ANALYTICAL PROGRAM FOR PROCESSING ALUMINUM-URANIUM REACTOR FUEL ELEMENTS

Technical Report · Thu Aug 15 00:00:00 EDT 1957

OSTI ID:4354466

Shank, R C; Rein, J E

The function of the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant is to process fuel elements containing uranium enriched in the isotope 235 for recovery of the unfissioned U. A major throughput of the plant is the solid Al-U type element. The plant process is based on acid dissolution, then separation of the U from the Al cladding and fission products by liquid-liquid extraction. It is the purpose of this paper to describe the analytical program for this process. The high concentration of fission products, as much as several hundred roentgens of gamma radiation per hour per ml in certain of the samples, complicates the analytical scheme. A facility for remote analysis is required and the fission products, chemically complex and present in multioxidation states, interfere with many analytical methods. Methods are described for U, acidity, beta and gamma activity, and specific gravity in the dissolver solution; for small amounts of uranium in the extraction column raffinates; and for U in the final product. The extensive quality control program that is maintained is summarized. Typical reliability data are given for each of the described analytical methods. (auth)

• Research Organization: Phillips Petroleum Co. Atomic Energy Div., Idaho Falls, Idaho
• DOE Contract Number: AT(10-1)-205
• NSA Number: NSA-12-001292
• OSTI ID: 4354466
• Report Number(s): IDO-14412
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ACIDITY
ACIDS
ALUMINUM
BETA DECAY
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
COATING
ENRICHMENT
EXTRACTION COLUMNS
FISSION PRODUCTS
FUEL ELEMENTS
GAMMA RADIATION
LIQUIDS
OXIDATION
PRODUCTION
QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS
RADIATION DOSES
REMOTE CONTROL
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLIDS
SOLUBILITY
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
TRACE AMOUNTS
URANIUM
URANIUM 235
WEIGHT