An interfacial viseometer was built for use in an interfacial phenomena study. Installation of a 6-in.-ID foam separation column system was completed. The dispersiondrying-sintering characteristics of six low-nitrate batches of thoria sol material were studied. The average effective porosity of the CuO pellets used for reactor helium purification was determined to be 0.0545 for H/ sub 2/ transport and 0.0526 for CO transport. In continuous Zirflex dissolution studies, no H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ decomposition was observed when 10% H/sub 2/O/sup 2 was fed into boiling dissoivent through a water-cooled nozzle and the oxygen concentration in the scrubbed off-gas could be used to control the H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ concentration in the dissolver. The free fluoride in Zirflex solutions must be maintained above 1 molar in order to prevent uranium precipitation at low concentrations of uranium even though the F/sup -//U ratio exceeds 100. Chopped stainless steel-clad UO/sub 2/ sections were leached in a 4 stage pyrex leacher model using 6, 7, and 8 M nitric acid as the dissolvent. The temperature distribution expected within fuel elements consisting of square arrays of tubes was calculated for shipping conditions assuming heat to be transferred only by radiation. HETS values were calculated for uranium stripping …

Engineering studies of a 6-in.-ID countercurrent foam column were started. The capacity of Mark II Stacked Clone Contactor was found to be limited by gradually increasing entrainment. Thoria sols were prepared from trough denitrator products in a conical bottom tank agitated by circulation through an external centrifugal pump. Experimental results agreed favorably with predicted results for the reaction of CO with CuO and fur the simultaneous reactions of H/ sub 2/ and CO with CuO. In a 2-in. dissolver, Modified Zirflex dissolution rates of Zircaloy-2 increased non-linearly with F/S. The 250-ton prototype shear was received and installed. Priorities were established for development work on graphite fuels. A total of 5 SR Core I fuel clusters were mechanically dejacketed from the second carrier shipment of SRE Core I fuel. Degradation of NaK to a solid or waxy form required that the slugs be ejected by the jackscrew. The NaK disposal system operated satisfactorily for the Iast ~3000 ml of NaK. A procedure for estimating the temperature rise of spent reactor fuels during shipping gives reasonably good results. A puIse column was operated with the light phase c nt-nuous using an external phase separator. Zirconium ates were dissolved by HF in molten …

This report addresses a monthly progress report for the Chemical Technology Division for Chemical Development Section B during June 1959.

A critical review of the literature revealed no experiments on uranyl ion transfer from an aqueous to a tributyl phosphate phase which positively measured the kinetics of the chemical reaction at the interphase. Drawing isorhythmic lines on a three component diagram gives a complex correlation for the compaction of three sizes of glass beads. Neither the use of thoria sols nor high feed solution concentrations of thorium nitrate gave any significant increase in mean particle diameters over those obtained from nitrate solutions of lower concentrations in flame denitration. A hydraulic film resistance has been detected in the anion exchange of uranyl sulfate into Dowex 2lK, and chloride elution was found to give a higher apparent uranium diffusion coefficient than nitrate elution. The rate of dissolution of mixed thorium-uranium oxides was determined as a function of the per cent of mixed oxides dissolved. Mixing in tanks packed with boron glass Raschig rings is being continued. The SRE hydraulic dejacketer has been operated successfully with prototype fuel rods. Excessive foaming was encountered when sheared stainless-clad UO/sub 2/ was suddenly contacted with boiling 13 M nitric acid. While attempting to shear a prototype Yankee subassembly with Kanigan brazed diffusion bonded joints, a five …

Experiments showed that 30% tributyl phosphate will not extract acid- deficient species of uranyl nitrate. Flooding throughputs for the Mark I stacked- clone contactor ranged from 600 cc/min organic at zero aqueous to 60 cc/min organic at 1950 cc aqueous. A large electronic vibrator of 5000-lb thrust was found somewhat inferior to pneumatic vibration for compacting oxide fuels into stainless-steel tubes. Tests were started on the use of fixed-bed CuO oxidizers for removing hydrogen contamination from helium gas streams. None of the variables studied within this period effected an increase in particle size in the denitration of thorium nitrate to produce ThO/sub 2/. The rate of uranyl sulfate loading on nitrate equilibrated Dowex 21K appears to be essentially independent of the loading solution sulfate concentration. The nitric acid concentrations corresponding to maximum UO/sub 2/-ThO/sub 2/ pellet dissolution rate were 15.5 M for Thorex solution and 13 M for the adjusted Darex solution. Two additional Semicontinuous Sulfex declad and Thorex core dissolutions of prototype Consolidated Edison fuel assemblies were made to complete the series of runs. The effective area of cylindrical UO/sub 2/ pellets dissolving in nitric acid was estimated from experimental rate measurements as a function of the fraction dissolved. …