The objective of the work described herein was to measure, experimentally, the achievable decontamination of plutonium from gallium by means of the PUREX solvent extraction process. Gallium is present in surplus weapons-grade plutonium (WG-Pu) at a concen...

... Accession Number : ADA003413. Title : Source Book on Plutonium and Its Decontamination. Descriptive Note : Topical rept. ...

... Procedures for monitoring, control, and decontamination of plutonium ... Descriptors : *FALLOUT, *RADIATION MONITORS, CONTROL, DAMAGE ...

The invention relates to a process for decontaminating or removing radionuclides from aqueous solution.

The invention relates to a process for decontaminating or removing radionuclides from aqueous solution.

This patent relates to an improvement in the bismuth phosphate process for separating and recovering plutonium from neutron irradiated uranium, resulting in improved decontamination even without the use of scavenging precipitates in the by-product precipitation step and subsequently more complete recovery of the plutonium in ...

Various reagents in combination with ultrasonic energy were used to attempt decontamination of ratskin and pigskin contaminated with yttrium or plutonium. Results indicate that ultrasonic decontamination methods are almost completely effective in removing yttrium and partially effective in removing ...

This report provides the results of PNNL's and Fluor's studies of the thermal stabilities of potential wastes arising from decontamination of Hanford's Plutonium Finishing Plant's plutonium contaminated gloveboxes. The candidate wastes arising from the de...

This manual consists of six sections: Properties of Plutonium, Siting of Plutonium Facilities, Facility Design, Radiation Protection, Emergency Preparedness, and Decontamination and Decommissioning. While not the final authority, the manual is an assemblage of information, rules of thumb, regulations, and good practices to assist those ...

Decontamination and decommissioning (D and D) criteria were assembled for use in designing new plutonium facilities. These criteria were gathered from literature searches and visits to many plutonium facilities around the country. The recommendations of r...

A novel, fast and simple separation procedure is presented for separation of plutonium from lighter actinides and fission products. Classical methods, such as TTA-extraction and anion exchange resin techniques, were examined but failed to provide sufficient separation from lighter actinides. A successful procedure based on solid phase extraction chromatography was developed. ...

This report discusses the use of solvent extraction techniques at HAPO for separating plutonium from uranium and fission products which is rather expensive. This is in part due to solvent, chemical and process steam costs and in part to the need for complicated equipment to handle the process. It is felt that the use of ion exchange resin techniques might be economically ...

This report provides the results of PNNL's and Fluor's studies of the thermal stabilities of potential wastes arising from decontamination of Hanford's Plutonium Finishing Plant's plutonium contaminated gloveboxes. The candidate wastes arising from the decontamination ...

Water in batches of 45 gallons each, from a creek crossing the Rocky Flats Plant, was transferred to the Reverse Osmosis (RO) laboratory for experimental testing. The testing involved using RO for plutonium decontamination. For each test, the water was spiked with plutonium, had its pH adjusted, and was then processed by RO. At a water ...

The DP West Plutonium Facility operated by the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, was decontaminated between April 1978 and April 1981. The facility was constructed in 1944 to 1945 to produce plutonium metal and fabricate parts for nuclear weapons. It was continually used as a plutonium ...

Recent changes in world politics have resulted in the United States reducing its nuclear weapons and stopping plutonium production. Prior plutonium production, dismantling warheads, and decontamination and decommissioning some facilities have produced plu...

The Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) was constructed as part of the Manhattan Project during World War II. The Manhattan Project was developed to usher in the use of nuclear weapons to end the war. The primary mission of the PFP was to provide plutonium us...

The preparation for decontamination and decommissioning (transition) of the 309 Building is projected to be completed by the end of the fiscal year (FY) 1998. The major stabilization and decontamination efforts include the Plutonium Recycle Test Reactor (...

The objective of the work described herein was to measure, experimentally, the achievable decontamination of plutonium from gallium by means of the PUREX solvent extraction process. Gallium is present in surplus weapons-grade plutonium (WG-Pu) at a concentration of approximately 1 wt%. Plans are to dispose of ...

A process is given for both reducing plutonium trichloride to plutonium metal using cerium as the reductant and simultaneously alloying such plutonium metal with an excess of cerium or cerium and cobalt sufficient to yield the desired nuclear reactor fuel composition. The process is conducted at a temperature from about 550 to ...

A new fuel reprocessing system by U-Pu co-crystallization process is proposed and examined by flowsheet analysis. This reprocessing system is based on the fact that hexavalent plutonium in nitric acid solution is co-crystallized with uranyl nitrate, whereas it is not crystallized when uranyl nitrate does not exist in the solution. The system consists of five steps: dissolution ...

Mound is currently decontaminating for restricted reuse and/or decommissioning for conditional release four major plutonium-238 contaminated facilities that contained 1700 linear feet of gloveboxes and associated equipment and services. Several thousand l...

... content of the weapon. In each case, pluto- nlum, generally in the form of oxides, will be dispersed. The extent and character ...

The objective of this project is to develop a novel laser ablation in liquid for surface decontamination. It aims to achieve more efficient surface decontamination without secondary contamination. Another aim is to make this surface decontamination technology becomes economically feasible for large scale ...

A plutonium-contaminated puncture wound sustained in a processing facility necessitated extensive monitoring and bio-assay surveillance to determine the extent of plutonium deposition and the effectiveness of decontamination measures. A general description of the wound incident, the monitoring techniques used, a tabulation of ...

This paper summarizes the engineering and field work conducted to decontaminate the 233-S Building Loadout Hood, a plutonium nitrate loadout facility highly contaminated with transuranics. The scope of work supporting the Loadout Hood decontamination effo...

The current debate over possible decontamination processes for U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) facilities is centered on disparate decontamination problems, but the key contaminants (uranium [U], plutonium [Pu], and neptunium [Np]) are universally important. There is no single d...

The objective of this project is to develop a novel laser ablation in liquid technology for surface decontamination. It aims to achieve more efficient surface decontamination without secondary contamination.

One mission of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is to affect pollution prevention and waste minimization surrounding operations at their Plutonium Facility. Efforts are underway and technologies are being deployed to capture the actinide at the source thereby reducing the amount of nuclear material leaving the facility as transuranic waste. Traditional processing ...

The catecholamide ''H'' shaped ligands show excellent promise as actinide chelators for environmental and human decontamination. Greater than 99% of the plutonium in an aqueous buffer solution was removed in a single pass. Additionally, 38% of the plutonium was removed from ...

... solubility. Phenyl half-mustard and Malathion are much less soluble in water, and only partial decontamination was achieved. ...

Dissolution parameters (in various reagents) of americium-241 and plutonium-239 oxide mixtures, uranium-233 oxide, neptunium-237 oxide, curium-244, thorium-232 oxide, and plutonium dioxide were determined. The reagents used were various concentrations of NHO/sub 3/-HF-H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/,HNO/sub 3/-(NH/sub 4/)/sub 2/Ce(NO/sub 3/)/sub 6/, HNO/sub 3/-HF, and ...

Areas 11 and 13 of the Nevada Test Site (NTS) are contaminated with varying concentrations of Pu-239, 240 and Am-241. An investigation of a vacuum method of soil removal, the Cleanup and Treatment (CAT) test, was conducted over a 3-month period in the plutonium safety shot or Plutonium Valley portion of Area 11. Soil in Plutonium ...

The third stage of the study on the homogeneous coprecipitation of neptunium and plutonium from alkaline high-level radioactive waste solutions by the Method of Appearing Reagents has been completed. Alkaline radioactive wastes exist at the U.S. Department of Energy Hanford Site. The recent studies investigated the effects of neptunium chemical reductants, ...

The objective of Mound Laboratory's Decontamination and Decommissioning (D and D) projects has been the effective termination of radioactive material processing facilities with no significant personnel exposures or environmental releases. This objective must be met with available resources and manpower. Mound has effectively ...

The objective of Mound Laboratory's Decontamination and Decommissioning (D&D) projects has been the effective termination of radioactive material processing facilities with no significant personnel exposures or environmental releases. This objective must be met with available resources and manpower. Mound has effectively decontaminated ...

The 570-square mile Hanford Project contains facilities with varying degrees of radioactive contamination as a result of plutonium production operations. With the evolution of production requirements and technology, many of these have been retired and will be decommissioned and decontaminated (D and D). Planning for D and D at Hanford requires ...

The 570-square mile Hanford Project contains facilities with varying degrees of radioactive contamination as a result of plutonium production operations. With the evolution of production requirements and technology, many of these have been retired and will be decommissioned and decontaminated (D and D). Planning for D and D at Hanford requires ...

The United States Department of Energy's Savannah River Site has approximately 5000 55-gallon drums of {sup 238}Pu contaminated waste in interim storage. These may not be shipped to WIPP in TRUPACT-II containers due to the high rate of hydrogen production resulting from the radiolysis of the organic content of the drums. In order to circumvent this problem, the {sup 238}Pu needs to be ...

Partition data were obtained under identical conditions, using 20% diamyl amyl phosphonate (DAAP)/OK and 200% tri-N-butyl phosphonate (TBP)/OK equilibrated with Windscale primary separation plant feed solution with added natural uranium solution. The results that are preserted show that DAAP is the superior extractant for uranium and plutonium recovery. However, ...

The Nevada Field Office of the Department of Energy (DOE/NV) has stated in the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (ERWM) Site Specific Plan for the Nevada Test Site (NTS) that DOE/NV is committed to achieving compliance with all applicable environmental laws, regulations, guidelines, and agreements covering operations at the NTS. The primary DOE/NV objective ...

A new rapid separation method was developed for the measurement of plutonium and neptunium in urine samples by inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and/or alpha spectrometry with enhanced uranium removal. This method allows separation and preconcentration of plutonium and neptunium in urine samples using stacked extraction chromatography ...

Slag and crucible can be dissolved satisfactorily by the Los Alamos method of total dissolution with nitric acid in the presence of aluminum nitrate. Extraction of 99% of the plutonium from total dissolution salted with aluminum nitrate was achieved by three successive contactings with 1/10 volumes of 30% TBp- AMSCO 125-90W. The TBPAMSCO ...

The DP West Plutonium Facility operated by the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico was decontaminated between April 1978 and April 1981. The facility was constructed in 1944 to 1945 to produce plutonium metal and fabricate parts for nuclear weapons. It was continually used as a plutonium ...

The objective of this project is to develop a novel Laser Ablation Decontamination in Liquid (LADIL) technology for surface decontamination and safe removal of radioactive and/or toxic contaminants. It aims to achieve more efficient surface decontamination without secondary conta...

Different methods of decontaminating plutonium contuminated skin were studied by contaminating localized areas of pig skin and then testing the different decortamination methods. Results indicate that the most effective of the decontamination methods tested involved the application of a plastic adherent material to the skin ...

Recent changes in world politics have resulted in the United States reducing its nuclear weapons and stopping plutonium production. Prior plutonium production, dismantling warheads, and decontamination and decommissioning some facilities have produced plutonium-bearing materials which must continue to be managed. ...

Recent changes in world politics have resulted in the United States reducing its nuclear weapons and stopping plutonium production. Prior plutonium production, dismantling warheads, and decontamination and decommissioning some facilities have produced plutonium-bearing materials which must continue to be managed. ...

This paper details the development of a decontamination approach for the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP), Decontamination Project Plan (Plan). The WVDP is operated by West Valley Nuclear Services Company (WVNSCO), a subsidiary of Westinghouse Government and Environmental Services, and its parent companies Washington Group International and British ...

The treatment of contaminated soil presents a significant technical problem. Soil-washing and chemical-extraction methods have proven to be effective for specific applications, but a process with more comprehensive treatment properties that is both cost-effective and environmentally propitious is needed. Bradtec, Inc., has developed a process, the ACT*DE*CON{sup SM} process, that has been tested ...

The treatment of contaminated soil presents a significant technical problem. Soil-washing and chemical-extraction methods have proven to be effective for specific applications, but a process with more comprehensive treatment properties that is both cost-effective and environmentally propitious is needed. Bradtec, Inc., has developed a process, the ACT*DE*CON{sup SM} process, that has been tested ...

This paper describes an engineering study that evaluates decontamination requirements at Hanford and the potential reutilization of the first plutonium processing production facility as a decontamination facility. The logic used to develop the study, the options available for a long-term decontamination mission, ...

Investigation of a two-cycle, all-adsorption, extraction and decontamination process for Pu continued. Studies directed at producing higher decontamination in the Amberlite IR-1 extraction cycle are described along with preliminary work on the coupling of the extraction cycle to the BiPO/sub 4/ decontamination cycle. (T.R.H.)

The decontamination of a reference MAWsub(s) (an alkaline solution coming from the solvent washing and an acidic solution consisting of the mixture of aqueous raffinates deriving from uranium and plutonium purification cycles) by hydroxamic acid is report...

This final report is a summary of the events that completes the decontamination and decommissioning of the Cimarron Corporation's Mixed Oxides Fuel Plant (formally Sequoyah Fuels Corporation and formerly Kerr-McGee Nuclear Corporation - all three wholly o...

This report reviews work relevant to Mn oxides and their use in radionuclide decontamination, focuses on the mechanism of radionuclide decontamination during permanganate treatment with simulant SRS HLW salt solutions and characterizes the solids that form.

A precipitation and adsorption process has been developed to remove cesium, strontium, and plutonium from water-soluble, high-level radioactive waste. Sodium tetraphenylborate precipitates cesium and sodium titanate adsorbs strontium and plutonium. The solids are separated from the decontaminated salt solution by crossflow filtration. ...

... weapons can seriously contaminate field water supplies with fission products, unfissioned uranium or plutonium, or neutron-activated radioisotopes ...

This report was prepared to document the physical, chemical and radiological properties of plutonium oxide materials that were processed in the Plutonium Fuel Form Facility (PuFF) in building 235-F at the Savannah River Plant (now known as the Savannah Ri...

For several years the Health Protection Group attempted to remedy the problem of a facility to adequately handle personnel plutonium contamination incidents. Through the efforts of our Quality Circle a presentation was made to management, which immediatel...

Dissolution parameters (in various reagents) of americium-241 and plutonium-239 oxide mixtures, uranium-233 oxide, neptunium-237 oxide, curium-244, thorium-232 oxide, and plutonium dioxide were determined. The reagents used were various concentrations of ...

Mound Facility, during many years of plutonium-238 experience, has recovered over 150 kg of plutonium-238. Much of this material was recovered from HEPA filters or from solid wastes such as sludge and slag. The objective of this task was to modify and imp...

Project was to develop a low-cost, environmentally benign technology for the decontamination and decommissioning of transuranic waste. With the invention of the atmospheric-pressure plasma jet the goal was achieved. This device selectively etches heavy metals from surfaces, rendering objects radiation free and suitable for decommissioning. The volatile ...

An improvement is presented in the process for recovery and decontamination of plutonium. The carrier precipitate containing plutonium is dissolved and treated with an oxidizing agent to place the plutonium in a hexavalent oxidation state. A lanthanum fluoride precipitate is then formed in and removed ...

Laboratory studies, followed by plant operation, established that a mixture of hydroxylamine nitrate (HAN) and ferrous sulfamate (FS) is superior to FS used alone as a reductant for plutonium in the Purex first cycle. FS usage has been reduced by about 70% (from 0.12 to 0.04M) compared to the pre-1978 period. This reduced the volume of neutralized waste due to FS by 194 ...

Solvent extraction processing has demonstrated the ability to achieve high decontamination factors for uranium and plutonium while operating at high throughputs. Historical application of solvent extraction contacting equipment implies that for the HA cycle (primary separation of uranium and plutonium from fission ...

In the PUREX/UO/sub 3/ operations, 151 tonnes of N reactor fuel were charged to the PUREX dissolvers in April 1985, bringing the Fiscal Year-to-Date (FYTD) total to 667, which is now only 61 tonnes behind the 1200 tonne recovery plan. 139 tonnes of UO/sub 3/ were shipped to the Feed Materials Production Center (FMPC), bringing the FYTD total to 644 tonnes. 22% of the PUO/sub 2/ shipments were ...

A procedure for the separation of plutonium from uranium and long-lived fission products on zirconium phosphate columns is described. Traces of plutonium are separated from nitric acid solutions containing a few grams per liter uranium. Data such as the distribution coefficients, plutonium recovery, and ...

The Plutonium Laboratory, owned and operated by Battelle Memorial Institute's Columbus Division, was located in Battelle's Nuclear Sciences area near West Jefferson, Ohio, approximately 17 miles west of Columbus, Ohio. Originally built in 1960 for plutonium research and processing, the Plutonium Laboratory was ...

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) has published a standard that specifies the criteria for preparation and packaging of plutonium metals and oxides for safe long-term storage (DOE-STD-3013-96). This standard is followed for the packaging of materials resulting from the disassembly of nuclear weapons at Los Alamos National Laboratory under the Advanced Retirement and ...

For reprocessing irradiated fast breeder fuel elements by solvent extraction with 20% TBP/alkane coextraction, cobackwash, and partitioning of uranium and plutonium have been studied. In the coextraction and co-backwash countercurrent experiments, losses of plutonium and uranium to the aqueous raffinate (HAW)and to the organic extractant (HCW) remained ...

The aim of the Ames Laboratory Laser Decontamination Project is to explore new decontamination methods to reduce waste volumes and achieve sufficiently high decontamination factors to permit the unrestricted release of metals for commercial use. This pape...

The aim of the research activities described was to develop vigorous decontamination techniques for decommissioning purposes, taking into account the cost of treatment of the radwaste, to achieve possibly unrestricted release of the treated components, an...

The aim of the research activities described was to develop vigorous decontamination techniques for decommissioning purposes, taking into account the cost of treatment of the radwaste, to achieve possibly unrestricted release of the treated components, an...

The Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) at the Hanford site in Eastern Washington is currently being decommissioned by Fluor Hanford. Chemicals being considered for dccontamination of gloveboxes in PFP include cerium (IV) nitrate in a nitric acid solution, an...

The use of Arklone (1,1,2 trichloro-, 1,2,2 trifluoroethane) as a decontamination reagent for plutonium contaminated non-combustible wastes has been investigated on a laboratory scale. Arklone has been found to be effective for the removal of loose Pu0 su...

For several years the Health Protection Group attempted to remedy the problem of a facility to adequately handle personnel plutonium contamination incidents. Through the efforts of our Quality Circle a presentation was made to management, which immediately appropriated space and funds for the construction of a complete decontamination facility. 9 refs.

Melt-slagging (melt-refining) techniques were evaluated as a decontamination and consolidation step for metals contaminated with oxides of plutonium and americium. Experiments were performed in which mild steel, stainless steel, and nickel contaminated with oxides of plutonium and americium were melted in the presence of silicate slags ...

Purpose of the study was to estimate the amounts of equipment and other materials that are candidates for removal and subsequent processing in a solid waste facility when the Hanford Plutonium Finishing Plant is decontaminated and decommissioned. (Building structure and soil are not covered.) Results indicate that {approximately}5,500 m{sup 3} of solid ...

An improved composition is given for decontaminating surfaces, especially clothing of personnel handling radioactive materials. The composition comprises 20 to 80% polyphosphate, l to 25% nonionic detergent, and 5 to 50% monohydroxy aliphatic monocarboxylic acid, preferably hydroxy acetic acid. To prepare a solution for decontamination use, 2 to ...

Equipment decontamination in a nuclear center is an indispensable operation because of the cost and difficulties of replacement. It also helps to decrease the expensive stocking of radioactive materials. Surface decontamination uses both chemical and physical methods. The chemical methods are used at Marcoule. The installations and procedures ...

A method is described for decontaminating irradiated Pu-Al alloy by dissolving the alloy in a bath of molten fluoride salt of an alkali or alkaline earth metal. The salt phase is separated from the metal phase, and the salt phase is treated with Al above the melting point of the salt phase to form decontaminated Al-Pu alloy. (W.L.H.)

The chelate process for the extraction and decontamination of plutonium has been investigated. The process is designed as an alternate process for ihe Hanford type operation. The basic chemical factors have been studied and two flowsheeis have been developed and tested for recovery of plutonium. An over-all yield of ...

Mound Laboratory, in its many years of plutonium processing experience, has recovered over 150 kilograms of plutonium-238. Much of this material has been recovered from HEPA filters and other secondary wastes such as sludge, slag, etc. The basic recovery nitric acid leach process at Mound for the decontamination of HEPA filters will be ...

At the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS), the D&D task is enormous. Tons of plutonium has been processed over the years in approximately 1,000 gloveboxes, This represents nearly half of the gloveboxes in the DOE complex. In addition, more than a thousand tanks of various designs, with miles of associated piping, supported the processes. A wide variety ...

This patent relates to an improved method for the decontamination of plutonium. The process consists broadly in an improvement in a method for recovering plutonium from radioactive uranium fission products in aqueous solutions by decontamination steps including byproduct carrier precipitation comprising ...

The thermodynamic basis for pyrochemical processes for the recovery and purification of fuel for the liquid metal reactor fuel cycle is described. These processes involve the transport of the uranium and plutonium from one liquid alloy to another through a molten salt. The processes discussed use liquid alloys of cadmium, zinc, and magnesium and molten chloride salts. The ...

Nine unirradiated Mark 53 targets currently stored at the K-Reactor must be dissolved to allow recovery of the neptunium content. The Mark 53 targets are an aluminum clad, neptunium oxide (NpO2)/aluminum metal cermet used for the production of plutonium-238. The targets will be dissolved in H-Canyon and blended with solutions generated from routine fuel dissolutions for ...

An electrolyte for decontaminating metals in a basic solution (pH greater than 7) was invented. The use of a basic electrolyte simplified recovery problems with respect to radioactive contaminants and anodically dissolved base metals. The electrolyte was used on a lab scale to decontaminate stainless steel which had been exposed to ...

The achievement of a floating zone melting apparatus, especially studied for radioactive materials refining, enabled the surface tension of molten uranium and plutonium to be determined by the drop-weight method: 1500 dynes/ cm for uranium, 550 dynes/cm for plutonium. (auth)

We have investigated the feasibility of achieving uranium-plutonium partition of the Purex Process by using a new reagent: Uranous nitrate - hydroxylamine nitrate. Laboratory test tube studies and uranium-plutonium partitioning runs have shown that pluton...

A method is described for reducing plutonium compounds in aqueous solution from a higher to a lower valence state. This reduction of valence is achieved by treating the aqueous solution of higher valence plutonium compounds with hydrogen in contact with an activated platinum catalyst.

The plutonium metal produced by the Direct Oxide Reduction Process is associated with other metallic impurities that have to be removed. The purification of plutonium is achieved using electrorefining process through a molten salt medium. The optimization...

The work reported in this document is a series of statistically designed tests to examine the relationship between the four responses of interest and five precipitation parameters affiliated with the new precipitation scheme. The four responses are precipitate filterability, strontium decontamination, americium decontamination, and ...

In late 1975, Sequoyah Fuels Corporation (SFC) announced its intention to suspend operations of its Cimarron Plutonium Fuel Fabrication Facility and to place the Facility in a standby status pending development of further activities. SFC, using non-destructive assay (NDA) measurement techniques, measured the residual plutonium held-up in the plant process ...

Building 232-Z is an element of the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) located in the 200 West Area of the Hanford Site. From 1961 until 1972, plutonium-bearing combustible materials were incinerated in the building. Between 1972 and 1983, following shutdown of the incinerator, the facility was used for waste segregation activities. The facility was placed in ...

An effective method for purifying plutonium hexafluoride for the reprocessing of the spent nuclear fuel or for the recovery of fuel plutonium from the scrap by fluoride-volatility with high decontamination factors is presented using a selective adsorption of the fission products fluorides by letting the gas mixture flow through a layer ...

A problem of long standing at plants handling plutonium is its detection in wounds from which the alpha particlcs cannot penetrate. About 4% of the disintegrations of plutonium are followed by emission of x rays of about 17 kev. Than RaI crystals are very efficient -detectors of these rays (0.25 mm gives 95%) and have low backgrounds. ...

A precipitation and adsorption process has been developed to remove cesium, strontium, and plutonium from water-soluble, high-level radioactive waste. An existing waste tank serves as the reaction vessel and the process begins with the addition of a solution of sodium tetraphenylborate and a slurry of sodium titanate to the contained waste salt solution. Sodium ...

A highly contaminated glove-box at LLNL containing plutonium was decontaminated using a strippable decontamination gel. 6 x 12 inch quadrants were mapped out on each of the surfaces. The gel was applied to various surfaces inside the glove-box and was allowed to cure. The radioactivity in each quadrant was measured using a LLNL Blue ...

A pyro-chemical method is presented for decontaminating neutron irradiated uranium and separating plutonium therefrom by contact in the molten state with a metal chloride salt. Uranium trichloride and uranium tetrachloride either alone or in admixture with alkaline metal and alkaline eanth metal fluorides under specified temperature and specified ...

The Casting Laboratory (CL) alpha glove box was used to melt and cast metallic uranium and plutonium fuels as part of the Department of Energy`s Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor Program. This highly contaminated alpha glove box was decontaminated and reconditioned to allow a change in mission. The goal of reconditioning was to install experimental ...

Mound Facility, during many years of plutonium-238 experience, has recovered over 150 kg of plutonium-238. Much of this material was recovered from HEPA filters or from solid wastes such as sludge and slag. The objective of this task was to modify and improve the existing nitric acid leaching process used at Mound so that filters from the nuclear fuel ...

Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site has prepared a Ten Year Plan (Plan) that demonstrates how the Site would achieve accelerated cleanup and rapidly reduce the risks the Site currently poses to its workers, the public, and the environment. A major element of the Plan is the decontamination and demolition of over 500 Site facilities, including all of ...

'Magnetic molecules' are a new type of decontaminant for removing dilute dissolved contaminants from solution. Magnetic molecules have a specific ion exchange function to selectively react with a particular type of ionic contamination in a liquid solution. The magnetic molecules also have a very small magnetic ferritin core (ferritin is an iron-III mammalian ...

During April 1962, equipment in both the main Redox Building (202-S) and the Plutonium Concentration Building (233-S) vas rearranged to allow the accumulation and recovery of neptunium without interference with the production of uranium and plutonium. In order to do this, the former rework column (1S) was put into continuous service as a neptunium recovery ...

A spectrophotometric extraction method for milligram levels of plutonium is described. Following a silver (II) oxidation, plutonium(VI) as the tetrapropylammonium trinitrate complex is extracted quantitatively into methyl isobutyl ketone from an acid-deficient aluminum nitrate salting solution. Though uranium and neptunium are extracted also, ...

This report covers the tests conducted on the decontamination of water contaminated with plutonium. The report concludes that the Army Mobile Water Purification Unit is capable of removing essentially all particulate plutonium from water by the standard processes of coagulation with ferric chloride and limestone, ...

The Hanford Site, located in south-central Washington State, is currently undergoing extensive modifications as its mission changes from defense material production to one of waste management and environmental restoration. Starting in World War II, Hanfor...

The objective of this report is to compare personal air sampling data to stationary air sampling data and to bioassay data that was taken during the decontamination and decommissioning of sixty-one plutonium glove boxes at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL...

Procedures are proposed for improving the decontamination of Pu by the bismuth phosphate carrier precipitate process. The procedures consist of adding mercury ions in one of the steps of the precipitation process in conjunction with addition of cerium ions, manganese ions, or an organic dicarboxylic acid. (D.L.C.)

Argonne National Laboratory is decommissioning a facility used to fabricate reactor fuel elements. The equipment is contaminated with alpha emitters at levels up to 10 exp 12 dpm/100 cm exp 2 . The objective of decontamination is to reduce the TRU concent...

Bone char, a natural product which is obtained from granulated cattle bone, was determined to be the optimum phosphate for large-scale removal of plutonium from wastewater. Particles in the 74 to 105 mu range gave the best combination of decontamination f...

Laboratory-scale studies have shown electropolishing to be a rapid and effective technique for removing plutonium and other radionuclide contamination from a variety of metal surfaces. This paper summarizes work in progress at Battelle, Pacific Northwest ...

The combined attack of HNO/sub 3/ and HNO/sub 2/ on TBP-kerosene solvents used in the Purex Process produces degradation products that cause abnormal quantities of zirconium to be extracted along with the plutonium and uranium and thus limits the decontamination. (auth)

Rags containing RadPro(reg sign) solution will be generated during the decontamination of the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP). Under normal conditions, the rags will be neutralized with sodium carbonate prior to placing in the drums. The concern with RadP...

Rags containing RadPro(reg sign) solution will be generated during the decontamination of the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP). Under normal conditions, the rags will be neutralized with sodium carbonate prior to placing in the drums. The concern with RadP...

A simpie continuous monitor for airborne alpha particles is described. The single-channel system can detect activity concentrations of ten times maximum permissible level for plutonium and gives indication of accumulated with emphasis on simplicity, reliability, flexibllity of use, and ease of decontamination. (auth)

The Department of Energy has prepared an environmental assessment on the proposed decontamination and decommissioning of the Westinghouse Advanced Reactors Division Plutonium Fuel Laboratories, Cheswick, Pennsylvania. Based on the environmental assessment, which is available to the public on request, the Department has determined that the proposed action ...

... of plutonium needed to produce a nuclear weapon is smaller than a basketball and does not emit a strong ra- dioactive ...

A reverse osmosis pilot plant was used to decontaminate a caustic water containing low concentrations of uranium, plutonium, and americium. The concentrations of the plutonium and americium were less than one picocurie per liter in the product water. The concentrations of the uranium was reduced to 4.4 picocuries per liter in the ...

Recovery and purification were satisfactory in miniatarepilot-plant tests of the Purex first cycle with the solvent residing four seconds in each extraction stage. Decontamination factors for both zirconium-- niobium and ruthenium were greater than 10,000 with negligible crosscontamination of uranium and plutonium. The effects of the ...

During the summer of 1974, two accidental releases from a radioactive liquid-waste line at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) resulted in plutonium contamination of a small area of land, a portion of a Laboratory parking lot, and a strip along an adjacent street. This report documents the immediate control actions and radiation surveys made in response to these leaks, ...

Lessons learned during decontamination and dismantling of a plutonium nitrate loadout facility, highly contaminated with transuranics, suggest the development of improved design features for future nuclear fuel reprocessing plants. Part of the Hanford Redox Plant, the 233-S Building contains systems formerly used for the final purification and ...

A coprocessing solvent extraction flowsheet for recovering and purifying LWR fuels has been altered to achieve partial partioning of uranium and plutonium to eliminate streams with pure plutonium. Partial partitioning has been demonstrated in the laboratory with simulated feeds and irradiated LWR fuel solutions. Hydroxylamine nitrate ...

Processes are described for preparing plutonium, particularly processes of separating plutonium from uranium and fission products in neutron-irradiated uraniumcontaining matter. Specifically, plutonium solutions containing uranium, fission products and other impurities are contacted with reducing agents such as sulfur dioxide, ...

This paper summarizes the engineering and field work conducted to decontaminate the 233-S Building Loadout Hood, a plutonium nitrate loadout facility highly contaminated with transuranics. The scope of work supporting the Loadout Hood decontamination effort included a detailed physical and radiological characterization, ...

Fluor Hanford is decommissioning the PFP at the Hanford Site and is considering using agressive chemicals to remove transuranium contaminants. As part of the evaluation of these methods, Fluor is considering the path for disposal and the thermal stability of the waste products from the decontamination process. This paper provides the results of our studies on cerium nitrate ...

Report contains results of PRTR core and associated structures characterization performed in January and February of 1997. Radiation survey data are presented, along with recommendations for stabilization activities before transitioning to a decontamination and decommissioning function. Recommendations are also made about handling the waste generated by the stabilization ...

Decontamination projects are typically undertaken in the interest of reducing disposal costs. This goal can be achieved because decontamination concentrates the contaminant into a smaller volume or changes its form so that a lower cost disposal technology...

This paper deals with an industrial application of the foam decontamination process applied to large volume components. The work presented below was achieved within the context of a CEC contract. The objective of this 4-year programme was to study, develo...

Decontamination was carried out in and around three houses in Novo Bobovichi, Russia, in the autumn of 1995. It was demonstrated that significant reductions in the dose rate both indoor (DRF = 0.34) and outdoor (DRF = 0.20) can be achieved when a careful ...

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) needs to remove irradiated fuel from the Plutonium-Uranium Extraction (PUREX) Plant and N Reactor at the Hanford Site, Richland, Washington, to stabilize the facilities in preparation for decontamination and decommissio...

The wastewater containing plutonium in China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE) is a kind of specific decontamination liquid waste containing (sup 239,240)Pu, (sup 241)Am etc, its alpha-radioactivity is about 1 x 10(sup 5) Bq/L. It is not suitable for trea...

Large areas encompassing almost 800 hectares on the Nevada Test Site, Nellis Air Force Range and the Tonopah Test Range are contaminated with plutonium. Decontamination of plutonium from these sites may involve removal of plants and almost 370,000 cubic m...

In 1973, Argonne National Laboratory began consolidating and upgrading its plutonium-handling operations with the result that the research fuel-fabrication facility located in Building 350 was shut down and declared surplus. Sixteen of the twenty-three gl...

During the second and third steps of Active Test at Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant (RRP), the performances of the Separation Facility have been checked; (A) diluent washing efficiency, (B) plutonium stripping efficiency, (C) decontamination factor of fission products and (D) plutonium and uranium leakage into raffinate and spent solvent. ...