Experimental facilities for pyrochemical development at the Savannah River Site
The Savannah River Site is installing a multifunctional Pyrochemical Development Laboratory (PDL) to pursue new technology for plutonium recovery. Many future plutonium scrap feed stocks cannot be efficiently processed in SRS facilities using aqueous flow sheets and existing equipment due to poor dissolution behavior or corrosive constituents. Pyrochemical treatment processes will be developed to convert these scraps into viable feedstocks for SRS processing. A technology data base will also be developed for pyrochemical process commonly used to recover plutonium from retired weapon components. The intent of all development programs is to integrate pyrochemical technology with the existing aqueous capabilities at SRS in way that maximizes plutonium recovery, minimize waste generation, and provides an essential contingency capacity for plutonium processing. Five gloveboxes will be provided in the PDL. A stationary, resistance heated furnace will be located in each of two boxes. These furnaces will provide the PDL with the capability to develop flow sheets involving most pyrochemical operations. A third glovebox in the laboratory will be used for plutonium hydriding. Nondestructive analysis (NDA) instrumentation will be installed in a fourth. The furnace, hydriding, and NDA gloveboxes will be provided with high quality argon atmospheres. In order to maintain the purity, the fifth glovebox will serve the primary entrance, exit, and staging area for the glovebox line.
- Research Organization:
- Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-89SR18035
- OSTI ID:
- 6075933
- Report Number(s):
- WSRC-RP-89-87; CONF-8905122-5-Vugraphs; ON: DE89013552
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ACTINIDES
DESIGN
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FURNACES
GLOVEBOXES
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
METALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
PLUTONIUM
PYROCHEMICAL REPROCESSING
REPROCESSING
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS