(h- -f(*S ORNL-5050 DIVISION Annual Progress Report PERIOD ENDING MARCH 31.1975 JBBSk BLANK PAGE Printed in the United States of America. Available from National Tcchmcai Infmmetiun Service U.S. Depertment of Cowwneto 5286 Port Royal Road. SprinpfieM, Vinjinia 22161 Price: Printed Copy $5.46; Microfiche $235 This rapon MM pimmml m an account of work ipomwd by rtw UnHotf Stmt (•rovornfoant. Naioiar tno UMM Stows nor 010 Enanjy ftaaujrcfi and Davolooaaant AdniMtstiation, nor any of ttwir ainptoyaas, nor any of tnaw contractors, subcontractors, or ttttir atnafcoYaas* nofcas any warranty, axpnjss or ttnpkad, or aavurnts any lajaf fcabinty or rasponsvbrMy for ina accuracy, conojilofanass or uavfuloaas of any •nforviujtton, apparatus, product or procass ovactoaad*. or roprosants that its uaa would not mfrinpt pnuasaly oumod nplrts. uc-w- CHBMCAL TECHNOLOGY WVUttM ANNUAL rwoowni REPORT I 31,1975 0. E. Ferguson — Division Director R. 6. Wymer — Associate Division Director K. B. Brown — Aiiirteru Divuior. Director A. P. Msjfntuskcs — Chemical Development Section Chief C. D. Scott — Experimental Engineering Section Chief D. E. Ferguson — <s, ;ne, Enejneering&Mfdmatk»n and Analysis Section Chief R. E. Brooksbenk — rrfot Plant Section Chief OCTOBER 1975 OAK RIDOE NATIONAL LABORATORY Oe*Btdoe.Tewneee«e 37130 operated by UNION CARBIDE CORPORATION torflw ENERGY RESEARCH AfU>De3rEU>PJva£NTAC«ttl«^^ WeporapnwHOiiitri»ediwdii>earie»are»lbluiM ORNL-2392 tend Endfeaj Aupm 31.1967 ORNL-2576 Period Endinff Aupm 31. <959 ORNL-27K Period Endng AupM 31. H» OftNL 2993 Period Endeej AupM 31.1M0 ORNL-31S3 Period EndniNhv 31.1M1 ORNL-3314 Period End** May 31.1992 ORNL-34S2 Period EieJuMj Mo> 31. WW ORNL-3t27 Period Endwaj May 31.19— ORNL-3B30 Period Eodnf Nay 31.19ft ORNL-3M6 Period EndmgMoy 31.199* ORNL4145 Period End** May 31,1997 OFML4Z72 Period Endoej May 31. 1961 ORNL-4422 Period Enden May 31. Ht» ORNL-457? Period End** May 31. 1970 0RNL4H2 Period Endmf MHtk 31,1971 ORNL-4794 Period Endinf March 31.1972 0RNL49B3 Period Emftni Man* 31,1973 ORNL49S9 Period En*ne March 31.1974 Preface This piopes report is * »Mwy of the research sod dcwtefffurf iffatu conducted io the Chemical Technology Dmskm doring the period April I, 1974-ltoch 31, r9V. ftanher Mfonaalic: rcprding work n the varans programs caa be obtained from the topical reports ahd tosnei «3da eitei m the references. ii: Cbutents PREFACE - 1. DEVElXJPIIEPfT OF AQUEOUS PROCESSES FOR LMFWFUEL5 I 2. HTCR FUEL RECYCLE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM 2 3. MOLTEN-SALT REACTOR PROGRAM 3 4. WASTE MANAGEMENT 4 4.1 Geologic Disposal Evaluation Program 4 42 Processing Modifications for Improved Waste .ianigrmenl 6 4 J Leaching of Radionuclides from Waste Solids II 4.4 Methods for Management of ORNL Liquid Wastes 14 43 Projections of Radioactive Wastes from the Nuclear Fuel Cycle 19 5. TRANSURANIUM-ELEMENT PROCESSING 20 5.1 TRU Operations 20 5.2 Special Projects 21 6. HTGR TECHNOLOGY AND SAFETY PROGRAMS 24 7. PREPARATION OF "3UO, 25 7.1 Recovery of233U from Waste UOj and Scrap UOi-ThO, Pellets 25 7.2 "'U Purification Systems 25 7 J Conversion of" 3U from Nitrate Solution to Ceramic-Grade Dioxide Powder 26 8. SEPARATIONS CHEMISTRY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 27 8.1 New Separations Agents 27 8.2 Separation of Radium from Uranium OreTaitngt 28 8J Separation of Alpha Emitters from Fuel R«procesting Wastes 30 8.4 Waste Stream Processing Studies 31 8J DistrmutimEquih1>ria,IUrieti(»,andMechafusrm 33 9. BIOMEDICAL TECHNOLOGY 36 9.1 Advanced Analytical Techniques 36 9.2 Centrifugal Fast Analyzer Development 42 v •BBBBBSHB BLANK PAGE L VI 10 BCVWrOWMTItTALSlUnB ** MA niiwilil ltarf>w«fftifci«ii .... 49 11. MOCHBMCALBKMEEUNG 57 I I.I faiyMtOtaJyarthtte-iiaBofHjiiura .... 57 II J? fcowactgrft [Infill 59 IIJ •Jtpimfftiilyfui 61 12. CQALTKHNOUlCYnKKKAM 65 12.2 Ttp• n ti i•• Xr i TinliMji «. i2j n» »•!•!< r«*i i ijM.Tm rf»i»storiBiii nin Tmx* « 13. ATnMDCOXfDCS.NmtBCS.Ara>CAltm)ES ID 13.1 FifwntwofTtriM ijMwi pan 70 13.2 HuMi Hw [fMii 70 14. STUDKSmCHBVALBIiaNEBUNGSCIBeCE 72 14.1 Ma«TwfcfRjMtaiOpainsbUcCalMMB 72 14.2 ft ii •lnwOpfctewi Slwte» 72 143 n nfc^Sf*e»Co>—iFarfwi^CooJocfiida^ 74 CaMactarUM«Vai««4Mac«y 75 143 nipwili in uf'ijrwlnli Imfciii 75 I4J6 Ifc^iiicCiwwiiiliwofCnpliiie 77 15. COKntOUEDTKHMIUClEARrROGItAM 79 1*1 Stu|ii^S»w*t»otaTniiBwlfc«<^Syrtn»fo>»E«yeiiMirtjiFwio«PwmlUic^ 79 ISJ rtwpmminm far Tew* ofCijuwiptiiw tWfwgfar Fwiwi Inctort 81 1SJ TriliMiSoiMJMSiMm SI I*. KJOeeSTUMB S2 16.1 loAMSafplio«oiiClMcodlfMI(MiMiD(9Drpli(M 82 16.2 Reaction of OinoJc ndWtt win Hypcnuotrooic Nitric Kot 84 !7. REACTOR SAFETY RESEARCH 86 17.1 fiHtoPtofcctRclcMfroMLimFMl 86 17.2 Tf—Hm Mam fnm UtfK fad 87 vu 18 NULLA*REGULATORYCOMMISSIONPROGRAMS 91 IS. I Ik ulupauat nf "As Low as PracOcaMe" < ALAPl Gaatcs for the Nwdear Fad Cyde 91 1SJ Safety Review of Nudear Facatiie* 91 1SJ Safety Review of Tnasport Casks 92 l«». DIFFUSION OF ADSORKD SPECIES IN rOROUSMEDU 93 30. MISCELLANEOUS PROGRAMS 96 20.1 RCIMKC States 96 202 Studies lavofciai Tests of Obsolete Casks 96 20J PiipMHi of ORNL Radioactive Waste by Hyataafc Fractarif, 97 20.4 Storage. FanfkafMi. aarf Datf ributioa of "*U 96 20.5 CnesMcal Apajjutioas of !vacfear Exatosran 99 20.6 Preparatina of Tnasiag Gvajes for Nadear Facility Peunaarl 99 20.7 tamuanuiiial hapact Stateavcat on the US. Nvcttar Power Export Program 100 PUBLICATIONS SPEECHES. AND SEMINARS 101 1. Development of Aqueous Processes for LMFBR Fueb Tim woAeameumti with the fciflapajnii of aaae- Plla*IIR«> 8 a^PaT •™a^™a^^a» *J" *^P*aw 9W^Pa^H*w ^BBT*^» v^^a^vHi aaaaa^B^avJH^ OK PIDCOKS far LMFHt fiMb it MM sepofMi ho« dm rieei • theLMFMT faaf iterrdr /lugi— HIMJUJI Hepnef jfar rtr /awJorf Ap* I fi> Dutmttr SI, 1974 (ORNL ThMt36> Soae Meat cf the work have aho the category UC-79 - Liaajj Metal Fan Breeder 1 1 BLANK PAGE 2. HTGR Fuel Recycle Development Program The Chemical Technology Division's activities under information must be distributed solely under the the HTGR Fuel Recycle Development Program, which category UC-77 Gas-Cooled Reactor Technology. The is part of the overall Thorium Utilization Program, work has been reported separately in monthly GCR include develupir.-nt work in head-end reprocessing and documents and will be summarized in the Gas-Cooled fuel fabrication, off-gas cleanup, and conceptual and Reactor Programs Progress Report for the Period cost studies. This work is not reported here this year, in January 1.1974, to June 30,1975 (to be published). compliance with regulations which stipulate that such 2 »-*«•*•- r."1 ""— •• -^*'* nrrur-"*nm»-r^*^^*arew.,^>**fr3*sr*c5reer:'*»^ xunsHiwawnnaR*~**»* 3. Molten-Salt Reactor Program The Chemical Technology Division's activities under 1. MSR Prognm Semiennu. Progr. Rep. Aug. 31. 1974. the Molten-Salt Reactor Program are concerned with ORNL-5011.p.99. the development of on-site fuel processing methods for 2. MSR Program Semmnnu. Progr. Rep. Feb. 28. 1975. Molten-Salt Breeder Reactors and with the production ORNL-5047 (in preparation) of the various molten salt mixtures required for the 3. J. R. Hightower. It., ex al.. Engineering Development MSR Program's research ami development activities. Studies for Molten Sell Breeder Reactor Processing No. 18. ORNL-TO-4698 (March 1975). This work is not reported here this year, in compliance 4. J. R. Hifhtower. Jr., ei al.. Engineering Development with regulations 'vhich stipulate that such information Studies for tMten-Sell Breeder Reactor Processing No. 19. be distributed solely under the category UC-76 ORNL TM-4S63 (July 1975). Molten-Salt Reactor Technology. The work has been 5. J. R. H^htower. Jr.. et al.. Engineering Development reported separately in MSR monthly documents, in the Studies for Molten-Salt Breeder Reactor Processing No. 20. ORNL-TM-4870 (in preparation) Molten-Salt Reactor Program semiannual progress 6. J. R. HightowcT, Jr., et al.. Engineering Development 1 2 reports. * and in Chemical Technology Division quar­ Studies for Molten-Salt Breeder Reactor Processing No. 21. terly progress reports.3-* ORNL-TO-4S94 (in preparation). 3 4. Waste Management 4.1 GEOLOGIC DISPOSAL tics to be examined for this purpose relate to stability EVALUATION PROGRAM (both short-term mechanical stability for the operations and long-term stability for preservation of waste con­ The Geologic Disposal Evaluation (GDE) Program, as tainment) and tightness (i.e., notation from the circulat­ now constituted, has two objectives: first, to evaluate ing waters of the biosphere). This wil be accomplished the suitability of all potential geologic formations and largely through the study of mines and other under­ rock types in the continental United States as perma­ ground openings constructed in the various rock types nent receptacles or repositories for any category of throughout the country. The geologic formations or radioactive waste, using any appropriate emplacement rock types under investigation include: (1) rock salt technique; second, for those promising geologic forma­ (interior salt domes of the Gulf Coast area; Salt Valley tion-waste-type-empbeement technique systems, to anticline and other structures in the northwest portion carry out the research and development activities that of the Paradox Basin; and deep bedded salt deposits of could eventually lead to the establishment of actual the Williston. Sapai. and Salina Basins); (2) argillaceous waste repositories using one or more of these systems. rocks (shales and especially the Pierre Shale formation); During the current report period, emphasis has been (3) carbonate rocks (limestones in northern Ohio and focused on (I) geologic and hydrologk stvlies of a Kansas City areas, and the Sdnu Chalk in Alabama and number of •ock types, to evaluate their fundamental Mississippi); (4) volcanic rock (basalts and tuffs); (5) suitability for u.e as waste receptacles, and (2) develop­ crystalline rocks (granitic intrusives and high metamor- mental studies, in particular those concerned with rock phics); and (6) porous and permeable formations for mechanics, rock properties, and radiation effects on disposal of fluids.