ML20037B501
| ML20037B501 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Wood River Junction |
| Issue date: | 03/29/1966 |
| From: | Cronin D UNITED NUCLEAR CORP. (SUBS. OF UNC, INC.) |
| To: | Nussbaumer D US ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (AEC) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20037B499 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8010140208 | |
| Download: ML20037B501 (2) | |
Text
__
.~
O R[g,,
~$
E5NETED NE 5CE EM C O R P o R A T l O N In Rnply Refer to:NLS:REK-621 P. C. BOX 8 883 ass wence.cstcm Avgasut e=tw seavres coesse, essee March 29,,1966 m su Q
s
.s Mr. Donald A. Nussbau=er, Chief 2
MUED '2 Source & Special Nuclear Materials 3 ranch US4EC fg Division of Materials Licensing U. S. Atomic Energy Co ission 7
. g g y g,t-cy D:t l'
k'ashington, D. C.
20545 Elll SE:nn q
C::EQ cast SU3 JECT:
Recovr:ry of Eighly En' riched Uranium of SNM Bearing A
Reactor Co=ponents O
G
Reference:
Dear Mr. Nussbau=er:
UNC has recently received a contract for the recovery of SNM fro = spare reactor cocponents'.
Co=ponents containing highly enriched uranium will be processed at the Fuels Recovery Plant, Rhode Island. Approxi=ately 620 kss of highly enriched uranium is involved in this portion of the contract.
Most of the operations are already approved by DML. New process steps involve the storage; =echanical disassembly; and cutting, tri==ing, and shearin;; of these components.
Upon receipt of this =aterial, it will be i=nediately transferred to the FR" Ele =ent Storage Racks or 3.E. 2172 Shipping Containers.
The FRF Ele =ent Storage Racks are shown on sketch 70-1 and their location on sketch 70-2.
The highest leaded conponent is cpproximately 4" x 6.5" x 67" (36.5" active fuel length), is conposed of 56 plates and contains 2.15 kgs of highly enriched traniu=.
Only one component =ay 'ce stored in each element box of the FP2 Ele =ent Storage Racks.
If individual plates are -to be stored, each.le=ent bon vill be
=adified by adding an insert which will restrict the cross r.:ctional area to 19.64 sq. in. or less (equivalent to a 5" diameter circular cross section).
Individual element boxes will be restricted to 120 lbs of =sterial toral., The interaction between ele =ent boxes on the racks is se rired on the attached table.
Storage in 3.P. 2172 Shipping Containers will be in accordance with techniques alre-dy approved by DML.
Sketches 70-3-1 through 3 indicate proposed co=ponent arrange =ents in 3.E. 2172 containers.
Lu Ke '.
cwo yh/u-6/
, E C E.'* Rg;r:- -
I' D e
-.n...~~.,
.n y,p..u.p R D f,,
- n.
.,.w,, a_ 7 ~- e,-.,,.
-u.~,,
sus c7 p;;r,
/
r 6
' m,Ah G Q _ q, p.q.g,.
EE.
. t, G010140103
4 a
gLS:RE-621 Paga two Mechanical disassembly,will be performed on a power saw with local spot-
' ventilation located in the Receiving-Maintenance Shop Area.
This operation vill be li=ited to a single SNM bearing co=ponent at.a time. As soon as the co=ponent is disasse= bled, it will be moved back to storage or. separated into 350 gram U-235 batches or lots for furth'e'r processing.
Cutting, Tri= ming, Shearing will be perfor=ed in 14.-3 or 1-L-9 and will be limited to 350 gra=s U-235.
The location and arrange =ent of the 2-L-3 Hood is shown on Sketch 7.0-4.
The nuclear safety analysis previously used for the Ball Mill Hood (1-L-14) also applies to this hood. The subsequent process operations will be as set forth in Section 300 of S!cH-777.
'A flow diagram of this process is attached.
Health Physics aspects of the ab'ove' listed operations have been reviewe'd and i
require no changes from present procedures except for Sublot 703 which contains U-Al ele =ents previously used in a low power critical experiment.- Total exposure was 3 kilowatt-hours and represents less than 3 x 1016 fissions in 6.233 kgs U-235 Ele =ents have been stored since April 1963.
The amount of fission products presenh therefore, are at least two orders of magnitude less than those resulting from the July 24, 1964 incident at Fuels Recovery Plant.
Health Ihysics precautions used for handling and disposal of the incident fission p aducts will be re-instituted for this operation.
United Nuclear Corporation requests that the flow dingfam marked as proprietary infor=ation be withheld from public docu=entation. Ue =2ke this request since
~
the flow diagra= vas established by UNC to allow ccapetetive bidding with other canufacturers.
Disclosure of this infor=ation within the public dorain would per=it our cc=petitors, or.othe r. co=panies interested in co=p ting, to duplicate our flow of work plans without the invest =ent of badget funds that were needed for UNC to arrive at this point in =anufacturing.
This flow diagram 'is submitted, primarily, as background infor=ation and is not felt to be pri=e to the evaluation of the sub=ission itself.
UNC requests te=porary approval to process these scrap SNM bearing components.
Processing should be ce=pleted by September 1,1966.
If these process steps shoul4 reoccur, a permanent license a=end=ent will be requested and revised pages describing these steps will be submitted.
Since this =aterial is'due shortly, your i==ediate review and approval is. requested.
Please ssign top priority over other UNC submissions in your possession.
. Very truly yours,
,A 4%&"
=
u DFC/tc
_D.
F. Cronin Director of Lic ensing
.