Evaluation of recycle pathways for out-of-specification uranium microspheres from the internal gelation process
Abstract
During the production of uranium oxide microspheres with carbon using internal gelation, a small fraction of microspheres will not meet the required size or sphericity specification. The uranium microspheres with carbon can be rejected after they have been air-dried or converted into uranium carbide and uranium oxide (UCO) kernels. The next step for the rejected spheres was an air oxidation for carbon removal. The air-dried spheres became triuranium octoxide (U3O8) spheres, which were sometimes ground into powder. The UCO kernels became U3O8 powder during the air oxidation. The next recycle step was nitric acid dissolution of the U3O8 spheres or powders to produce acid-deficient uranyl nitrate (ADUN) solutions, which were used to make new uranium oxide microspheres with carbon and subsequently UCO kernels. Finaly, the kinetics of the acid dissolution process were compared, and the impurity levels in the different ADUN solutions were determined. X-ray diffraction results for the UCO kernels from the initial and recycled ADUN solutions indicate that changes in the impurity levels can impact the uranium carbide to uranium dicarbide ratio in the UCO kernels.
- Authors:
-
[1];
[1];
[1];
[1];
[2];
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- {Tammy} J. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- X-energy LLC, Greenbelt, MD (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1607297
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1545919
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC05-00OR22725
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Annals of Nuclear Energy (Oxford)
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: Annals of Nuclear Energy (Oxford); Journal Volume: 134; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0306-4549
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; uranium carbide and oxide kernels; carbon black; internal gelation
Citation Formats
Hunt, Rodney Dale, Mcmurray, Jake W., Johnson, Jared A., Hunn, John D., Haverlock, Tamara, Reif, Tyler J., and Brown, Daniel R. Evaluation of recycle pathways for out-of-specification uranium microspheres from the internal gelation process. United States: N. p., 2019.
Web. doi:10.1016/j.anucene.2019.06.004.
Hunt, Rodney Dale, Mcmurray, Jake W., Johnson, Jared A., Hunn, John D., Haverlock, Tamara, Reif, Tyler J., & Brown, Daniel R. Evaluation of recycle pathways for out-of-specification uranium microspheres from the internal gelation process. United States. doi:10.1016/j.anucene.2019.06.004.
Hunt, Rodney Dale, Mcmurray, Jake W., Johnson, Jared A., Hunn, John D., Haverlock, Tamara, Reif, Tyler J., and Brown, Daniel R. Mon .
"Evaluation of recycle pathways for out-of-specification uranium microspheres from the internal gelation process". United States. doi:10.1016/j.anucene.2019.06.004. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1607297.
@article{osti_1607297,
title = {Evaluation of recycle pathways for out-of-specification uranium microspheres from the internal gelation process},
author = {Hunt, Rodney Dale and Mcmurray, Jake W. and Johnson, Jared A. and Hunn, John D. and Haverlock, Tamara and Reif, Tyler J. and Brown, Daniel R.},
abstractNote = {During the production of uranium oxide microspheres with carbon using internal gelation, a small fraction of microspheres will not meet the required size or sphericity specification. The uranium microspheres with carbon can be rejected after they have been air-dried or converted into uranium carbide and uranium oxide (UCO) kernels. The next step for the rejected spheres was an air oxidation for carbon removal. The air-dried spheres became triuranium octoxide (U3O8) spheres, which were sometimes ground into powder. The UCO kernels became U3O8 powder during the air oxidation. The next recycle step was nitric acid dissolution of the U3O8 spheres or powders to produce acid-deficient uranyl nitrate (ADUN) solutions, which were used to make new uranium oxide microspheres with carbon and subsequently UCO kernels. Finaly, the kinetics of the acid dissolution process were compared, and the impurity levels in the different ADUN solutions were determined. X-ray diffraction results for the UCO kernels from the initial and recycled ADUN solutions indicate that changes in the impurity levels can impact the uranium carbide to uranium dicarbide ratio in the UCO kernels.},
doi = {10.1016/j.anucene.2019.06.004},
journal = {Annals of Nuclear Energy (Oxford)},
number = C,
volume = 134,
place = {United States},
year = {2019},
month = {6}
}
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