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

Exothermic Reactors Involving Dried Uranium Oxide Powder (Yellowcake)

ML031210421
Person / Time
Site:	Beaver Valley, Millstone, Hatch, Monticello, Calvert Cliffs, Dresden, Davis Besse, Peach Bottom, Browns Ferry, Salem, Oconee, Mcguire, Nine Mile Point, Palisades, Palo Verde, Perry, Indian Point, Fermi, Kewaunee, Catawba, Harris, Wolf Creek, Saint Lucie, Point Beach, Oyster Creek, Watts Bar, Hope Creek, Grand Gulf, Cooper, Sequoyah, Byron, Pilgrim, Arkansas Nuclear, Three Mile Island, Braidwood, Susquehanna, Summer, Prairie Island, Columbia, Seabrook, Brunswick, Surry, Limerick, North Anna, Turkey Point, River Bend, Vermont Yankee, Crystal River, Haddam Neck, Ginna, Diablo Canyon, Callaway, Vogtle, Waterford, Duane Arnold, Farley, Robinson, Clinton, South Texas, San Onofre, Cook, Comanche Peak, Yankee Rowe, Maine Yankee, Quad Cities, Humboldt Bay, La Crosse, Big Rock Point, Rancho Seco, Zion, Midland, Bellefonte, Fort Calhoun, FitzPatrick, McGuire, LaSalle, Fort Saint Vrain, Shoreham, Satsop, Trojan, Atlantic Nuclear Power Plant
Issue date:	01/29/1999
From:	Greeves J T NRC/NMSS/DWM
To:
References
IN-99-003, NUDOCS 9901250252
Download: ML031210421 (10)

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 hours5.787037e-5 days <br />0.00139 hours <br />8.267196e-6 weeks <br />1.9025e-6 months <br />. 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 hours3.472222e-5 days <br />8.333333e-4 hours <br />4.960317e-6 weeks <br />1.1415e-6 months <br /> 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