ML20028E624
| ML20028E624 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07000146 |
| Issue date: | 09/15/1957 |
| From: | SPENCER CHEMICAL CO. |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20028E609 | List: |
| References | |
| FOIA-82-562 NUDOCS 8301280055 | |
| Download: ML20028E624 (6) | |
Text
{{#Wiki_filter:L-li x ) O -O.xxu &.. gYW SPD'CER CHEMICAL COMPANY / / G r PROCESS DEVELOPMENT DEPARTIENT /- ~ APPLICATION FOR SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIAL LICENSE g september 15;1957 'bM oke .. Itg f ' di' fe- ['} ~ I l k + APPENDII I t a i O, a f,, 11 8301280055 821214 PDR FOIA sp BARNESB2-562 PDR ym, jo ] Q.
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.-___....y_._3_..._ ._..A...,~._.- V; Appendix I 4 4 i e E I 1 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS I Page No. 1 i A. PROCESS DESCRIFFION................................. 1. p' B. PLANT LAYOUT AND EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION.............. 2 i C. PREVENTION OF CRITICALITY.......................... b 3 i i 1 h, j ) i l. ? 1 l a I lO I f f 8 e I n 3 s 1 t i 8 a i i Y e e i G 3 i .-.s. I ~
O O ippendix 1 . A. PROCESS DESCRIPTION This process is designed to produce primarily UO2 from either UF6 or scrap. The steps in the process include uranium dissolution, extraction, filtration, ~ calcining, reducing, screening and grinding. Starting with UF, a cylinder is first weighed and then placed in a heating 6 chamber to liquefy the UF. The chamber is steam heated and the temperature is 6 controlled at 1600 F. A vacuum pump preceded by a cold trap and a chemical trap ii permits evacuation and leak testing of the UF6 P P ng. f r hydrolysis is prepared by filling a small vessel of safe de-A batch of UF6 sign. Nitrogen is used to force UF6 out of the UF6 cylinder into a metering vessel and then to force UF6 fr a this vessel into the hydrolyzer. to' the hydrolyzer, the hydrolyzer is first eila.; ged with Before transferring UF6. an aqueous solution of A1(NO )3 Acid may also be added,to adjust he acidity. 3 The product of the hydrolyzer is transferred to one of two rich acid storage i' tanks, again with nitrogen pressure. Starting with metallic scrap, a weighed quantity of the scrap is added to the., empty dissolver. Acid is then added. The dissolver is fitted with a aflui con-denser and with a jacket for heating and cooling the dissolver. After solution is developed, it is transferred to one of the rich acid storage tanks using nitrogen pressure. Rich acid is pumped to the countercurrent extractor column using metering pump. - An organic solvent is used as an extractant. Rich acid and solvent flow to the extractor. The rich organic phase overflows from the extractor column into an intermediate storage tank. From this t.ank the rich organic is pumped to the stripper column. Raffinate from the extractor O column exits through a jack leg to one of the two lean acid storage tanks. Here the lean acid is sampled and if the concentration of uranium is sufficieritly low, it is then pumped to the remote aqueous vaste tank or if the uranium concentra-tion is too high for this routing, it will be recycled to process. l Water is the solvent in the stripper column. The stripped organic phase over-flows to a system which continually cleans the solvent for reuse. The rich aqueous phase exits through a jack leg to the rich aqueous storage tank. Rich aqueous is pumped continuously to the pacipitator where ammonia is also added continuously. Slurry from the precipitator overflows to one of two fil-ters. The filters remove water to produce a calciner feed. l Out of this fumace the material flows into the reducing furnace where reduc-tion occurs. The reduced UO2 from the second furnace is transferred to a dry box with a ccnveyor. ~.. - - -.. An inert helium at$osphere is raintaidd in the dry box so that the UO2 can be screened and ground without oxidation.
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O h Appendix I - 2.- B. PIANT 1AYOUT AND EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION The building to house this facility is contained within the Jayhawk plant site. it is a two-level building with columns, furnaces, precipitator and filters in the two-story section. It is constructed of steel framework and covered by wooden siding. It contains four concrete cells originally built for conducting high pressure research work. ' Feed and product are stored in a vault in caged, safe containers. The flow of material is across a balance to the UF6 heating chamber. Thence the uranium compounds flow through pipes and vessels. Movement of materials, in other directions is hindered by chain guards. ~ Uranium scrap follows much the same path from the vault into the concrete cell containing the di'ssolver. Critically safe storage vessels are all located within another concrete cell. Concrete tranches, lined with an acid-resistant coating are under these vessels. Accidental discharge of contents of any one of these vessels will be contairied within trenches. The complete contents of more than 1 vessel would overflow into the cell. Similarly the columns, precipitator and filters are equipped with such ' trenches. f Various storage tanks for chemical feed solutions are on the north side. They are conveniently placed for the process and will contain no uranium. All feed to the aqueous recycle and remote aqueous waste tanks will have been analyzed and be at a low uranium level before storage. Q The second level of the building at 11 feet covers approximately one quar,ter _of the building. The floor consists of the tops of the concrete bays and access is obtainad by stairway and walkway. g
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O nicud1x1 O _ C. PfLWDITION OF CRITICALITI a Many features of the pmcess design are determined by the necessity of avoiding criticality. Criticality is the prime consideration in specifying ' shipping con-tainers and in spacing and locating processing equipment. Standard 5" Monel cylinders are used. for transporting enriched UF. A bird cage 6 keeps the cylinder upright and maintains a suitable axis to axis spacing between T ' cylinders. l Containers for finished pmduct of either UO2 r uranyl nitrate solution have' critically safe volures and are watertight. The density of UO2 packed, the vol- ,,J use of containers, the spacing of containers and'the number of containers packed I is such as to prevent forming' a critical mass. } A heating chanber allows nelting of UF6 while keeping the UF6 cylinder totally denclosed. The chamber is. sized to allow the entim contents of a UF6 cylinder /}' Q to spill on the bottom without exceeding a " limited-safe", cylinder. Interaction I between a portion spilled on the bottom and the remainder in the cylinder is~ prevented by spacing. ~ A dissolver with safe geometry allows dissolution of uranium feed material '. ) other than UF. It is located so as to be isolated from other uranium-containi. / 6 ,> ing vessels. The maximim' quantity of U-235 which may be added to the disso1'ver ~ is limited to a fully mater reflected " limited-safe" mass the same as the ship-ping container above. ion cpln=tULale_.within safemnetry through their own size and inter #- p-spacing. Ot.her equipment is separated for safe interaction. Auxiliary equipment) ' for the columns consists in small tubing and pipe so as to maintain safe geo-metry. 1 Two furnaces are located in the same plane and spaced no less than 3-3/28 The_.y first furnace has a suitable ID so that when under no condition will the density !,' ,I of the uranium in this furnace exceed 3.2 grams of uranium-235 per cc, /2" th'e fur-nace is of "always-safe" geometry. The second furnace has an ID of 6-1 d p maxirum depth of material in this furnace for effective operation is 1" which j: corresponds to about 12% of the cross-sectional area of the tube. Under no cirDf,' cumstances will it be possible for material to occupy more than 25% of the cross-sectional area of the tube. At 25% the area is equal to that of a 3-1/h" ID tube. The pmcipitator and filters are on top of the storage vessel cell which has a d g( l'3" concrete slab as a roof. The concrete effcetively isolates the precipitator and. filter from other equipment. Both the precipitator and filter vessels are~ The precipitator is directly above one filter and the other 'f " critically safe". filter is 28 away. The feed end of the furnace is essentially the intersection of a 2" pipe teeing into 2" pipe. Faperience with feeding a furnace has shcwn that there is no c2 trouble with caking or buildup in the jnrnace tubo. A short rod lying inside the furnace which zulls as the furnace turns has been found effective in insuring free flow ti.mugh the fumace. m ..y3 ~ a
(j i.h[:.cixI U -h-The feed end of the second furnace is essentially the intersection of a 2-1/2" / pipe teeing into a 2" pipe. The discharge end contains a negligibic holdup. The first furnace is the most central item in the configuration and sees the precipitator, the filter's, the second furnace, and other equipnent including -/ the closest extraction column. The precipitator and filter are partially iso-lated from the furnace by concrete, although this is not considered in analyzing f The total solid angle seen is less than 0.8 steradians. p for interaction. The naxirum quantity of uranium allowed in the dry box is limited to a safe mass and is based on a thick water reflector, on a maximum UO2 density of 6.0 grans per cc and on an allowance for doubla batching. Inventory win be main'- f'" - tained low by daily packaging of all finished product. The dry box has a contro11ed' filtered atmosphere so that dust is not released There am no water taps into the dry box and into the building atnesphere. every precaution is taken to assure water (or any fluid hydrogenous material) ) never enters the dry box.- A flange on the floor of the dry box permits loading product into finished pmduct shipping containers. In, The storage vessels in the cells are placed in two associated plane arrays. each plane array the vessels are _soaced criti' any safe. _ All tanks in the system c which could conceivably contain U-23) at concentrations with significant amounts 9 of uranium are of "always-safe" geometry. g s Two tanks for very dilute uranium solutions are provided outside the building. Only after analyses are made to assure adequately low uranium concentrationSince these tan will solutions be pumped to these tanks. solutions of U-235, and because of their spacing, interaction is not a problem Almost all piping which might conceivably carry a rich uranium solution is sman tubing. Except for piping to a vessel, the closest approach of piping to a vessel is 8". Metering pumps have such a small holdup volume that their criticality and inter-/ ' action effects are negligible. Centrifugal pumps have even less holdup.. Spin pans are located under any vessel or point of operation where there might5 be a uranium leak. The pans are sized to allow accurulation from reasonable h accidents without overflowini;, and overflowing takes place into a curbed area, s all designed to prevent appreciable interaction with other containers. -\\ These Several pieces of equipment will contain only minor amounts of uranium. include the scrub columns, the cold trap, the chemical trap and the dry filter. The amount of uranium that these can contain is so small that their location is not considered in interaction. =- Jt M @w 2...x .sp'* * '* _}}