Drying of ion-exchange resins for resin-based preparation of nuclear reactor fuels

Conference · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1976

OSTI ID:7337484

Drago, J P; Haas, P A; Million, D L

The reference fuel kernel for recycle of /sup 233/U to HTGRs (High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors) is prepared by loading carboxylic acid cation-exchange resins with uranium and carbonizing at controlled conditions. The loaded, dried resin must meet specifications for sphericity, composition, and other properties. Microwave heating is used to give controlled and reproducible drying of 11-liter batches of uranium-loaded (4 kg of uranium) resin in a vessel of safe dimensions for nuclear criticality (12.7 cm ID). The dried resin must have a water content of 9 to 16 wt percent to minimize handling problems. The microwave heating evaporates water throughout the resin bed, with preferential heating of the wettest resin, and allows short drying cycles. As part of the resin feed preparation before uranium loading, the sodium-form resin is dried to allow separation of spheres from irregularly shaped material. A commercial, packaged fluidized bed dryer gives acceptable control and uniformity of drying.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., Tenn. (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 7337484
• Report Number(s): CONF-760823-2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050700* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Fuels Production & Properties
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
400702 -- Radiochemistry & Nuclear Chemistry-- Properties of Radioactive Materials
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBONIZATION
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CATIONS
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHEMICAL PREPARATION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL PARTICLES
FUEL SPHERES
GAS COOLED REACTORS
GRAPHITE MODERATED REACTORS
HEATING
HEAVY NUCLEI
HTGR TYPE REACTORS
ION EXCHANGE MATERIALS
IONS
ISOTOPES
MICROWAVE RADIATION
NUCLEI
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
RADIATIONS
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
REPROCESSING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SYNTHESIS
URANIUM 233
URANIUM ISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES