Resin-based preparation of HTGR fuels: operation of an engineering-scale uranium loading system

Technical Report · Sat Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1977

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7293442· OSTI ID:7293442

Haas, P A

The fuel particles for recycle of /sup 233/U to High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors are prepared from uranium-loaded carboxylic acid ion exchange resins which are subsequently carbonized, converted, and refabricated. The development and operation of individual items of equipment and of an integrated system are described for the resin-loading part of the process. This engineering-scale system was full scale with respect to a hot demonstration facility, but was operated with natural uranium. The feed uranium, which consisted of uranyl nitrate solution containing excess nitric acid, was loaded by exchange with resin in the hydrogen form. In order to obtain high loadings, the uranyl nitrate must be acid deficient; therefore, nitric acid was extracted by a liquid organic amine which was regenerated to discharge a NaNO/sub 3/ or NH/sub 4/NO/sub 3/ solution waste. Water was removed from the uranyl nitrate solution by an evaporator that yielded condensate containing less than 0.5 ppM of uranium. The uranium-loaded resin was washed with condensate and dried to a controlled water content via microwave heating. The loading process was controlled via in-line measurements of the pH and density of the uranyl nitrate. The demonstrated capacity was 1 kg of uranium per hour for either batch loading contractors or a continuous column as the resin loading contractor. Fifty-four batch loading runs were made without a single failure of the process outlined in the chemical flowsheet or any evidence of inability to control the conditions dictated by the flowsheet.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., Tenn. (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 7293442
• Report Number(s): ORNL-5300
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050700* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Fuels Production & Properties
050800 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Spent Fuels Reprocessing
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHEMICAL PREPARATION
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
EXTRACTION
FUEL PARTICLES
GAS COOLED REACTORS
GRAPHITE MODERATED REACTORS
HEAVY NUCLEI
HTGR TYPE REACTORS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
ION EXCHANGE
ION EXCHANGE MATERIALS
ISOTOPES
NITRATES
NITRIC ACID
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROCHEMICALS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
POLYMERS
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTORS
RESINS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
SYNTHESIS
URANIUM 233
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM ISOTOPES
URANYL COMPOUNDS
URANYL NITRATES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES