Recent plutonium metal production experience at Hanford

Conference · Wed Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1989 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States)

OSTI ID:5492051

Gibson, M W; Nyman, D H ^[1]

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1. Westinghouse Hanford Company, Richland, WA (USA)

Plutonium metal is produced at the Hanford site in the remote mechanical C (RMC) line. The line is housed in the plutonium finishing plant (PFP). The PFP is operated by the Westinghouse Hanford Company for the U.S. Department of Energy. The RMC line was built in the early 1960s and operated until 1973 when it was shut down. The line was restarted in 1985 and has operated on a campaign basis since that time. The RMC line converts plutonium nitrate solution to plutonium metal in the classic precipitation/calcination/fluorination/reduction process. The operations are contained in glove boxes with a dry air atmosphere. Most of the process is remotely controlled from a central control room. Numerous process improvements were made in the line before initiating operations in 1985 and in 1988. These changes, in conjunction with improved conduct of operations, have resulted in improved yields.

• OSTI ID: 5492051
• Report Number(s): CONF-891103-; CODEN: TANSA
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States), Vol. 60; Conference: Winter meeting of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) and nuclear power and technology exhibit, San Francisco, CA (United States), 26-30 Nov 1989; ISSN 0003-018X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
42 ENGINEERING
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
HANFORD RESERVATION
SAFETY
PLUTONIUM
PRODUCTION
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
CALCINATION
CONTROL ROOMS
FABRICATION
FLUORINATION
GLOVEBOXES
HUMIDITY CONTROL
INSTALLATION
MAINTENANCE
METALS
OPERATION
OXALATES
PH VALUE
PLUTONIUM NITRATES
PRECIPITATION
PUREX PROCESS
REDUCTION
SHIELDING
SLURRIES
SPECIFICATIONS
TRAINING
US DOE
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDES
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONTROL
DECOMPOSITION
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
HALOGENATION
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
MIXTURES
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NITRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
PYROLYSIS
REPROCESSING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLUTIONS
SUSPENSIONS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
054000* - Nuclear Fuels- Health & Safety
050800 - Nuclear Fuels- Spent Fuels Reprocessing
420203 - Engineering- Handling Equipment & Procedures
990200 - Mathematics & Computers