Savannah River Plant thorium processing experience

Journal Article · Sun Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1979 · Nucl. Technol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6222284

Orth, D A

Some experience in /sup 233/U--Th processing is available from past operations at government sites and may be of interest to the current reevaluation of thorium fuel cycles. In five separate campaigns between 1964 and 1970, the Savannah River Plant processed approx. 240 tons (MT) of thorium, irradiated as aluminum-clad metal and oxide and recovered approx. 580 kg of total uranium. Satisfactory processing routes were devised for a solvent extraction plant that normally processes enriched uranium and previously was a Purex plant. In the initial campaigns, a dilute tributyl phosphate (TBP) flowsheet recovered only uranium, and thorium was sent to waste. In later campaigns, a modified Thorex solvent extraction flowsheet recovered both uranium and thorium. Satisfactory processing required specific attention to the slow dissolving rate of ThO/sub 2/, the presence of highly radioactive /sup 233/Pa, solvent extraction flowsheet constraints to avoid formation of two organic phases in the thorium--TBP systems, the ingrowth of gamma-emitting daughters of /sup 232/U, and /sup 233/U criticality.

• Research Organization: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co., Aiken, SC
• OSTI ID: 6222284
• Journal Information: Nucl. Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: Nucl. Technol.; (United States) Vol. 43:1; ISSN NUTYB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050800* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Spent Fuels Reprocessing
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BUTYL PHOSPHATES
CHALCOGENIDES
ESTERS
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
EXTRACTION
FUEL CYCLE
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOSPHORIC ACID ESTERS
RADIOISOTOPES
REPROCESSING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
TBP
THOREX PROCESS
THORIUM COMPOUNDS
THORIUM CYCLE
THORIUM OXIDES
URANIUM 233
URANIUM ISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES