CHEMICAL PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORT, APRIL-JUNE 1963

Technical Report · Wed Jan 15 00:00:00 EST 1964

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4103714· OSTI ID:4103714

Bower, J.R. ed.

ICPP processing operations included dissolution and first cycle extraction of all available ETR, MTR, LITR, WTR, and GETR fuel elements; rates averaged 90% of capacity, and decontamination factors were normal. Processing capacity of the plant for Brookhaven Graphite Research Reactor (BGRR) fuel was limited due to the element shape and low uranium loading. A facility capable of flattening these elements to 1/3 of the original bulk, without an excessive release of fission products to the basin, was designed and tested successfully. Favorable laboratory results were obtained in processing OMRE fuel without prior removal of the coating of degraded organic coolant. Zirconium fuel processing studies demonstrated a significantly higher dissolution rate for the uranium of irradiated PWR-type fuel than for the cladding, indicating that accumulation of undissolved uranium in the dissolver would be unlikely during plant operation. Boiling O.1 M chromic acid was effective in removing solids containing uranium fluoride generated adjacent to reagent nozzles in a Monel zirconium-process dissolver. Dibutyl phosphate, a TBP degradation product encountered in uranium extraction processes, was removed from first cycle product by adsorption on hydrated zirconia under a variety of laboratory and pilot plant conditions; the loaded zirconia bed was regenerated with sodium hydroxide without adverse effects on continued use. A dibutyl phosphate complex, STAUO/sub 2/(NO/sub 3/)(DBP). TBP!/sub x/, indicated by correlation of previously published data with newer ICPP process data, offers the possibility of describing the distribution of uranium and DBP species during the back extraction operation. Electrolytic dissolver anode current densities of 3.2 amps/ cm/sup 2/ were achieved in a pilot unit utilizing a dissolver solution of 6.5M nitric acid containing less than 20 g of dissolved stainless steel per liter; a current density of 2.1 of dissolved stainless steel. The main limitation in achieving higher current densities was believed to be anode polarization and the accompanying gassing; temperature and solution gap were important, principally as they influenced the gas evolution and confinement. Waste treatment studies, directed at adsorption of radioactive cerium and chromium from MTR pond wastes by natural earth materials, indicated that the presence of EDTA had little influence on the distribution coefficient of 1000 when the elements were present as cations. With chromium as a dichromate rather than as a cation, the nature of the adsorbent became significant; lignite maintained its efficiency, due to its combination of anion and cation exchange properties, while clay and clinoptilolite lost efficiency due to the lack of anion exchange properties. Extensive improvements in the aluminum nitrate freeze- melt apparatus for separation of fission products from first cycle aluminumprocess raffinates are discussed. The ICPP waste calcining facility is being readied for production operation with ICPP stored wastes. Results of laboratory and pilot plant studies on mercury retention, calcine particle growth, fines generation, and possible incorporation of calcine in solid matrices are summarized. Plant improvement studies reported include initial hot runs on a steam stripper for removal of plutonium from TBPAmsco; alpha activity was reduced from 10/sup 4/ counts/ minute to background. Cadmium-poisoned fuel storage racks were designed to give more efficient utilization of basin storage space through closer spacing of the stored elements. (auth)

• Research Organization: Phillips Petroleum Co. Atomic Energy Div., Idaho
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AT(10-1)-205
• NSA Number: NSA-18-012256
• OSTI ID: 4103714
• Report Number(s): IDO-14621
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-64
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CHEMISTRY
ACIDITY
ADSORPTION
ALPHA PARTICLES
ALUMINUM NITRATES
AMSCO
ANIONS
ANODES
BACKGROUND
BGRR
BOILING
BUTYL PHOSPHATES
CADMIUM
CATIONS
CERIUM COMPOUNDS
CERIUM ISOTOPES
CHELATES
CHROMIUM COMPOUNDS
CHROMIUM ISOTOPES
CHROMIUM OXIDES
CLAYS
CLINOPTILOLITE
COAL
COATING
COMBUSTION
COMPLEXES
COMPOUNDS
CONFIGURATION
CONTAMINATION
COPPER ALLOYS
CORROSION
CRYSTALLIZATION
CURRENTS
DECOMPOSITION
DECONTAMINATION
DISTRIBUTION
EDTA
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRIC CHARGES
ELECTROCHEMISTRY
ELECTROLYSIS
ELECTROLYTIC CELLS
ELEMENTS
ENRICHMENT
ETR
EXTRACTION COLUMNS
FISSION PRODUCTS
FUEL CANS
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUELS
FUSED SALTS
GASES