CHEMICAL DECLADDING OF STAINLESS STEEL FUEL ELEMENTS IN A STAINLESS STEEL DISSOLVER. Progress Report No. 1

Technical Report · Sun Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1962

OSTI ID:4779066

Katz, H M

A process was developed for the chemical decladding of stainless steel clad-oxide fuel elements in a stainless steel dissolver vessel, which is equipped with a Ni-o-nel basket to prevent contact between the dissolving fuel elements and the vessel walls. The decladding solution is 6-7 M H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ containing 0.04--0.08 M HNO/sub 3/. The nitrate concentration is sufficient to keep the vessel walls passivated, while permitting the dissolution of the fuel rods to be initiated by contacting with mild steel or Nicrobraz 10. The nitrate concentration is maintained by use of a downdraft conthe nitric oxide resulting from reduction of nitrate in the presence of dissolving stainless steel is oxidized to NO/sub 2/, which is absorbed in the condensate and continuously returned to the solution. Since the presence of nitrate ion increases core losses to the decladding solution, sulfamic acid may be used as an inhibitor. Addition of 0.03 M sulfamic acid to the decladding solution reduces core losses to acceptable values. (auth)

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, N.Y.
• DOE Contract Number: AT(30-2)-GEN-16
• NSA Number: NSA-16-029032
• OSTI ID: 4779066
• Report Number(s): BNL-749
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ADSORPTION
AMIDES
CARBON STEELS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
COATING
CONDENSERS
COPPER ALLOYS
CORROSION PROTECTION
FUEL CANS
FUEL ELEMENTS
INHIBITION
IONS
LOSSES
MACHINING
MOLYBDENUM ALLOYS
NICKEL ALLOYS
NITRATES
NITRIC ACID
NITROGEN OXIDES
OXIDATION
OXIDES
OXYGEN
PASSIVATION
QUANTITY RATIO
REDUCTION
RODS
SOLUBILITY
SOLUTIONS
STABILITY
STAINLESS STEELS
STEELS
SULFONIC ACIDS
SULFURIC ACID
SURFACES
TITANIUM ALLOYS
VESSELS