SUMMARY TECHNICAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD OCTOBER 1, 1959 TO DECEMBER 31, 1959

Technical Report · Fri Jan 22 00:00:00 EST 1960

OSTI ID:4827866

Simmons, J.W. ed.

Feed material evaluations are carried out for l2 uranium concentrates. A pilot-plant investigation is reported of a low-acid metal-nftrate flowsheet, in which it f s found that calcfned uranyl ammonium phosphate (UAP) cannot be used as a feed material, but that Th contamination and CaSO4 scalfng can be controlled. Uranyl nitrate solutions are evaporated in the presence of NH/sub 4/OH in order to find the amount of NH/sub 4/ necessary to cause uranic acid precipitation. Laboratory tests show that Nb, Ru, Sb, Ta, Ti, or W present in uranfum concentrate feed is apparentiy completely removed from the UO/sub 3/ and UF/sub 4/ produced from that feed. Mo concentrations of 1% and V concentrations 0.175% are shown to be tolerable in the feed, because both can be removed to less than l ppm in the final uranyl nitrate product. The condition of''in-use'' TBP-kerosene solvents, as to U retention, coalescence time, and degradation product content, is shown to influence plant efficfency. The purity of the extraction system product is improved by the installation of a coalescer-de-entrainer in the''cold'' side of the refinery, between the primary extraction columns and the scrub column. A plant-scale test of a continuous pot-denitratfon process is reported. The effects of precipitation temperature and pH, as well as uranyl nitrate and NH/sub 4/OH concentrations, on the product characteristics in the precipitation of ADU from uranyl nitrate -ammonium hydroxide solutions are studied. The effects of the physical properties of Mg used in the bomb reduction of UF/sub 4/ to U are studied, including the effects on the yield, slag-metal separation, and preheat time. A valve is developed for the charging of Mg-UF/sub 4/ briquettes into heated graphite reactors. Reactor-grade ingots can be made from U produced by this process. The U and slag removal in the thermal shockfng of U derbies is studied. The removal of Mg and HF from MgF/sub 2/ slag, by removing the Mg by a CaC/sub 2/ -MgF/sub 2/ process and subsequent HF recovery from the residue, is found to be uneconomical. Tool lifetimes in fhe machining of as-cast and beta heat treated U are compared. Suggestions for lengthening tool lifetimes are presented. The effects of stringers on the surface defects of unclad U fuel elements are shown. An assembly is described that is used fn the examination of grain structure of U metal at elevated temperatures. A salt- heating oil-quenching cycle for U slug blanks is investigated. Cu and Sn are determined in bronze samples by electrodeposition at controlled cathode potentials. Sulfate is determined in U materials by automatic photometrfc titration. (T.F.H.)

• Research Organization: National Lead Co. of Ohio, Cincinnati
• DOE Contract Number: AT(30-1)-1156
• NSA Number: NSA-16-004208
• OSTI ID: 4827866
• Report Number(s): NLCO-800
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-62
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CHEMISTRY
ACIDITY
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
ANTIMONY
BEARINGS
BOMB REDUCTION
BUTYL PHOSPHATES
CALCIUM CARBIDES
CALCIUM SULFATES
CASTING
COMPACTING
CONTAMINATION
CONTROL
DECOMPOSITION
DEFECTS
DENITRATION
ECONOMICS
EFFICIENCY
EXTRACTION COLUMNS
FUEL ELEMENTS
GRAIN BOUNDARIES
GRAIN SIZE
GRAPHITE MODERATOR
HEAT TREATMENTS
HEATING
HIGH TEMPERATURE
HYDROFLUORIC ACID
HYDROXIDES
IMPURITIES
KEROSENE
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
LATTICES
MACHINING
MAGNESIUM
MAGNESIUM FLUORIDES
MOLYBDENUM
NIOBIUM
OILS
PETROLEUM
PHOSPHATES
PRECIPITATION
PRODUCTION
RECOVERY
REDUCTION
REPROCESSING
RESIDUES
RODS
RUTHENIUM
SALTS
SCALING
SEPARATION PRO