Open AccessPILOT PLANT PREPARATION OF THORIUM OXIDE AND THORIUM-URANIUM OXIDE DURING FISCAL YEAR 1960
Author(s) -
R.H. Winget
Publication year - 1960
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.2172/4165298
Subject(s) - thorium , uranium , activation energy , oxide , chemistry , uranium oxide , nuclear chemistry , inorganic chemistry , analytical chemistry (journal) , materials science , metallurgy , organic chemistry , chromatography
Test quantities of thoria (aporoximately 3800 lb of thorium oxide and 3200 lb of mixed thorium-uranium oxide) were prepared during FY-1960 for members of the Reactor Experimental Engineering Division (REED). For preparation of thorium oxide, the calcination temperature was varied from 650 to 1800 deg C. The surface area of the fired oxide ranged from 0.5 to 25 m/sup 2//g and the mean particle size ranged from 1 to 8 microns. For preparation of mixed thorium-- uranium oxide, the calcination temperature was varied from 1050 to 1225 deg C. The mixed oxide contained either 0.5, 3.0, or 8.0 wt.% of uranium as requested with a mean particle size of 1.5 microns. The over-all losses of thorium and uranium were 19.4 and 18.3%, re spectively. Four 1400 lb batches of thorium nitrate were dissolved to prepare solutions containing 300 to 350 g/liter of thorium for solvent extraction studies in the Chemical Technolcgy Division and 2100 lb of dry, recovered waste thorium oxide was supplied to the ORNL Fuel Cycle Program. (auth