, three inches high. When positioned in an operating area so that the large faces of the slab are at least six feet away from solid reflectors, the slabs are critically safe for concentrations of fissionable materials as high as 400 grams per liter of solution. The critically-safe solvent washers are cylinders, 7 inches in diameter and 12 feet hdgh. A continuous washer was evaluated with 6 and 30% tributyl phosphate in kerosene solutions. The effect of mixing speed, recirculation rate, cylinder height, and solution properties on the entrainment of a sodium carbonate wash in the solvent was determined at processing rates up to 0.5 gpm. A unitized equipment layout in which continuous washers are coupled directly to two mixer-settlers in such a way as to provide a closed solvent circuit is presented to illustrate a practical solvent extraction cycle with a minimum of equipment and solvent inventory. (auth)

• Research Organization: Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) & Co. Savannah River Lab., Augusta, Ga.
• NSA Number: NSA-12-014685
• OSTI ID: 4328408
• Report Number(s): A/CONF.15/P/518
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Prepared for the Second U.N. International Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy, 1958. Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-58
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CHEMISTRY
ALUMINUM
ALUMINUM NITRATES
BUTYL PHOSPHATES
CONCENTRATION
CONFIGURATION
CRITICALITY
CYLINDERS
EXTRACTION COLUMNS
FISSIONABLE MATERIALS
HYDROCARBONS
KEROSENE
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
LIQUID FLOW
MIXER-SETTLERS
MIXING
NITRIC ACID
OPERATION
PERFORMANCE
PETROLEUM
PLATES
PRECIPITATION
PUMPS
QUANTITY RATIO
REFLECTORS
SAFETY
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SODIUM CARBONATES
SOLIDS
SOLUTIONS
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
SOLVENTS
TESTING
URANYL NITRATES
VELOCITY
WATER