1. ORE PREPARATION and LEACHING the First Step in This
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Load more
Recommended publications
-
FACT SHEET Office of Public Affairs
FACT SHEET Office of Public Affairs Phone: 301-415-8200 Email: [email protected] Uranium Recovery Background The production of fuel for nuclear power plants starts with taking uranium ore from the ground and then purifying and processing it through a series of steps. Uranium recovery focuses on extracting natural uranium ore from the earth and concentrating (or milling) that ore. These recovery operations produce a product, called "yellowcake," which is then transported to a succession of fuel cycle facilities where the yellowcake is transformed into fuel for nuclear power reactors. In addition to yellowcake, uranium recovery operations generate waste products, called byproduct materials, that contain low levels of radioactivity. The NRC does not regulate uranium mining or mining exploration, but does have authority over milling of mined materials and in situ processes used to recover uranium, as well as mill tailings. Today’s conventional uranium mills and in situ recovery (ISR) facilities are operating safely and in a manner that is protective of the environment. The NRC regulates these facilities in close coordination with other Federal agencies and State and Tribal governments and provides technical support and guidance to those Agreement States that have authority over uranium recovery activities. Discussion The NRC becomes involved in uranium recovery operations when the ore is processed and physically or chemically altered. This happens either in a conventional, heap leach uranium mill, or ISR. For that reason, the NRC regulates ISR facilities as well as uranium mills and the disposal of liquid and solid wastes from uranium recovery operations (including mill tailings). -
Implementing Safeguards-By-Design at Natural Uranium Conversion Plants
NIS Office of Nuclear Safeguards and Security Safeguards-By-Design Facility Guidance Series (NGSI-SBD-002) August 2012 Implementing Safeguards-by-design at Natural Uranium Conversion Plants U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERG National Nuclear Security AdministrationY IMPLEMENTING SAFEGUARDS-BY-DESIGN AT NATURAL URANIUM CONVERSION PLANTS Lisa Loden John Begovich Date Published: July 2012 iii CONTENTS Page CONTENTS ......................................................................................................................................... IV 1. INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE ................................................................................................. 1 2. KEY DEFINITIONS ......................................................................................................................... 2 3. SAFEGUARDS AT NUCPS ............................................................................................................. 7 3.1 SAFEGUARDS OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................. 7 3.2 TRADITIONAL AND INTEGRATED SAFEGUARDS ......................................................... 7 3.3 SAFEGUARDS RESPONSIBILITIES ..................................................................................... 8 3.3.1 STATE REGULATORY AUTHORITY RESPONSIBILITIES ..................................... 8 3.3.2 IAEA RESPONSIBILITIES ............................................................................................ 9 4. ELEMENTS OF FACILITY DESIGN THAT ARE RELEVANT -
Uranium Dioxide Is Voluminous
r>r 19 i o% ORNL-4755 UC-25 - Metals, Ceramics, and Materials s <-;. CONVERSIOH OF V&&4VWA NITRATE TO i aRAMlC-OR^Dt OXIDE>fs6t THE U&HT W4TBT J- -« .•'--• "" * -„ -' r J* - J * \ ^ --; f % ;~, <r- 4>- >» N< DMSICH0F DAfE -,i M\OH CAR6IDE COft^0tATtOR. U.S. ATOMIC *N**0T COMMAS»OIV 9>f & ^ima®tf»T^^*tB iwww® 1 PH^sarf in «*£ Uf9t«t Stress e* America. A vatfatt» from ---Sri*; -3K- >f ~ - - i ,43^>*£«* «^ ixn^ar»# ac «*, mts&mf of work {passaged b? tfw Lhnw XtitNr tfgr *}~ti$*i $**m «ar t!» untod Soto* Aflymic ^ «^ awy ^ iftw^r itT»i&y*OT« nor mf sd ihev canifiesscs.. ^iU- >*• ^H^ **•-» *-*• V .24, i *~ eta* -4-T" * iL - - IBS kfiE- r-„- 2 • «. "« J" '»' i - ^r'-s^j. •NOTICt ORNL-4755 Contract No. W-7405-eng-26 METAI5 AND CERAMICS DIVISION CONVERSION OF URANIUM NITRATE TO CERAMIC-GRADE OXIDE FOR THE LIGHT WATER ESEEDER REACTOR: PROCESS DEVELOPMENT J. M. Leitnaker M. L. Smith C. M. Fitzpatrick APRIL 1972 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830 operated by UNION CARBIDE CORPORATIOJN for the U.S. ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION W5TWBUTI0N OF THIS DOCUMENT IS UftUMflli iii CONTENTS Page Abstract 1 Introduction 1 Previous Investigations - 3 Stabilisation 4 Behavior of IXfe in Dry Air or Oxygen at Lev Tenpera&ures . 5 Behavior of UCfe in Dry Air or Oxygen at High Temperatures . 5 Behavior of DC^ in Hoist Air 7 Stabilisation of UO2 by Control of Surface Area 7 Stabilization by Addition of Moisture 11 Stabilization of UO2 with Dry Ice 12 Mechanical Stabilization of UO2 13 Reduction of Uranate to UO2 14 General Process Description . -
Two Paths to a Nuclear Bomb Iran Has Historically Pursued Work on Both Uranium- and Plutonium-Weapons Programs, Western O Cials Say
Two Paths to a Nuclear Bomb Iran has historically pursued work on both uranium- and plutonium-weapons programs, Western ocials say. The 2015 nuclear deal set temporary limits on a wide range of Iran's nuclear work and committed Tehran to never work on nuclear weapons. Here's how far down those paths Iran is. Creating weapons-grade nuclear fuel Uranium 1 Low-grade uranium ore is 2 Centrifuges are set up in 3 Enriching uranium to 5% is the 4 It takes roughly 200 kg to 250 kg of 20% mined and chemically treated cascades to enrich the uranium. most time-consuming part of enriched uranium to produce the 25 kg of to produce a concentrated The sophisticated process can producing weapons-grade material. 90% enriched uranium, the amount needed yellowcake. After a conversion take years to establish. Iran Iran on Monday exceeded its for a bomb. Iran has reached 20% purity in process, it is fed into produced around 20,000 basic permitted 300-kg stockpile of the past but has never enriched above that centrifuges. centrifuges but is doing research uranium enriched to 3.67%. level. The enriched uranium is converted to Weaponizing nuclear fuel on more advanced machines. uranium metal for weapon use. Deploying the nuclear fuel in a Centrifuges weapon presents technical challenges, many of which Iran isn’t believed to have mastered. Detonating the 5% enriched Uranium Yellowcake Uranium 20% weapon requires a fission ore hexaflouride uranium 90% reaction. The nuclear payload 25kg must be attached to a missile, and the payload must be able 200-250 kg to withstand reentry through through earth's atmosphere as Plutonium it descends to its target. -
Journal of Luminescence 210 (2019) 425–434
Journal of Luminescence 210 (2019) 425–434 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Luminescence journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jlumin Insight into the effect of A-site cations on structural and optical properties of T RE2Hf2O7:U nanoparticles ∗ Maya Abdoua, Santosh K. Guptaa,b, Jose P. Zunigaa, Yuanbing Maoa,c, a Department of Chemistry, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, 1201 West University Drive, Edinburg, TX, 78539, USA b Radiochemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400085, India c School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, 1201 West University Drive, Edinburg, TX, 78539, USA ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: A2B2O7 type pyrochlores have been recently proposed as a potential nuclear waste host due to their many Uranium interesting properties. To assess and understand the performance of these compounds as nuclear waste hosts, the Pyrochlore speciation and structural investigations on actinide-doped RE2Hf2O7 are needed since both are imperative from Phase-transition their application perspective. In this work, we investigated the effect of uranium doping at different con- Luminescence centrations in the range of 0–10% on the structural and optical properties of RE Hf O :U (RE = Y, Gd, Nd, and Cotunnite 2 2 7 Lu) nanoparticles (NPs). The Y2Hf2O7 NPs exist in slightly disordered pyrochlore structure and the extent of disordering increases as a function of uranium doping while the structure reaches a cotunnite phase at 10.0% doping level. The Nd2Hf2O7 NPs also exist in a distorted pyrochlore structure and their distortion increases with increasing uranium doping inducing a phase transition into a disordered fluorite structure at 10.0% uranium doping. -
Global Fissile Material Report 2006 a Table of Contents
IPF M Global Fis sile Material Report Developing the technical basis for policy initiatives to secure and irreversibly reduce stocks of nuclear weapons and fissile materials 2006 Over the past six decades, our understanding of the nuclear danger has expanded from the threat posed by the vast nuclear arsenals created by the super- powers in the Cold War to encompass the prolifera- tion of nuclear weapons to additional states and now also to terrorist groups. To reduce this danger, it is essential to secure and to sharply reduce all stocks of highly enriched uranium and separated plutonium, the key materials in nuclear weapons, and to limit any further production. The mission of the IPFM is to advance the technical basis for cooperative international policy initiatives to achieve these goals. A report published by Global Fissile The International Panel on Fissile Materials (IPFM) www.fissilematerials.org Program on Science and Global Security Princeton University Material Report 2006 221 Nassau Street, 2nd Floor Princeton, NJ 08542, USA First report of the International Panel on Fissile Materials First report of the International Panel on Fissile Materials Developing the Technical Basis for Policy Initiatives to Secure and Irreversibly Reduce Stocks of Nuclear Weapons and Fissile Materials www.fissilematerials.org Global Fissile Material Report 2006 a Table of Contents About the IPFM 1 Summary 2 I. Background 5 1 Fissile Materials and Nuclear Weapons 6 2 Nuclear-Weapon and Fissile-Material Stocks 12 3 Production and Disposition of Fissile -
Revision 1 Manuscript Submitted To
This is a preprint, the final version is subject to change, of the American Mineralogist (MSA) Cite as Authors (Year) Title. American Mineralogist, in press. (DOI will not work until issue is live.) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2138/am.2013.4295 10/3 1 Revision 1 2 3 Manuscript submitted to the Special Section: 4 "Mineralogy and the Nuclear Industry: Actinides in 5 Geology, Energy, and the Environment" 6 7 8 9 10 Evidence for nanocrystals of vorlanite, a rare uranate mineral, in the Nopal I low- 11 temperature uranium deposit (Sierra Peña Blanca, Mexico) 12 Guillaume Othmane,1,* Thierry Allard,1 Nicolas Menguy,1 Guillaume Morin,1 Imène Esteve,1 13 Mostafa Fayek,2 and Georges Calas1 14 15 1 Institut de Minéralogie et de Physique des Milieux Condensés (IMPMC), UMR 7590 16 CNRS-UPMC/Paris VI-IRD, Case 115, 4 place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France 17 18 2 Dept. of Geological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3T 2N2 19 20 * E-mail: [email protected] 21 1 Always consult and cite the final, published document. See http://www.minsocam.org or GeoscienceWorld This is a preprint, the final version is subject to change, of the American Mineralogist (MSA) Cite as Authors (Year) Title. American Mineralogist, in press. (DOI will not work until issue is live.) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2138/am.2013.4295 10/3 22 ABSTRACT 23 The occurence of vorlanite, cubic CaUO4, is reported in the Nopal I uranium deposit 24 (Sierra Peña Blanca, Mexico). This is the first time this rare calcium uranate has been found 25 displaying a cubic morphology, in agreement with its crystal structure. -
Spectroscopic Signatures of Uranium Speciation for Forensics
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones May 2017 Spectroscopic Signatures of Uranium Speciation for Forensics Nicholas Wozniak University of Nevada, Las Vegas Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/thesesdissertations Part of the Chemistry Commons Repository Citation Wozniak, Nicholas, "Spectroscopic Signatures of Uranium Speciation for Forensics" (2017). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 3063. http://dx.doi.org/10.34917/10986257 This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Dissertation in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/or on the work itself. This Dissertation has been accepted for inclusion in UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SPECTROSCOPIC SIGNATURES OF URANIUM SPECIATION FOR FORENSICS By Nicholas Robert Wozniak Bachelors of Science – Chemistry Bachelors of Science – Physics Hope College 2012 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy – Radiochemistry Department of Chemistry College of Sciences The Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas May 2017 Dissertation Approval The Graduate College The University of Nevada, Las Vegas April 14, 2017 This dissertation prepared by Nicholas Robert Wozniak entitled Spectroscopic Signatures of Uranium Speciation for Forensics is approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy – Radiochemistry Department of Chemistry Ken Czerwinski, Ph.D. -
Managing the Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Policy Implications of Expanding Global Access to Nuclear Power
Managing the Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Policy Implications of Expanding Global Access to Nuclear Power Mary Beth Nikitin, Coordinator Specialist in Nonproliferation Anthony Andrews Specialist in Energy and Defense Policy Mark Holt Specialist in Energy Policy October 19, 2012 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL34234 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Managing the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Summary After several decades of widespread stagnation, nuclear power has attracted renewed interest in recent years. New license applications for 30 reactors have been announced in the United States, and another 548 are under construction, planned, or proposed around the world. In the United States, interest appears driven, in part, by tax credits, loan guarantees, and other incentives in the 2005 Energy Policy Act, as well as by concerns about carbon emissions from competing fossil fuel technologies. A major concern about the global expansion of nuclear power is the potential spread of nuclear fuel cycle technology—particularly uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing—that could be used for nuclear weapons. Despite 30 years of effort to limit access to uranium enrichment, several undeterred states pursued clandestine nuclear programs, the A.Q. Khan black market network’s sales to Iran and North Korea representing the most egregious examples. However, concern over the spread of enrichment and reprocessing technologies may be offset by support for nuclear power as a cleaner and more secure alternative to fossil fuels. The Obama Administration has expressed optimism that advanced nuclear technologies being developed by the Department of Energy may offer proliferation resistance. The Administration has also pursued international incentives and agreements intended to minimize the spread of fuel cycle facilities. -
Kinetic Study of the Oxidative Dissolution of UO2 in Aqueous Carbonate Media
8188 Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2004, 43, 8188-8193 Kinetic Study of the Oxidative Dissolution of UO2 in Aqueous Carbonate Media Shane M. Peper,† Lia F. Brodnax,† Stephanie E. Field,† Ralph A. Zehnder,† Scott N. Valdez,‡ and Wolfgang H. Runde*,† Chemistry and Nuclear Materials Technology Divisions, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 The oxidative dissolution of uranium(IV) dioxide powder at room temperature in aqueous carbonate media has been investigated. Kinetic studies evaluating the efficacy of various oxidants, including K2S2O8, NaOCl, and H2O2, for dissolving UO2 in alkaline solution have been performed, with H2O2 exhibiting the most rapid initial dissolution at 0.1 M oxidant concentrations. This result is due in part to the ability of peroxide to act as both an oxidant and a ligand under alkaline conditions. A spectrophotometric titration was used to confirm peroxide coordination to the U(VI) metal center. The disappearance of characteristic absorbance maxima associated 4- with UO2(CO3)3 (e.g., 448.5 nm) and a subsequent change in solution coloration upon titration with hydrogen peroxide indicated a change in speciation. Optimization of the hydrogen peroxide concentration indicated that the initial rate of uranium oxidation increased with increasing peroxide concentration, with a maximum reaction rate estimated at about 0.9 M peroxide. In addition, the effects of both the carbonate countercation and the carbonate concentration were also studied. It was determined that for 40 mg UO2 0.5MNa2CO3 was the most propitious choice, exhibiting both a high initial dissolution rate and the highest UO2 dissolution capacity among the systems studied. -
Uranium Mining Communities in the American West
Contents List of Illustrations vii Acknowledgments ix Introduction xv 1 From Weed to Weapon: U.S. Uranium, 1898–1945 1 2 To Stimulate Production and in Interest of Security: 17 The First Cold War Uranium Boom, 1946–1958 3 Uranium Company Towns in the American West 37 4 The Uranium Capital of the World I: Moab 53 5 The Uranium Capital of the World II: Grants 77 6 Allocation, Protectionism, and Subsistence: 105 Changing Federal Policies to Preserve Domestic Producers, 1958–1970 7 Creatures of Uncle Sam: Yellowcake Communities 115 During the Allocation and Stretch-out Periods 8 The Commercial Boom and Bust: Federal Policies and 135 the Free Market, 1970–1988 9 Yellowcake Towns During the Commercial Boom and 149 Bust, 1970–1988 10 Conclusion 173 Bibliography 181 Index 197 Introduction S INCE THE END OF THE COLD WAR in 1989, Americans have begun to consider seriously the social costs exacted by the development of the atom. Recent disclosures have revealed radiation tests conducted on unknowing children. Similar studies have probed cancer rates in the inter- montane West presumably caused by nuclear testing. Still others have ex- amined the survival of cities such as Hanford, Washington, and Los Alamos, New Mexico, where the first bombs and reactors were manufactured.1 But little scholarly attention has been directed to the supply side of the indus- try. Although some recent works have examined the environmental conse- quences of uranium mining and the cancer rates among its miners, there is little mention of the well-being of the communities impacted by the min- ing and milling of yellowcake, the industry’s term for processed uranium ore.2 This study analyzes the origins, development, and decline of four such yellowcake communities: Uravan, Colorado; Moab, Utah; Grants, New Mexico; and Jeffrey City, Wyoming. -
Uranium (U) Fact Sheet
Uranium (U) September 2003 Fact Sheet 320-079 Division of Environmental Health Office of Radiation Protection WHO DISCOVERED URANIUM? Uranium was discovered by Martin Klaproth, a German chemist, in 1789 in the mineral pitchblende, and was named after the planet Uranus. Some of the important isotopes of uranium are: ♦ U235 (half-life 703,800,000 years) ♦ U238 (half-life 4,468,000,000 years) WHAT IS URANIUM USED FOR? In the past, uranium was used to color glass (from as early as 79 AD) and deposits were once mined in order to obtain its decay product, radium. This element was used in luminous paint, particularly on the dials of watches and aircraft instruments, and in medicine for the treatment of disease. Uranium was popular as an orange coloring agent for ceramic glazes on Fiesta Ware until its use was restricted in 1943, and as an additive in porcelain teeth to improve their appearance. Until the 1970s, virtually all of the uranium that was mined was used in the production of nuclear weapons. Today the only substantial use for uranium is as fuel in nuclear reactors, mostly in nuclear power plants for electricity generation. Uranium-235 is the only naturally occurring material which can sustain a fission chain reaction, releasing large amounts of energy. Uranium Fuel Natural uranium is composed of 0.72% U-235 (the fissionable isotope), 99.27% U-238, and a trace quantity 0.0055% U-234. The 0.72% U-235 is not sufficient to produce a self-sustaining critical chain reaction in U.S. style light-water reactors, although it is used in Canadian CANDU reactors.