LABORATORY DEVELOPMENT OF THE ACID THOREX PROCESS FOR RECOVERY OF CONSOLIDATED EDISON THORIUM REACTOR FUEL

Technical Report · Fri May 11 04:00:00 EDT 1962

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4822557· OSTI ID:4822557

Rainey, R. H.; Moore, J. G.

The id Thorex process, in which nitric acid is the salting'' agent in the solvent extraction of Th and U from an acid eficient feed with TBP in Amsco, was demonstrated in laboratory equipment for the recovery of synthetic Co solidated Edison Thorium Reactor fuel containing trace fission products. The acid was removed from solution of the declad fuel pellets to produce an acid deficient feed by steam stripping, and the adjusted feed was treated with bisulfite to decrease the extractability of fission products. The Th and U were extracted with 30% TBP in Amsco, and pregnant organic was scrubbed with dilute nitric acid to improve decontamination. Additional acid was added to the extraction section to increase the distribution oefficient of the Th, The Th and U could then be stripped ther simultaneously or separately. No difficulties were ound with either excessive reflux of acid or <0.3%. The co centrated aqueous waste was about 0.2 liter per kilog am of Th processed, about 1/10 of that from the aluminum n trate-salted process. Engineering studies showed that the stage height in the extraction column with the acid Thorex process was 2.1 ft compared with 4 ft with the aluminum-salted Thorex process. (auth)

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., Tenn.
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• NSA Number: NSA-16-017762
• OSTI ID: 4822557
• Report Number(s): ORNL-3155
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ACIDITY
ACIDS
ALUMINUM NITRATES
AMSCO
BUTYL PHOSPHATES
CETR
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
COATING
DECONTAMINATION
DISTRIBUTION
ENRICHMENT
EXTRACTION COLUMNS
FISSION PRODUCTS
FUEL CANS
FUELS
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
LEVELS
LOSSES
NIOBIUM
NITRIC ACID
PELLETS
PLANNING
PROTACTINIUM
RADIOCHEMISTRY
RARE EARTHS
REACTORS
RECOVERY
REPROCESSING
RUTHENIUM
SALTING-OUT AGENTS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLUTIONS
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
STEAM
SULFITES
TBP
TESTING
THOREX PROCESS
THORIUM COMPOUNDS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
VOLUME
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTE SOLUTIONS
WATER
ZIRCONIUM