Information Notice 1999-03, Exothermic Reactors Involving Dried Uranium Oxide Powder (Yellowcake): Difference between revisions

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#REDIRECT [[Information Notice 1999-03, Rev. 1: Exothermic Reactions Involving Dried Uranium Oxide Powder (Yellowcake)]]
| number = ML031210421
| issue date = 01/29/1999
| title = Exothermic Reactors Involving Dried Uranium Oxide Powder (Yellowcake)
| author name = Greeves J
| author affiliation = NRC/NMSS/DWM
| addressee name =
| addressee affiliation =
| docket = 05000003, 05000010, 05000029, 05000133, 05000155, 05000171, 05000206, 05000213, 05000219, 05000220, 05000237, 05000244, 05000245, 05000247, 05000249, 05000250, 05000251, 05000254, 05000255, 05000259, 05000260, 05000261, 05000263, 05000265, 05000266, 05000267, 05000269, 05000270, 05000271, 05000272, 05000275, 05000277, 05000278, 05000280, 05000281, 05000282, 05000285, 05000286, 05000287, 05000289, 05000293, 05000295, 05000296, 05000298, 05000301, 05000302, 05000304, 05000305, 05000306, 05000309, 05000311, 05000312, 05000313, 05000315, 05000316, 05000317, 05000318, 05000320, 05000321, 05000322, 05000323, 05000324, 05000325, 05000327, 05000328, 05000329, 05000330, 05000331, 05000333, 05000334, 05000335, 05000336, 05000338, 05000339, 05000341, 05000344, 05000346, 05000348, 05000352, 05000353, 05000354, 05000361, 05000362, 05000364, 05000366, 05000368, 05000369, 05000370, 05000373, 05000374, 05000382, 05000387, 05000388, 05000389, 05000390, 05000391, 05000395, 05000397, 05000400, 05000409, 05000410, 05000412, 05000413, 05000414, 05000416, 05000423, 05000424, 05000425, 05000437, 05000438, 05000439, 05000440, 05000441, 05000443, 05000444, 05000445, 05000446, 05000454, 05000455, 05000456, 05000457, 05000458, 05000461, 05000482, 05000483, 05000498, 05000499, 05000508, 05000528, 05000529, 05000530
| license number =
| contact person =
| document report number = IN-99-003, NUDOCS 9901250252
| document type = NRC Information Notice
| page count = 10
}}
{{#Wiki_filter:UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY
 
COMMISSION
 
===OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDS===
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555 January 29, 1999 NRC INFORMATION
 
NOTICE 99-03: EXOTHERMIC
 
REACTIONS
 
INVOLVING
 
DRIED URANIUM OXIDE POWDER (YELLOWCAKE)
 
==Addressees==
:
All operating
 
uranium recovery facilities
 
that produce uranium oxide powder (U 3 0 8)(yellowcake).
 
==Purpose==
: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
 
Commission (NRC) is issuing this information
 
notice (IN) to alert licensees
 
to recent incidents
 
involving
 
strong exothermic
 
reactions
 
that occurred during the packaging
 
of low-temperature
 
or vacuum-dried
 
U 3 0, hydrogen peroxide precipitated (yellowcake)
powder. It is expected that recipients
 
will review this information
 
for applicability
 
to their licensed activities
 
and consider actions, as appropriate, to avoid similar problems.However, suggestions
 
contained
 
in this IN are not NRC requirements;
therefore
 
no specific action nor written response is required.Description
 
of Circumstances:
On four separate occasions
 
involving
 
different
 
licensees, dry U 3 0 8 hydrogen peroxide precipitated (yellowcake)
powder, packaged in 208.2 liter (55 gallon) drums, was observed to have undergone
 
strong exothermic
 
reactions
 
after the drying and packaging
 
process. These scenarios
 
can be placed into two categories:
1) generation
 
of oxygen as a byproduct
 
of the production
 
process; and 2) hydrocarbon
 
contaminants
 
reacting with U 3 0 8 hydrogen peroxide precipitated (yellowcake)
product. The incidents
 
date as far back as 1984 and as recently as July 1998.Category 1: On two separate occasions, licensees
 
experienced
 
expansion
 
of the sealed drums from generation
 
of oxygen from the decay of hydrogen peroxide.
 
In the production
 
process, hydrogen peroxide is used to precipitate
 
uranium in the form of uranium oxide (UxOx). This precipitate
 
is then pressed through a filter, dried in an oven and packaged in drums for shipment.
 
Even though the dryer temperatures
 
reached 537.70 C (10000F), converting
 
the precipitate
 
to uranate peroxide (U04-2H 2 0), sufficient
 
hydrogen peroxide either remained in the product or was generated
 
to develop oxygen pressure by the following
 
reactions:
U0 4+ 4H 2 0-UO3+ H 2 0 2 I +3H 2 01 2H 2 0 2 -2H 2 0 + 02 t&012IA252J
 
93 J 9 p ' \
IN 99-03 January29, 1999 The production
 
of gases was sufficient
 
to bulge the lids and sides of the drums, as well as cause a pressure excursion, when a lid was removed, sufficient
 
to eject about one-fourth
 
of the drummed U 3 0 8 (yellowcake)
90.7 kilograms
 
(-200 pounds) onto workers and through isolation doors.Cateaory 2: On two separate occasions, licensees
 
experienced
 
a violent exothermic
 
reaction when hydrocarbon
 
contaminants
 
were mixed with U 3 0 8 hydrogen peroxide precipitated (yellowcake)
product. At one facility, a leaky flange in a bag filter allowed lubricating
 
oil to leak into the production
 
process, and a deformed tank paddle allowed oil seepage into the mixing tank. At another facility, oils from various process stages were introduced
 
into the sump system and eventually
 
reintroduced
 
into the production
 
line. Both cases yielded an energetic exothermic
 
reaction.
 
With one barrel, the lid had been melted onto the rim in one spot, and another reached a temperature
 
of 648.9 0 C (1200 0 F) within the drum. Subsequent
 
examination
 
of the contents revealed several discolored
 
layers, indicating
 
extreme oxidation
 
of product powder in various stages.Discussion
 
Category 1: Analyses of the incidents
 
estimated
 
103.4 kilopascal
 
(15-pounds-per-square-inch)
pressure on the lids. Drum pressure began to rise most rapidly in the first hour, but peaked at 3-4 hours. Pressure began to subside at 5 hours. Other drums showed bulges and deformities, but excess gases had bled off. Analysis of the trapped gases yielded 62 percent oxygen, further indicating
 
an oxygen generation
 
from the decay of hydrogen peroxide.Although no workers were injured, several received uptakes of uranium even though respiratory
 
protection
 
was used.The oxygen generation
 
incidents
 
were isolated incidents
 
that originated
 
with the use of newer drums or other modifications
 
of equipment
 
which allowed excessive
 
pressures.
 
For one licensee, the incident was a result of using newer drums with airtight seals. Older drums had less efficient
 
seals that allowed pressure to escape as it was generated.
 
Both licensees instituted
 
corrective
 
actions consisting
 
mainly of leaving the lids off the drums for a minimum of 3 hours after filling. Corrective
 
actions appear to have been sufficient
 
to prevent future incidents.
 
Category 2: Since uranium is a pyrophoric
 
metal, especially
 
in fines or powder form, any contaminant
 
in contact with yellowcake
 
powder can be hazardous.
 
Hydrocarbons
 
such as lubricating
 
oils and grease are very likely to cause an unstable condition
 
in the packed yellowcake
 
powder.In one incident, a leaky flange on a bag filter allowed lubricating
 
oil to leak into and mix with the yellowcake
 
powder in a dryer tank. Once the exothermic
 
reaction began, temperatures
 
rose sufficiently
 
to turn residual water to steam, covering the room with yellowcake
 
powder. The leak was found and repaired, but the room had to be decontaminated.
 
As the next batch of yellowcake
 
was processed, a severely bent paddle inside the mixing tank allowed further oil to again mix into the yellowcake.
 
After the product was packaged, temperatures
 
again rose inside the drum to produce sufficient
 
steam pressure to blow the lid off. The licensee then found and corrected
 
the bent paddle. Corrective
 
actions included installation
 
of oil pressure relief valves and a hot oil boiler cutoff with a temperature
 
controller.
 
IN 99-03 January29, 1999 In a recent incident, a licensee had routinely
 
washed equipment
 
contaminants
 
into a dryer room sump. This contained
 
not only uranium contamination, but exposed oils and grease from equipment
 
maintenance
 
and dryer heating oils from spills and leaks. The sump contents were transferred
 
to a holding tank, where the yellowcake
 
and contaminants
 
settled to the bottom.When the system was cleaned, the heel from this tank was put into a thickening
 
tank to recover any trapped product. The process, however, did not remove the contaminants.
 
Yellowcake
 
tended to agglutinate
 
onto the hydrocarbons, preventing
 
them from being surface-skimmed, and final dryer temperatures
 
were not sufficient
 
to drive off the hydrocarbons.
 
When the contaminated
 
yellowcake
 
was packaged into drums, the residual heat from dryer operations
 
initiated
 
an exothermic
 
oxidation
 
reaction.
 
Since yellowcake
 
is relatively
 
dense, it acted as an insulator, retaining
 
reaction energy that further increased
 
the rate of reaction.
 
Seven drums of product reacted with increased
 
temperatures
 
and oxidation
 
of material.
 
Corrective
 
actions included installation
 
of oil drip pans for collecting
 
all possible oil/grease
 
leaks, and sending the oil-yellowcake
 
contaminants
 
as waste rather than attempting
 
to recover product through the system.This IN requires no specific action nor written response.
 
If you have any questions
 
about the information
 
in this notice, please contact the technical
 
contacts listed below, or the appropriate
 
NRC office.John T. Greeves, Director Division of Waste Management
 
===Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards===
Technical
 
Contacts:
Douglas S. Simpkins, RIV (817) 860-8220 E-mail: dss@nrc.gov
 
D. Blair Spitzberg, Ph.D., RIV (817) 860-8191 E-mail: dbs@nrc.gov
 
John H. Lusher, NMSS (301) 415-7694 E-Mail: jhl@nrc.gov
 
Attachments:
1. List of Recently Issued NMSS Information
 
Notices J 1 /'2. List of Recently Issued NRC Information
 
Notices (/ wlu4q t~ l AI 4T
 
'Attachment
 
1 IN 99-03 January 29, 1999 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED NMSS INFORMATION
 
===NOTICES Information===
Notice No.99-02 Subject Date of Issuance Issued to.Guidance to Users on the Implementation
 
of a New Single-Source
 
Dose-Calculation
 
Formalism
 
and Revised Air-Kerma
 
Strength Standard for Iodine-125 Sealed Sources 1/21/99 All medical licensees
 
authorized
 
to conduct brachytherapy
 
treatments.
 
99-01 98-33 98-30 97-91 Supp. 1 98-20 98-18 98-17 Deterioration
 
of High-Efficiency
 
Particulate
 
Air Filters in a Pressurized
 
Water Reactor Containment
 
Fan Cooler Unit NRC Regulations
 
Prohibit Agreements
 
that Restrict or Discourage
 
an Employee from Participating
 
in Protected
 
Activities
 
Effect of the Year 2000 Computer Problem on NRC Licensees
 
and Certificate
 
Holders Recent Failure of Control Cables Used on Amersham Model 660 Posilock Radiography
 
Systems Problems With Emergency Preparedness
 
Respiratory
 
Protection
 
Programs Recent Contamination
 
Incidences
 
Resulting
 
from Failure to Perform Adequate Surveys Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Awareness
 
of National Security Issues and Responses (ANSIR) Program 1/20/99 8/28/98 8/12/98 8/10/98 6/3/98 5/13/98 5/7/98 All holders of licences for nuclear power, research and test reactors;and fuel cycle facilities.
 
All holders of a Nuclear Regulatory
 
Commissission
 
license All material and fuel cycle licensees
 
and certificate
 
holders All industrial
 
radiography
 
licensees.
 
All holders of operating
 
licenses for nuclear power reactors;
non-power reactors;
all fuel cycle and material licensees
 
required to have an NRC-approved
 
emergency
 
plan.Part 35 Medical Licensees All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
 
Commission
 
fuel cycle and power and non-power
 
reactor licensees
 
Attachment
 
2 IN 99-03 January 29, 1999 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED NRC INFORMATION
 
NOTICES Information
 
Date of Notice No. Subject Issuance Issued to 99-02 Guidance to Users on the 1/21/99 All medical licensees
 
authorized
 
Implementation
 
of a New Single-Source
 
Dose-Calculation
 
Formalism
 
and Revised Air-Kerma
 
Strength Standard for Iodine-125
 
===Sealed Sources to conduct brachytherapy===
treatments.
 
99-01 98-45 98-44 98-43 Deterioration
 
of High-Efficiency
 
Particulate
 
Air Filters in a Pressurized
 
Water Reactor Containment
 
Fan Cooler Unit 01/20/99 Cavitation
 
Erosion of Letdown Line 12/15/98 Orifices Resulstin
 
in Fatigue Cracking of Pipe Welds Ten-year Inservice
 
Inspection
 
12/10/98 (ISI) Program Update for Licensees that Intend to Implement
 
Risk-Informed
 
ISI of Piping All holders of licenses for nuclear power, research and test reactors;and fuel cycle facilities.
 
All holders of operating
 
licenses for nuclear power reactors, except those that have permanently
 
ceased operations
 
and have certified
 
that fuel has been permanently
 
removed from the reactor.All holder of operating
 
licenses for nuclear power reactors, except those that have permanently
 
ceased operations
 
and have certified
 
that fuel has been permanently
 
removed from the reactor All holder of operating
 
licenses for nuclear power reactors, except those licensees
 
that have permanently
 
ceased operations
 
and have certified
 
that fuel has been permanently
 
removed from the reactor vessel Leaks in the Emergency
 
Diesel Generator
 
Lubricating
 
Oil and Jacket Cooling Water Piping 12/04/98 OL = Operating
 
License CP = Construction
 
Permit
 
*
* IN 99-03 January 29, 1999 In a recent incident, a licensee had routinely
 
washed equipment
 
contaminants
 
into a dryer room sump. This contained
 
not only uranium contamination, but exposed oils and grease from equipment
 
maintenance
 
and dryer heating oils from spills and leaks. The sump contents were transferred
 
to a holding tank, where the yellowcake
 
and contaminants
 
settled to the bottom.When the system was cleaned, the heel from this tank was put into a thickening
 
tank to recover any trapped product. The process, however, did not remove the contaminants.
 
Yellowcake
 
tended to agglutinate
 
onto the hydrocarbons, preventing
 
them from being surface-skimmed, and final dryer temperatures
 
were not sufficient
 
to drive off the hydrocarbons.
 
When the contaminated
 
yellowcake
 
was packaged into drums, the residual heat from dryer operations
 
initiated
 
an exothermic
 
oxidation
 
reaction.
 
Since yellowcake
 
is relatively
 
dense, it acted as an insulator, retaining
 
reaction energy that further increased
 
the rate of reaction.
 
Seven drums of product reacted with increased
 
temperatures
 
and oxidation
 
of material.
 
Corrective
 
actions included installation
 
of oil drip pans for collecting
 
all possible oil/grease
 
leaks, and sending the oil-yellowcake
 
contaminants
 
as waste rather than attempting
 
to recover product through the system.This IN requires no specific action nor written response.
 
If you have any questions
 
about the information
 
in this notice, please contact the technical
 
contacts listed below, or the appropriate
 
NRC office.[J. Holonich for]John T. Greeves, Director Division of Waste Management
 
===Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards===
Technical
 
Contacts:
Douglas S. Simpkins, RIV (817) 860-8220 E-mail: dsstnrc.gov
 
D. Blair Spitzberg, Ph.D., RIV (817) 860-8191 E-mail: dbs nrc.gov John H. Lusher, NMSS (301)415-7694 E-Mail: jhl nrc.gov Attachments:
1. List of Recently Issued NMSS Information
 
Notices 2. List of Recently Issued NRC Information
 
Notices OFFICIAL RECORD COPY DOCUMENT NAME: S:\DWM\URB\JHL\DRAFTIN.JHL
 
*See previous concurrence
 
OF RIV* l TECH ED* lURB* l URB j/URB l NAME BSpitzberg
 
EKraus JLusher CAbrs KStablein DATE I 1/ 1/99 l 1/11/99 1 1/11/99 l 1<199 1/12/99 OFC DIk 0_1 C/NAME J-W DATE 99 _
lqo-r ft1661C-l -@ w IN 99 -XX January XX, 1999 When the system was cleaned, the heel from this tank was put into a thickening
 
tank to reco r any trapped product. The process, however, did not remove the contaminants.
 
Yellowcak tended to agglutinate
 
onto the hydrocarbons, preventing
 
them from being surface-skimm
 
and final dryer temperatures
 
were not sufficient
 
to drive off the hydrocarbons.
 
When th contaminated
 
yellowcake
 
was packaged into drums, the residual heat from dryer oper ions initiated
 
an exothermic
 
oxidation
 
reaction.
 
Since yellowcake
 
is relatively
 
dense, it ac d as an insulator, retaining
 
reaction energy that further increased
 
the rate of reaction.
 
8ev n drums of product reacted with increased
 
temperatures
 
and oxidation
 
of material.
 
CorrecI actions included installation
 
of oil drip pans for collecting
 
all possible oil/grease
 
leaks, d sending the oil-yellowcake
 
contaminants
 
as waste rather than attempting
 
to recover prod t through the system.This IN requires no specific action nor written response.
 
If you have an questions
 
about the information
 
in this notice, please contact the technical
 
contacts listed low, or the appropriate
 
NRC office.N. King Stablein, Acting C ef Uranium Recovery Bran Division of Waste Man gement Office of Nuclear Mat rial Safety And Safeguards
 
Technical
 
Contacts:
Douglas S. Simpkins, RIV (817) 860-8220 E-mail: dss~nrc.gov
 
D. Blair Spitzberg, Ph.DRIV (817) 860-8191 E-mail: dbs~nrc.go
 
John H. Lusher, MSS (301) 415-769 E-Mail: jhl@ c.gov Attachments:
1. List of Recently Issued S Information
 
Notices 2. List of Recently Issued RC Information
 
Notices IENT NAME: S:\DWM\URB
 
HL\DRAFTIN.JHL
 
*See previous concurrence
 
DOCUM OF-C RIV TOH ED* l URB* URB , / liI NAME BSpitzberg
 
EKraus JLusher CAbw. l> KStA'ein'i)
DATE 1/11/99 1/11/99 l 1/11/99 ln/i99 l 1/12/99 OC DELAY t NAME Dz DAE1/3n/9 l zz _zzr ______ izzzzz zzz l/OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
 
1MaT b-D PBLIc.IN-XX January XX, 1999 When the system was cleaned, the heel from this tank was put into a thickening
 
tank to recov any trapped product. The process, however, did not remove the contaminants.
 
Yellowcake
 
tended to agglutinate
 
onto the hydrocarbons, preventing
 
them from being surface-skimme
 
and final dryer temperatures
 
were not sufficient
 
to drive off the hydrocarbons.
 
When the contaminated
 
yellowcake
 
was packaged into drums, the residual heat from dryer opera*ins initiated
 
an exothermic
 
oxidation
 
reaction.
 
Since yellowcake
 
is relatively
 
dense, it act as an insulator, retaining
 
reaction energy that further increased
 
the rate of reaction.
 
Seve drums of product reacted with increased
 
temperatures
 
and oxidation
 
of material.
 
Correctiv
 
ctions included installation
 
of oil drip pans for collecting
 
all possible oil/grease
 
leaks, a sending the oil-yellowcake
 
contaminants
 
as waste rather than attempting
 
to recover produ through the system.This IN requires no specific action nor written response.
 
If you have any estions about the information
 
in this notice, please contact the technical
 
contacts listed be w, or the appropriate
 
NRC office.N. King Stablein, Acting Chi Uranium Recovery Branc Division of Waste Managment Office of Nuclear Mate al Safety And Safeguards
 
Technical
 
Contacts:
Douglas S. Simpkins, RIV (817) 860-8220 E-mail: dssinrc.gov
 
D. Blair Spitzberg, Ph.D., IV (817) 860-8191 E-mail: dbs@nrc.gov
 
John H. Lusher, N SS (301) 415-7694 E-Mail: jhlnrc ov Attachments:
1. List of Recently Issued N S Information
 
Notices 2. List of Recently Issued C Information
 
Notices DOCUMENT NAME: S:\DWM\URB\J
 
\DRAFTIN.JHL
 
*See previous concurrence
 
OFC RIV* TE ED* I URB* l RE _RII NAME BSpitzberg
 
raus JLusher CAb- 4 gig il!DATE 1/11/99 1 1/11/99 1/11/99 l ._ /99 l_1/__ _ 9 OFC DWM I NAME JGreeves /DATE 1/ /9 I I 1 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
 
M&or '70f oR SCLaC.IN -XX January XX, 1999 tended to agglutinate
 
onto the hydrocarbons, preventing
 
them from being surface skimm and final dryer temperatures
 
were not sufficient
 
to drive off the hydrocarbons.
 
When th contaminated
 
yellowcake
 
was packaged into drums, the residual heat from dryer opertions initiated
 
an exothermic
 
oxidation
 
reaction.
 
Since yellowcake
 
is relatively
 
dense, it ac d as an insulator, retaining
 
reaction energy which further increased
 
the rate of reaction.
 
Se en drums of product reacted with increased
 
temperatures
 
and oxidation
 
of material.
 
Correc e actions included installation
 
of oil drip pans for collecting
 
all possible oiVgrease
 
leaks, a sending the oil-yellowcake
 
contaminants
 
as waste rather than attempting
 
to recover produ through the system.This information
 
notice requires no specific action nor written response.
 
I ou have any questions
 
about the information
 
in this notice, please contact the techni I contact listed below or the appropriate
 
NRC office.N. King Stablein, Acting ief Uranium Recovery Bran Division of Waste Man gement Office of Nuclear Ma rial Safety And Safeguards
 
Technical
 
Contacts:
Douglas S. Simpkins, RIV (817) 860-8220 E-mail: dss~nrc.gov
 
D. Blair Spitzberg, Ph.D. IV (817) 860-8191 E-mail: dbs~nrc.gov
 
John H. Lusher, N SS (301) 415-7694 E-Mail: jhl~nrc ov Attachment:
1. List of Recently Issued N SS Information
 
Notices 2. List of Recently Issued C Information
 
Notices DOCUMENT NAME; S:\DW URB\JHL\DRAFTIN.JHL
 
FC IVer; URB RB zzURB l zDWMzlNAME BSpitzberg
 
JLushe CAbrams KStablein
 
JGreeves DATE 01/// /9/ 01/11 /99 01/ /99 l 01/ /99 01/ /99 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
 
1-11-1999
4:18PM 1 -4. , ., , .FROM cETZER-KRAUS.
 
INC. 202 537 P 1'3 VOT *e)R PUCLIC. P P..IV. L.u I J IN 99-XX January XX, 1999 () (301) 415-7694 E-Mail: jhT0nrc.gov
 
Attachmen$
1. Lst of Recently Issued NMSS Information
 
Notices 2. Ust of Recently Issued NRC Information
 
NoUces DCU seh*, 5 mIAMR- BAMIULA i1 V .1.21 jimc ,so I //#/I-,___.l Ww-. Vb, TYwe VW% _4M *Wo l t Vw v^. W" I _ _ ,-C RIV -URB _ URB l 7WI NAME BSpitzberg
 
_ JLusher _ CAbrams KStableln ( JGreeves DATE 1Ul01 W/ i 99 l 01 /99 I-v-P k, 04 "41 fV)f t, cj/- (OFFICIAL RECORD COPY}}
 
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