skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Studies on the reaction of nitric acid and sugar

Journal Article · · Nucl. Technol.; (United States)
OSTI ID:5968781

The design of vessels and off-gas systems for denitrating acidic radioactive process solutions by reacting nitric acid with sugar requires a fairly accurate determination of the rate of the controlling step. Therefore, the reaction of sugar with concentrated nitric acid was closely examined at temperatures of 100 and 110/sup 0/C and in the presence of low levels of iron )0 to 0.2 M Fe(III)). Efficiencies of the sugar destruction by nitric acid ranged from 2.56 to 2.93 mol of acid consumed per mole of carbon added. Product off-gases were examined throughout the reaction. Release of CO was fairly constant throughout the reaction, but amounts of CO/sub 2/ increased as the nitric acid began to attack the terminal carboxylic acids produced from the consumption of sucrose. Voluminous quantities of NO/sub 2/ were released at the beginning of the reaction, but larger relative concentrations of NO were observed toward the end.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Analytical Chemistry Division, P.O. Box X, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830
OSTI ID:
5968781
Journal Information:
Nucl. Technol.; (United States), Vol. 58:1
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English