APPLICATIONS OF ULTRASONIC ENERGY. Progress Report No. 7 Covering Period from December 1, 1957 to January 31, 1958

Technical Report · Sat Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1958

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4335537· OSTI ID:4335537

Ultrasonic precipitations of thorium oxalate, carried out by the addition of solid oxalic acid to thorium nitrate solution yielded smaller and mnore regularly shaped particles than did non-ultrasonic precipitations involving slow addition of oxalic acid solutions. The imnportance of digesting the precipitate and of thorough washing to remove excess reactants was emphasized. Preliminary experiments were undertaken in the reaction of solid thoriumn nitratc and oxalic acid with concomitant water addition and ultrasonic application. Studies were undertaken in the ultrasonic disintegration of composite fuel elements in mercury. Rapid erosion of Hastelloy C, stainless steel, mild steel, molybdenum, and graphite couplers indicate a problem in selection of an ultrasonic coupler material, although it may be possible to use a sacrificial coupler. Relatively short exposure resulted in extensive pitting and erosion of stainless steel sheet. The high erosion rates of the above materials indicate that such claddings may be effectively disrupted in mercury with applied ultrasonics. Ultrasonic leaching of cesium-bearing alumina waste with 0.01N nitric acid indicated a positive ultrasonic effect on rate of leaching in a continuous-flow or fixed-bed array. Undesirable breakup of the calcined waste pellets obtained under certain conditions suggests that non-cavitation leaching should be investigated. Investigation was initiated on ultrasonic application to the magnesium extraction of plutonium from uranium-chromium alloys. Preliminary studies in a room-temperature simulant system indicated high efficiency in emulsifying mercury in water and a substantially increased rate of extraction of copper from mercury with aqueous reagents. The possible use of a tantalum ultrasonic coupler will be investigated prior to tests with the actual system of interest. A theoretical evaluation and experimental program has been initiated on ultrasonic agglomeration of submicron radioactive particles in very dilute gas streams. A new approach, adding an aerosol of particles in the 2 to 10 mu size range of a suitable wetting agent and superimposing ultrasonic vibration, appears promising both theoretically and practically. The production of additive aerosol particles from a viscous non-evaporating sufractant liquid in this size range with the Aeroprojects atomization techniques has been demonstrated. (For preceding period see NYO-7926.) (auth)

• Research Organization: Aeroprojects, Inc., West Chester, Penna.
• NSA Number: NSA-12-006522
• OSTI ID: 4335537
• Report Number(s): NYO-7927
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

AEROSOLS
ALUMINUM
CESIUM
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
COATING
COPPER
DECOMPOSITION
EMULSIONS
FUEL ELEMENTS
GRAIN SIZE
GRAPHITE
HASTELLOY
IMPURITIES
LEACHING
LOW TEMPERATURE
MAGNESIUM
MERCURY
MOLYBDENUM
MOLYBDENUM ALLOYS
NICKEL ALLOYS
NITRIC ACID
OXALATES
OXALIC ACID
PARTICLES
PLUTONIUM
PRECIPITATION
QUANTITY RATIO
RADIOACTIVITY
REACTION KINETICS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLIDS
SOLUTIONS
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
STAINLESS STEELS
STEELS
TANTALUM
THORIUM COMPOUNDS
THORIUM NITRATES
ULTRASONICS
URANIUM ALLOYS
USES
WASTE PROCESSING
WATER