Uranium Deposit Removal from the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant K-25 Building

Conference · Sat Nov 13 23:00:00 EST 1993 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society

OSTI ID:6846900

Ladd, L. D. ^[1]; Stinnett, Jr., E. C. ^[1]; Hale, J. R. ^[1]; Haire, M. J. ^[2]

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1. Martin Marietta Energy Systems Inc., Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
2. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

The Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant went into operation as the first plant to separate uranium by the gaseous diffusion process. It was built during World War II as part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Manhattan Project. Its war-time code name was K-25, which was also the name of the first uranium separation building constructed at the installation. The K-25 building was considered an engineering miracle at the time of its construction. Built in a U shape [approximately]1 mile long and 400 ft wide, it housed complex and unique separation equipment. Despite its size and complexity, it was made fully operational within <2 yr after construction began. The facility operated successfully for more than 20 yr until it was placed in a standby mode in 1964. It is now clear the K-25 gaseous diffusion plant will never again be used to enrich uranium. The U.S. Department of Energy, therefore, has initiated a decontamination and decommission program. This paper discusses various procedures and techniques for addressing critical mass, uranium deposits, and safeguards issues.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Martin Marietta Energy Systems Inc., Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• OSTI ID: 6846900
• Report Number(s): CONF-931160--
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society Vol. 69; ISSN 0003-018X; ISSN TANSAO
• Publisher: American Nuclear Society
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050500* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Uranium Enrichment
052000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Management
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
CLEANING
CONTAMINATION REGULATIONS
CRITICALITY
Critical Mass
DECOMMISSIONING
DECONTAMINATION
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DIFFUSION
DOSES
GASEOUS DIFFUSION
GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANTS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
ISOTOPE SEPARATION PLANTS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
OAK RIDGE
POLLUTION REGULATIONS
PROCESSING
Procedures and Techniques
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION PROTECTION
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REGULATIONS
REMEDIAL ACTION
SAFEGUARDS
STANDARDS
Safeguards Issues
TENNESSEE
URBAN AREAS
US NRC
US ORGANIZATIONS
USA
Uranium Deposits
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES