Alternate Fuel Cycle Technologies/Thorium Fuel Cycle Technology Programs. Quarterly report for period 1 April--30 June 1978

Technical Report · Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/709770· OSTI ID:709770

Vondra, B L

Voloxidation and dissolution studies: rotary-kiln heat-transfer tests are under way using a small rotary kiln along with the development of a mathematical model to determine kiln-heat-flux profiles necessary to maintain a desired temperature gradient. The erosion/corrosion test for evaluating materials of construction is operational. Fuel from a BWR (Big Rock Point) yielded more fine solid residue on dissolution than in previous tests with PWR fuel. Two additional parametric voloxidation tests with H.B. Robinson fuel compared air vs pure oxygen atmospheres at 550{sup 0}C; overall tritium release and subsequent fuel dissolution were equivalent. Thorium dissolution studies: the dissolution rate of thoria in fluoride-catalyzed 8 to 14 M HNO{sub 3} (100{sup 0}C) was max between 0.04 to 0.06 M HF; at higher fluoride concentrations, ThF{sub 4}.5H{sub 2}O precipitated. The rate of zircaloy dissolution continued to increase with increasing fluoride concentration. Stainless-steel-clad (Th,U)0{sub 2} fuel rods irradiated in the NRX reactor were sheared, voloxidized, and dissolved. {le}10% of the tritium was released during voloxidation in air at 600{sup 0}C. Carbon-14 removal from off-gas and fixation: carbon dioxide removal with Linde 13X molecular sieves to less than 100 ppB was experimentally verified using 300 ppM CO in air. Decontamination factors from 3000 to 7500 were obtained for CO{sub 2} removal in the gas-slurry stirred-tank reactor with CA(OH){sub 2}.or Ba(0H){sub 2}/sup .8H2O./. With Ba(OH){sub 2}.H{sub 2}0{sup 2} in a fixed-bed column, decontamination factors of about 30,000 were obtained.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 709770
• Report Number(s): ORNL/TM-6429
• Resource Relation: Other Information: PBD: Aug 1978
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05
VOLOXIDATION PROCESS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
THORIUM OXIDES
DISSOLUTION
ZIRCALOY 4
FUEL CYCLE
CARBON DIOXIDE
REMOVAL
CARBON 14
KRYPTON 85
THORIUM
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
URANIUM
NITRIC ACID
HYDROFLUORIC ACID
OFF-GAS SYSTEMS
AIR
CALCIUM HYDROXIDES
BARIUM HYDROXIDES
ADSORPTION
RUTHENIUM
EXTRACTION APPARATUSES
TBP
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS