Impact of the propylene glycol-water-borax coolant on material recovery operations
The reaction of the propylene glycol-water-borax coolant with nitric acid has now been studied in some detail. This document is intended to provide a summary of the results. Findings are summarized under nine headings. Tests have also been conducted to determine if the new coolant would have any adverse effects on the uranium recycle systems. Experiments were scientifically designed after observation of the production operations so that accurate response to the immediate production concerns could be provided. Conclusions from these studies are: formation of glycol nitrates is very improbable; the reaction of concentrated (70%) nitric acid with pure propylene glycol is very violent and hazardous; dilution of the nitric acid-glycol mixture causes a drastic decrease in the rate and intensity of the reaction; the mechanism of the nitric acid propylene glycol reaction is autocatalytic in nitrous acid; no reaction is observed between coolant and 30% nitric acid unless the solution is heated; the coolant reacts fairly vigorously with 55% nitric acid after a concentration-dependent induction time; experiments showed that the dissolution of uranium chips that had been soaked in coolant proceeded at about the same rate as if the chips had not previously contacted glycol; thermodynamic calculations show that the enthalpy change (heat liberated) by the reaction of nitric acid (30%) with propylene glycol is smaller than if the same amount of nitric acid reacted with uranium. Each of these conclusions is briefly discussed. The effect of new coolant on uranium recycle operations is then briefly discussed.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant (Y-12), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Union Carbide Corp., Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Y-12 Plant
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400; W-7405-ENG-26
- OSTI ID:
- 10186139
- Report Number(s):
- Y/DZ-73; ON: DE95000614; TRN: AHC29424%%32
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: May 1983
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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PROCESS DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY REPORT. PART I. LABORATORY WORK
Development of a cleaning process for uranium chips machined with a glycol-water-borax coolant
Related Subjects
SCRAP METALS
MATERIALS RECOVERY
DISSOLUTION
HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM
GLYCOLS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
NITRIC ACID
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
MACHINING
COOLANTS
CHEMICAL EXPLOSIONS
DILUTION
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
CONCENTRATION RATIO
REACTION HEAT
450200
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS AND EXPLOSIVES