Disposal of transuranic solid waste using Atomics International's molten salt combustion process. II.
- Author
- Grantham, L. F.
- Published
- United States : [publisher not identified], 1976.
[Oak Ridge, Tennessee] : [U.S. Atomic Energy Commission], 1976. - Physical Description
- microfiche : negative ; 11 x 15 cm
- Additional Creators
- McKenzie, D. E., Oldenkamp, R. D., and Richards, W. L.
- Summary
- The Atomics International Molten Salt Combustion Process reduces the weight and volume of combustible transuranic waste by utilizing a molten salt medium to combust organic materials, to trap particulates and fissile material, and to react chemically with any acidic gases produced during combustion. The ''ash'' is retained by the molten salt. To control the amount of noncombustible substances in the melt, a portion of the molten salt is periodically drained from the combustor. There are two options following the combustion step: the salt-ash mixture can be cast into a metal canister for direct storage, which is preferred, or the salt-ash mixture can be processed to separate ash for disposal, to recover the salt for recycle and to recover fissile materials. Either option results in the rapid, complete, and nonpolluting destruction of the combustible waste. Bench-scale (0.2 kg/hr) combustion tests with plutonium-contaminated waste showed that >99.9 percent of the plutonium is retained in the melt during combustion. A similar test with uranium indicated that uranium and plutonium behave identically during combustion. Bench-scale plutonium recovery tests have shown that approx. 98 percent of the plutonium can be recovered from the ash-melt mixture with a single acid leach. Pilot plant combustion tests were conducted with uncontaminated shredded waste consisting of paper, Kimwipes, cardboard, rubber, polyvinyl chloride, and polyethylene at feed rates up to 70 kg/hr. Hydrogen chloride (<5 ppm), sulfur oxide (<1 ppm), carbon monoxide (<0.1 percent), and hydrocarbon (<0.1 percent) emissions were below the detection limits of the instrumentation. The particulate loading varied from 0.1 g/m/sup 3/ at approx. 790/sup 0/C to 0.6 g/m/sup 3/ at 1020/sup 0/C before the venturi scrubber, and 0.01 to 0.04 g/m/sup 3/, respectively, after the scrubber. Downstream of the HEPA filters, no particulates could be detected (<10/sup -6/ g/m/sup 3/).
- Report Numbers
- AI-ERDA-13169
- Other Subject(s)
- 052001 - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Processing
- 052002* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage
- 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
- ACTINIDES
- CHEMICAL REACTIONS
- COMBUSTION
- ELEMENTS
- MANAGEMENT
- METALS
- OXIDATION
- PARTICLES
- PLUTONIUM
- PROCESSING
- RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
- RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
- RECOVERY
- SOLID WASTES
- TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
- TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
- WASTE DISPOSAL
- WASTE MANAGEMENT
- WASTE PROCESSING
- WASTES
- Collection
- U.S. Atomic Energy Commission depository collection.
- Note
- DOE contract number: AT(04-3)-701
OSTI Identifier 7354085
Research organization: Atomics International Div., Canoga Park, Calif. (USA).
View MARC record | catkey: 38041054