Savannah River Plant thorium processing experience
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), Vol. 43:1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY DIVISION, CHEMICAL DEVELOPMENT SECTION B MONTHLY PROGRESS REPORT, JUNE-JULY 1960
CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY DIVISION, CHEMICAL DEVELOPMENT SECTION B MONTHLY PROGRESS REPORT, MARCH 1960
Related Subjects
THORIUM OXIDES
REPROCESSING
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
TBP
THOREX PROCESS
THORIUM CYCLE
URANIUM 233
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
SEPARATION PROCESSES
THORIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM ISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
050800* - Nuclear Fuels- Spent Fuels Reprocessing