Americium/Curium Melter 2A Pilot Tests

Conference · Fri May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1998

OSTI ID:624802

Smith, M E ^[1]; Fellinger, A P; Jones, T M; Miller, C B; Miller, D H; Snyder, T K; Stone, M E; Witt, D C

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1. Westinghouse Savannah River Company, AIKEN, SC (United States)

Isotopes of americium (Am) and curium (Cm) were produced in the past at the Savannah River Site (SRS) for research, medical, and radiological applications. These highly radioactive and valuable isotopes have been stored in an SRS reprocessing facility for a number of years. Vitrification of this solution will allow the material to be more safely stored until it is transported to the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation for use in research and medical applications. To this end, the Am/Cm Melter 2A pilot system, a full-scale non- radioactive pilot plant of the system to be installed at the reprocessing facility, was designed, constructed and tested. The full- scale pilot system has a frit and aqueous feed delivery system, a dual zone bushing melter, and an off-gas treatment system. The main items which were tested included the dual zone bushing melter, the drain tube with dual heating and cooling zones, glass compositions, and the off-gas system which used for the first time a film cooler/lower melter plenum. Most of the process and equipment were proven to function properly, but several problems were found which will need further work. A system description and a discussion of test results will be given.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-96SR18500
• OSTI ID: 624802
• Report Number(s): WSRC-MS--97-00819; CONF-980521--; ON: DE98052548
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

40 CHEMISTRY
AMERICIUM
CURIUM
GLASS
PILOT PLANTS
RADIOISOTOPES
STORAGE
VITRIFICATION