The AWC TRUclean System has been proposed as a method to reduce the volume of LSA waste during D&D excavation of Pu-238 contaminated soils on the Mound Site and Pu-238 contaminated sediments in the Miami-Erie Canal. Following test runs with Mound soil, AWC suggested that the TRUclean Process could reduce the amount of LSA waste by greater than 90% if a machine could be built and used to process the Mound soil. The cost savings which could potentially be realized by assuming this magnitude of volume reduction were thought to be significant on large projects. These preliminary results suggested that a review of the TRUclean Process and the 1987 test results should be performed to determine a course of action. The AWC TRUclean Process and the test data have been evaluated and the potential effectiveness of the process determined for use on Mound soils and/or on the sediments in the Miami-Erie Canal.

This is the fourth quarterly report. Objective is to extend and optimize UOP`s single-stage slurry-catalyzed co-processing scheme developed under previous Contract DE-AC22-84PC70002. Emphasis will be given to defining and improving the catalyst utilization and costs, evaluating alternative and disposable slurry-catalyst systems, and improving catalyst recycle and recovery techniques. Pilot plant modification work and several shakedown runs were completed during this quarter. However, complete analytical results are not yet available for these runs. This report covers the economic implications of the catalyst studies completed to date. Three main issues are discussed for the design of a commercial slurry-catalyst system: which catalyst (Mo or V) is more economical; what is the optimum catalyst concentration; and should the catalyst be used once-through or recovered and recycled.

This quarterly report is the fifth for Contract DE-AC22-87PC79818. Objective is to extend and optimize UOP`s single-stage slurry-catalyzed co-processing scheme, which was devleoped under previous Contract DE-AC22-84PC70002. Particular emphasis is given to defining and improving ssscatalyst utilization and costs, evaluating alternative and disposable slsurry-catalyst systems, and improving catalyst recycle and recovery techniques. Work during this quarter has concentrated on Tasks 3.1.1 (pilot plant modification), 3.1.2 (plant recertification), and 3.1.3 (reactor back-mixing study). Results of these tasks are discussed.

Characteristics of the delayed-fission decay mode in light americium nuclei have been investigated. Measurements on the unknown isotopes {sup 230}Am and {sup 236}Am were attempted, and upper limits on the delayed-fission branches of these nuclei were determined. Evidence of the existence of {sup 236}Am was observed in radiochemical separations. Total kinetic energy and mass-yield distributions of the electron-capture delayed-fission mode were measured for {sup 232}Am (t{sub 1/2} = 1.31 {plus minus} 0.04 min) and for {sup 234}Am (t{sub 1/2} = 2.32 {plus minus} 0.08 min), and delayed-fission probabilities of 6.9 {times} 10{sup {minus}4} and 6.6 {times} 10{sup {minus}5}, respectively, were determined. The total kinetic energy and the asymmetric mass-yield distributions are typical of fission of mid-range actinides. No discernible influence of the anomalous triple-peaked mass division characteristic of the thorium-radium region was detected. Measurements of the time correlation between the electron-capture x-rays and the subsequent fission conform that the observed fissions arise from the electron-capture delayed-fission mechanism. Delayed fission has provided a unique opportunity to extend the range of low-energy fission studies to previously inaccessible regions. 71 refs., 44 figs., 13 tabs.

Contents of this report include: EIA projections of coal supply and demand which covers forecasted coal supply and transportation, forecasted coal demand by consuming sector, and forecasted coal demand by the electric utility sector; and policy discussion.

The nearly completed Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) is a Department of Energy (DOE) facility at the Savannah River Site that is designed to immobilize defense high level radioactive waste (HLW) by vitrification in borosilicate glass and containment in stainless steel canisters suitable for storage in the future DOE HLW repository. The DWPF is expected to start cold operation later this year (1990), and will be the first full scale vitrification facility operating in the United States, and the largest in the world. The DOE has been coordinating technology transfer and exchange on issues relating to HLW treatment and disposal through bi-lateral agreements with several nations. For the nearly fifteen years of the vitrification program at Savannah River Laboratory, over two hundred exchanges have been conducted with a dozen international agencies involving about five-hundred foreign national specialists. These international exchanges have been beneficial to the DOE`s waste management efforts through confirmation of the choice of the waste form, enhanced understanding of melter operating phenomena, support for paths forward in political/regulatory arenas, confirmation of costs for waste form compliance programs, and establishing the need for enhancements of melter facility designs. This paper will compare designs and schedules of the international vitrification …

The Bottom Collider Detector (BCD) has been proposed as a device to study large numbers of events containing B mesons. To identify secondary vertices in hadronic events it will employ the most ambitious silicon strip tracking detector proposed to-date. This report will discuss results from measurements on a first mechanical/thermal model of the vertex detector support structure. The model that was built and used for the studies described here is made of brass. Brass was used because it is readily available and easily assembled by soft soldering, and, for appropriate thicknesses, it will behave similarly to the beryllium that will be used in the actual detector. The trough was built to full scale with the reinforcement webbing and the cooling channels in place. There were no detector modules in place. We plan, however, to install modules in the trough in the future. The purpose of the model was to address two concerns that have arisen about the proposed structure of the detector. The first is whether or not the trough will be stable enough. The trough must be very light in weight yet have a high degree of rigidity. Because of the 3m length of the detector there is question …

A detailed, statistically valid, examination of the direct oxide reduction parameters affecting process yield and purity was planned and executed. Guidelines for attaining yields approaching 100% are presented. Feed oxide, percent excess calcium, and stirrer design affected yield and product purity. Experiments were performed in production-scale equipment utilizing 800 grams of plutonium dioxide per charge. 1 ref., 9 figs., 3 tabs.

Both the Model 5A (Monel 400) and 5A (Monel 400) Modified five-inch cylinders have been used at the Portsmouth GDP to withdraw, store, and ship highly enriched uranium hexafluoride. As a result of a generic cracking problem with Monel 400 valve-boss material, a cylinder modification was implemented in the mid 1970s. This modification resulted in the violation of the ASME ''Code'' stamp status of the Model 5A Modified cylinder. Hydrostatic testing-to- rupture data indicated that the Model 5A Modified cylinders had ruptured strengths equivalent to that of the original Model 5A cylinders. An independent consultant reviewed the available information and confirmed that the Model 5A Modified cylinders ''will with proper maintenance continue to perform satisfactorily for many additional years of service.'' Based on the test data and consultant's review, DOE approved continued use of the 5A Modified cylinder and also requested procurement of replacement 5B cylinders be expedited. Currently, the 5A modified cylinders are in the production, storage, shipment cycle, and a sufficient number of 5B cylinders has been ordered to accommodate the projected product shipping requirements for the Navy flow. 3 tabs.