A FUSED SALT-FLUORIDE VOLATILITY PROCESS FOR RECOVERY AND DECONTAMINATION OF URANIUM.

A FUSED SALT-FLUORIDE VOLATILITY PROCESS FOR RECOVERY AND DECONTAMINATION OF URANIUM.
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 1955
Genre:
ISBN:

A preliminary chemical flowsheet is presented of a fluoride volatility process for recovering and decontaminating U from heterogeneous reactor fuels after dissolution in a fused salt. In laboratory work, a gross BETA decontamination factor of>10/sup 4/ was obtained in the fluorination of a UF/sub 4/-- NaF-- Zr F/sub 4/ melt by passing the product UF/sub 6/ through NaF at 650 deg C. The solubility of UF/sub 6/ in molten NaF--ZrF/sub 4/ was shown in kinetic studies to cause a lag in the evolution of UF/sub 6/ from the fluorinator. Corrosion of nickel in the fluorination step appeared to be 2 to 4 mils/hr during the time that U was present. The average corrosion rate over the process as a whole yvas less than 0.4 mil/hr. (auth).

Spray Fluorination of Fused Salt as a Uranium Recovery Process

Spray Fluorination of Fused Salt as a Uranium Recovery Process
Author: J. D. Gabor
Publisher:
Total Pages: 39
Release: 1960
Genre: Feasibility studies
ISBN:

Spray fluorination may be used to recover uranium as the volatile hexafluoride from molten fluorides by spraying the salt into a fluorine atmosphere. This drop-wise liquid fused-salt fluoride volatility process applied to zirconium-matrix fuels, with the possible advantage of avoiding corrosive conditions involved in sparging. Experimental equipment was developed and tests were made for heat and mass transfer. From the data obtained, process design calculations indicated that a satisfactory equipment design is possible.

Recovery of Uranium from Highly Irradiated Reactor Fuel by a Fused Salt--fluoride Volatility Process

Recovery of Uranium from Highly Irradiated Reactor Fuel by a Fused Salt--fluoride Volatility Process
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 1958
Genre:
ISBN:

Volatility processing is a promising new nonaqueous method for recovering uranium from heterogeneous reactor fuels containing zirconium and from molten fluoride fuels. it is potentially applicable to other types of reactor fuels not amenable to aqueous dissolution and subsequent solvent extraction processing. Amond the attractive features of the fused salt-fluoride volatility process are the small volume of the fission product waste, which is in solid form; the form of product, UF6; and virtual elimination of the need for criticality control. the main disadvantages are the high temperatures used and the high equipment corrosion. The paper discusses the processes under development.