摘要:
An automated fuel rod production system includes a radioactive powder fabrication and processing stage, a pellet fabrication stage, a pellet processing stage, a tube preparation stage and a fuel rod fabrication and inspection stage, all of which provide a continuous (paced) mode of operation from the conversion of a radioactive gas to powder, through the fabrication of the powder into pellets, to completion of the assembly of the fuel rods. Extra capacity is designed into the system at critical points in the powder processing and pellet fabrication and processing stages to facilitate the continuous, paced mode of operation.
摘要:
A process for treating a particulate uranium oxide composition containing ammonium diuranate precursors such as uranyl fluoride and uranyl nitrate, along with possible impurities, is disclosed. The process comprises the steps of (a) contacting the composition with a sufficient amount of an ammonium hydroxide solution to convert the ammonium diuranate precursors to ammonium diuranate, and (b) heating the composition under a controlled atmosphere at a temperature sufficient to dry the composition, sublime any ammonium fluoride present, and convert the ammonium diuranate to uranium dioxide. In a first modification of the invention, there is practiced the additional step of moving the composition, preferably by mechanically agitating the composition, prior to the heating step, or during the heating step, or both prior to and during the heating step, for a sufficient time to produce rounded agglomerates in the form of a readily flowable powder. In another modification of the invention, there are practiced the additional steps of mechanically agitating the composition and screening the composition prior to heating. These additional steps produce rounded agglomerates of the composition in a desired size distribution.
摘要:
Uranium oxide is recovered from an aqueous solution of uranyl halides by extracting uranyl halide from the aqueous solution with an organic liquid, forming a crown ether uranyl halide complex in the organic liquid, and then contacting the uranyl halide crown ether complex with water, carboxylate ion, and light under suitable conditions. Also disclosed are certain novel crown ether uranyl halide complexes and their preparation. Also disclosed is the use of 18-crown-6 to selectively recover uranyl halide from a solution thereof containing other metal salts.
摘要:
In a first step, uranium hexafluoride gas is reacted with steam in a first region of a vessel. In a second step, the oxyfluoride UO.sub.2 F.sub.2 obtained in the first step is converted to UO.sub.2 in a two-stage reduction process in which it is first contacted with a mixture of hydrogen gas and steam in one zone of the second region of the vessel, then contacted with the hydrogen gas in another zone of the second region.
摘要:
An improved process for the conversion of gaseous uranium hexafluoride to a uranium oxide rich composition in the presence of an active flame in a reaction zone is achieved by introducing a first gaseous reactant comprising a mixture of uranium hexafluoride and an oxygen-containing carrier gas and a second gaseous reactant comprising a reducing gas, the reactants being separated by a shielding gas as introduced to the reaction zone. The shielding gas temporarily separates the gaseous reactants and temporarily prevents substantial mixing and reacting of the gaseous reactants. The flame occurring in the reaction zone is maintained away from contact with the inlet introducing the mixture to the reaction zone. The process also includes introducing an oxygen-containing gas as a third gaseous reactant at a time when the uranium hexafluoride conversion to uranium dioxide is substantially complete resulting in oxidizing the uranium oxide composition to a higher oxide of uranium and conversion of the residual reducing gas to its oxidized form. During the process there is practiced the improvement of introducing an atomized fluid having a high latent heat of evaporation so that the atomized fluid directly enters the reaction zone and the introduction can be made at a location so that the atomized fluid enters the primary flame, the secondary flame, or both the primary and secondary flames, or downstream from the secondary flame. The atomized fluid can be introduced alone or with a carrier gas such as an oxygen-containing gas.
摘要:
A two stage fluid bed process for converting UF6 to UO2 is provided. In the first stage UF6 is converted, preferably in two separate fluid beds, to U3O8 by first forming UO2F2 solids and treating the UO2F2 with steam to produce U3O8. The U3O8 is reduced at relatively low temperatures i.e., at about 450*C. to about 500*C., in a second stage to uranium dioxide.
摘要翻译:提供了一种用于将UF6转化为UO2的两阶段流化床工艺。 在第一阶段中,UF6优选在两个单独的流化床中通过首先形成UO2F2固体并用蒸汽处理UO2F2以产生U3O8而转化成U3O8。 U 3 O 8在相对较低的温度下,即在约450℃至约500℃,在第二阶段中还原成二氧化铀。
摘要:
AN INTEGRATED PROCESS FOR FIBRICATING URANIUM DIOXIDE STRUCTURES OF DESIRED SHAPE, DENSITY AND GRAIN SIZE FROM ENRICHED URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE IS PRESENTED. URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE IS REACTED WITH A REDUCING GAS AND AN OXYGENCONTAINING CARRIER GAS IN A REDUCTION-HYDROLYSIS REACTION IN AN ACTIVE FLAME TO YEILD A URANIUM DIOXIDE RICH POWDER OF HIGH SURFACE AREA WITH FLUORIDE IMPURITIES. THE POWDER IS SEPARATED FROM THE GAS STREAM AFTER THE REACTION AND IS PREPRESSED TO A GIVEN SHAPE BY APPLICATION OF PRESSURE AND THEN BROKEN INTO FREE FLOWING PARTICLES OF A SELECTED SIZE RANGE BY GRANULATION. PARTICLES OF POWDER OUTSIDE THE SELECTED SIZE RANGE ARE SCREENED OUT AND CAN BE COMBINED WITH SUBSEQUENT POWDER PRODUCTION FOR PREPRESSING. THE GRANULATED POWDER IS DEFLUORINATED BY HEATING UNDER A CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERE SO THAT THE HIGH SURFACE AREA OF THE POWDER IS PRESERVED. THE DEFLUORINATED POWDER IS THEN PRESSED INTO A STRUCTURE OF DESIRE SHAPE AND SINTERED UNDER A CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERE TO YIELD A CERAMIC STRUCTURE OF DESIRED DENSITY AND GRAIN SIZE. THE GAS STREAM FROM THE REACTION OF THE URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE IS TREATED TO CONDENSE THE HYDROGEN FLUORIDE AND WATER VAPOR AS AQUEOUS HYDROFLUORIDE ACID. THE PROCESS OF THIS INVENTION CAN BE USED WITH OXIDES OF URANIUM OF HIGH SURFACE AREA IN ANY STATE OF OXIDATION FROM URANIUM DIOXIDE (UO2) TO URANIUM TRITAOCTOXIDE (U3O8) INCLUDING OXIDES PRODUCED BY A POST OXIDATION PROCESS CONVERTING THE URANIUM DIOXIDE RICH POWDER TO THE HIGHER OXIDE OF URANIUM.
摘要:
A method of preparing an oxide fuel for a nuclear reactor in which uranium dioxide powder or an intimate mixture of uranium dioxide and plutonium dioxide or thorium dioxide powders is sintered, the sintered material is comminuted to a fine powder, the fine powder is compacted by cold pressing and the compact is resintered at approximately the same temperature used for the first sintering.
摘要:
A method of manufacture of sintered sub-stoichiometric oxides resulting from oxygen deficiency comprising the steps of sintering a mixture of powders of oxide (or oxides) and of carbon in suitable proportions for obtaining the desired substoichiometry by elimination of oxygen in the form of carbon monoxide followed by grinding of the sintered product and a second sintering of the ground product.