CATALYTIC HYDROCRACKING OF HIGH BOILER IN NUCLEAR REACTOR COOLANT

Technical Report · Mon May 20 00:00:00 EDT 1963

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4686554· OSTI ID:4686554

Gardner, L. E.

Selective hydrocracking of total coolant was found to be an efficient and economic method for reconstitution of high boiler in the coolant to usable product. Such a process could eliminate the expense of vacuum distillation and disposal of high boilers produced in a nuclear reactor power plant. The selective conversion was possible since polyphenyls were found to be more susceptible towards hydrocracking as the phenyl chain length increased. Both cobalt molybdate on alumina and nickel oxide on alumina (50 to 80 square meters per gram) were found to be efficient catalysts at conditions of 900 deg F and 1000 psig with the latter giving more selective conversion to terphenyls. Continuous flow hydrocracking tests on OMRE Core II cool ant (containing 23% high boiler) resulted in 90 to 100% conversion of high boiler at product recoveries of 85 to 95 wt%. Average molecular weights of the products (biphenyl and heavier) were in the range 205 to 225 compared to 270 for Core II coolant. High boiler in Core III-A coolant which contained mainly first-generation polymers (hexaphenyls) was slightly more refractory toward hydrocracking than Core II high boiler, and conversion decreased slightly with increasing on-stream time. However, at optimum condition for processing coolant, coke formation on the catalyst for Core III-A coolant was about one-third that for Core II coolant. Products from hydrocracked OMRE coolant samples were found to be stable to electron irradiation at 650 deg F and dosages on the order of 10/sup 9/ to 10/sup 10/ rads, and pyrolysis threshold temperatures were between 750 and 825 deg F in 48hour tests. A proposal was outlined for utilization of the process in the Coolant Technology Loop at the EOCR at the National Reactor Testing Station. A conservative cost estimate was made for a 1000-megawatt-per-day (thermal) reactor producing 25,000 pounds per day of high boiler (minimum value). Total manufacturing cost was 7 cents per pound compared to the present cost of fresh terphenyl coolant (Santowax OMP) of 17 cents per pound. On the assumption that the cost of fresh coolant would ultimateiy be reduced to 10 cents per pound, a payout for the estimate was 3.7 years. (auth)

• Research Organization: Phillips Petroleum Co. Research and Development Dept., Bartlesville, Okla.
• NSA Number: NSA-17-028435
• OSTI ID: 4686554
• Report Number(s): IDO-16877
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ALUMINUM
CATALYSIS
COBALT OXIDES
DISTILLATION
ECONOMICS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRON BEAMS
FABRICATION
FLUID FLOW
HYDROLYSIS
IRRADIATION
MASS
MOLECULES
MOLYBDENUM OXIDES
NICKEL OXIDES
OMRE
ORGANIC COOLANT
POLYMERS
POLYPHENYLS
PRESSURE
PYROLYSIS
RADIATION DOSES
REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
REACTORS
RESIDUES
SANTOWAX
STABILITY
TEMPERATURE
TESTING
VACUUM