PUREX - Plutonium Uranium Extraction

7/30/2019 PUREX - Plutonium Uranium Extraction

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DPSPU 77-11-1This report is for internal use Do notgive It further distribution or refer to iti n a n y e x t e r n a l p u b l i c a t i o n SEP-D5

t 5 ^THE PUREX PROCESS

A Training Lecture byJ. B. STARKS

Separat ions Technology Department


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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTThe following Co-Op students assisted in thepreparation of the slides for this report.


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DISCLAIMER

This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by anagency of the United States Government. Neither the United StatesGovernment nor any agency Thereof, nor any of their employees,makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legalliability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, orusefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or processdisclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privatelyowned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product,

process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, orotherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement,recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any


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DISCLAIMER

Portions of this document may be illegible inelectronic image products. Images are produced

from the best available original document.


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Section1. Introduction2. Description

A. SummaryB. Dissolving Head EndC. First Solvent Extraction Cycle

CONTENTSPage

1

Second Plutonium SolventExtraction Cycle

Second Uranium SolventExtraction Cycle

F. Solvent Recovery Systems

NOTICETTiiJ report w u prepared as an accoun t of workjpOTiiored by the United Sta tei Governmen t Neither theUnited Statet nor the United Slatei Department ofEnergy, nor any of their employee*, nor any of theircontractor!, subcontractors, or their employees, makesany warranty, express or unphed, or assumes any legalliability or responstbdity for the accuracy, completenessor usefulness of any mformation, apparatus, product orprocess disclosed, or repiesents that its use would notinfringe pnvalely owned n^ts

Slides

1 Purex Process2 Dissolving Head End3 First Solvent Extraction Cycle4 First Solvent Extraction CycleFlowsheet Data5 Centrifugal Contactor 6-StageAssembly6 Centrifugal Contactor Mockup7 Jumbo Mixer-Settler8 Second Plutonium Cycle Schematic9 Second Plutonium Solvent Extraction Cycle Flowsheet Data10 Type A (2B) Mixer-Settler

11 Second Uranium Solvent ExtractionCycle12 Second Uranium Solvent ExtractionCycle Flowsheet Data13 Solvent Recovery Systems14 Two-Stage Bicylindrical Washer


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1. INTRODUCTIONConstruction of the F-Area Purex facilities was completed in the early 1950's,and irradiated fuel processing started in November 1954. Processing facilitieswere shut down from March 1957 to March 1959 for modification and for installationof larger equipment, primarily jumbo mixer-settlers and continuous evaporators, toincrease throughput by a factor of about three. Uranium throughput is normally inthe range of 10 to 13 metric tons per operating day.

2 . DESCRIPTIONA. Summary

[1]^ Major operations in the Purex process are shown schematically. Irradiatedtarget or fuel slugs are received from the reactor areas, charged to the dissolvers,and dissolved in nitric acid. The resulting solution contains primarly uranium-238with smaller amounts of uranium-235, plutonium, and fission products. Dissolversolution is processed through head end to remove silica solids. The clarifiedsolution is chemically adjusted and fed to the first solvent extraction cycle.Uranium and plutonium are extracted into solvent in centrifugal contactor lA. About95% of the fission products remain in the aqueous phase and are transferred tohigh activity waste. Plutonium is separated from uranium in mixer-settler IB bystripping it from the solvent, and it is then transferred to the second plutoniumsolvent extraction cycle. In this cycle, plutonium is further decontaminated andconcentrated by extracting it from the aqueous feed into solvent in mixer-settler2A. Plutonium is stripped from the solvent in mixer-settler 2B. The resulting aqueous stream is transferred to JB-Line where the plutonium is precipitated andreduced by reaction with calcium to produce plutonium metal as a disk or button.

Uranium, which remained in the solvent in mixer-settler IB, is stripped fromthe solvent in mixer-settler IC. The aqueous uranium stream is concentrated in a


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through the primary recovery column (PRC) where Pu and Np are recovered on anionresin. The waste is neutralized and transferred to underground storage tanks.Fission products are removed from the Pu and Np which are then stripped from thePRC and transferred to special ion exchange equipment in the warm canyon forfurther decontamination, separation of Pu from Np, and recovery of the Np. Theplutonium is transferred to the second Pu solvent extraction cycle for recovery andthe Np is shipped to HB-Line.B. Dissolving - Head End

[2] Typical Purex feed consists of target or fuel slugs with a core of depleted or natural uranium metal and aluminum cladding. The slugs are shipped inbuckets from one of the reactor areas (P, K, or C) in a shielded railroad car calleda cask car. The slugs are charged to annular dissolver 6.4. The aluminum cladding,or coating, is dissolved by metering in 50% NaOH in the presence of NaNOs- TheNaN03 suppresses the formation and evolution of hydrogen during the dissolving ofthe aluminum. The alkaline solution of aluminum, called coating waste, is transferred to tank 5.3. A portion of this coating waste solution is recycled to thedissolver for the next aluminum dissolution to get maximum use of the sodium hydroxide and to decrease waste volume. After a portion of the solution is recycled,the remaining solution is transferred to tank 5.2, combined with B-Line waste, andtransferred to waste storage.The uranium is dissolved in two separate cuts with 50% HNO3 and the raw metalor dissolver solution is transferred to tank 8.1 for analyses which are the basesfor uranium and plutonium accountability. The dissolver solution is processedthrough head end in batches. A batch is transferred to tank 12.2 and struck byadding gelatin and simmering; this removes silica by forming a gelatin-silicapolymer. Silica is removed to prevent formation of solids which cause emulsions insolvent extraction equipment during later processing. The digested solution istransferred to tank 10.4, then to centrifuge 11.IC where the poljnner and any othersolids are removed. The solids are washed to remove uranium and plutonium, then


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contactor lA, jumbo mixer-settlers IB and IC, decanters, and process tanks. Centrifugal contactors are used in bank lA because they minimize radiation to the solvent.Adjusted first cycle feed (lAF) enters centrifugal contactor lA at stage 10. Theplutonium in the feed is in the extractable (IV) valence state. Plutonium anduranium are extracted into the solvent (lAX) which is 30 vol % tributyl phosphate(TBP) in an n-paraffin diluent. The solvent containing the products (Pu and U) isscrubbed with 3M HNO3 (IAS) before it exits bank lA as the LAP stream. The aqueoussolution containing most of the fission products and chemical impurities leavesbank lA as the lAW stream and is transferred through the lAW decanter to high activity waste. A small stream of NaN02 (IAN) is fed into stage 17 to provide enoughnitrite to oxidize Np(IV) to Np(V) and thus divert most of the Np to the lAW streamfor subsequent recovery on the PRC.The solvent stream (lAP) containing the Pu and U is transferred from thecontactor to stage 11 of mixer-settler IB. Aqueous IBX, containing ferrous sulfa-mate, is fed into stage 1. Ferrous sulfamate reduces plutonium from Pu(IV) toPu(III), stripping it from the solvent into the aqueous phase. The aqueous streamcontaining the plutonium is scrubbed with fresh solvent (IBS) to ensure adequateseparation of the U from the Pu. It then exits the bank and is transferred to tank

12.6 in the warm canyon for further processing in the second plutonium solventextraction cycle. The solvent stream containing the uranium (IBU) flows by gravityfrom mixer-settler IB to stage 12 of mixer-settler IC. A low-acid aqeuous stream(ICX) is fed to stage 1 to strip uranium from the solvent. Solvent leaving mixer-settler IC (lew) is transferred to solvent recovery. The aqueous stream containingthe uranium (ICU) is transferred to evaporator feed tank 18.5 in the warm canyon.The lAW and ICU aqueous decanters separate entrained solvent and return it tothe centrifugal contactor and mixer-settler IC. The ICW organic decanter separatesentrained aqueous material and returns it to mixer-settler IC. The lAP, IBP, andIBU decanters are bypassed and are not now in use. The decanters are located beneaththe contactors and mixer-settlers.[4] The compositions and relative flows of all streams in the first solventextraction cycle are shown for typical operating conditions.


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4to the back section of the aqueous decanter. The aqueous solution then flows to theopposite end, underneath a weir, then over an overflow weir into a tank where it ispumped out. Entrained organic material collects in a separate section of the aqueousdecanter and is airlifted back to the end stage of the mixersettler. The organicstream enters a large duct leading to the back section of the organic decanter. Theorganic stream then flows to the opposite end and over a weir to a tank where it ispumped out. Entrained aqueous material collects in a separate section of theorganic decanter and is airlifted back to the end stage of the mixer-settler.

The mixer-settler, the two decanters, and the two pump tanks are all fabricated as a single unit.D. Second Plutonium Solvent Extraction Cycle

[8] Plutonium that was separated from uranium in the first cycle is furtherdecontaminated and concentrated in the second plutonium (solvent extraction) cycle,then transferred to B-Line for eventual reduction to metal. IBP plutonium solutionis received continuously from first cycle into tank 12.6 and then transferred inbatches for feed adjustment in tank 12.5. Plutonium recovered in Frame II-F iscombined in tank 12.6 with IBP solution for processing. B-Line plutonium solutionsare also transferred to tank 12.5. In tank 12.5, plutonium valence is adjusted byoxidizing from Pu(III) to extractable Pu(IV) by adding excess sodium nitrite, afterwhich the acidity is adjusted to 4M. The adjusted feed is transferred to tank 11.8for continuous feeding to mixer-settler 2A. Plutonium is extracted from the aqueoussolution into the solvent and is scrubbed to remove fission products and chemicalsin mixer-settler 2A. Solvent containing the plutonium leaves mixer-settler 2A asthe 2AP stream and enters mixer-settler 2B where plutonium is stripped from thesolvent into an aqueous solution by a chemical reducing agent, hydroxylaminenitrate, which changes the plutonium valence from Pu(IV) to inextractable Pu(III).The 2BP aqueous stream exits into a decanter where entrained solvent is separatedand returned to the mixer-settler. The 2BP solution is transferred to tank 9. 5and subsequently to tank 9.8 when space is available. The 2BP in tank 9.8 is ana


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The aqueous ICU stream, containing about 70 g U/1, is received in evaporatorfeed tank 18.5 and fed to ICU continuous evaporator 17.7. Uranium is concentratedto 425 g/1 and the concentrate overflows to bottoms tank 17.7B. The concentrate istransferred to IDF tank 16.7 where traces of Pu are reduced by the additionof ferrous sulfamate (FS) to prevent Pu from extracting. The solution is fed continuously to mixer-settler ID where uranium is extracted from the aqueous solutioninto the solvent (IDX) and scrubbed with acid (IDS') and water (IDS) to removefission products and excess acid. The solvent containing the uranium exits mixer-settler ID as the IDU stream and enters mixer-settler IE.In mixer-settler IE, uranium is stripped from the solvent into low acidaqueous (lEX) which exits the mixer-settler as the lEU stream. The lEU passesthrough a solvent decanter to tank B3-1 located in a concrete basin outsideBuilding 221-F. From tank B3-1 the solution is automatically transferred to A-Linetank El-3.The aqueous IDW stream contains small quantities of Pu and Np and is transferred to HAW to recover the products on the PRC.[12] Typical compositions and flows for streams in the second uranium cycleare shown.

F. Solvent Recovery Systems[13] Each of the three solvent extraction cycles has a separate and continuoussolvent system. The solvent recovery system removes radioactivity and solventdegradation products, maintains acceptable quality, and returns washed solvent tothe respective extraction cycle. Operating experience has shown that the mostefficient washing cycle is alternating alkaline (0.19 to 0.47N Na2C03) and acid(0.03 to 0.12N HNO3) washes. All solvent is 30 vol % TBP and 70 vol % n-paraffins(normally dodecane), with a density of about 0.8 g/cc.The first cycle solvent system is contained completely within the hot andwarm canyons because of gamma radiation in the unwashed solvent and aqueous washsolutions. Unwashed solvent leaves mixer-settler IC and flows to first stage washer


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6washer is located inside Building 221-F because plutonium from a process upsetcould be present in the 2BW. Under these conditions, plutonium could accumulate inthe alkaline washer and result in high levels of alpha activity and possibly anuclear safety hazard.) After it is washed and separated in first stage alkalinewasher 12.8, the solvent is transferred to second stage acid washer 905, located inBuilding 211-F, where it is again washed and separated. It is then received intank 906 and fed to second plutonium cycle as the 2AX stream. When the cycle isdown, the solvent may be circulated to maintain quality by transferring from tank906 to first stage washer 12.8.

The aqueous wash solutions in all solvent washers are replaced at regularintervals.[14] Bicell tank 14.5, which contains washers 14.5-1 and 14.5-2 used for firstcycle, is shown. All other solvent washers are single-stage units of similar design.Solvent enters the first stage washer and is routed underneath the agitator shroud.Aqueous wash solution, the incoming solvent, and solvent recirculated through theupper ports is drawn to the agitator paddles, mixed, and propelled outside theshroud into the settling area. Wash solution settles to the bottom and solvent floatsto the top where it overflows into the second stage washer. The washing action isrepeated and solvent entering the pump tank is transferred to third stage washer14.8.

G. High Activity Waste Primary Recovery Column[15] Waste streams contain high radioactivity and usually contain some Np and

Pu. The Np and Pu are recovered on an anion exchange resin column (the PRC) beforethe waste is neutralized for underground storage.The main feed sources for high activity waste (HAW) are first cycle wastelAW, second uranium cycle waste IDW, decontamination solution from the PRC, andoverheads from acid stripping evaporator 11.3. HAW also processes: (1) bottomsrecycled from HAW second stage evaporator 9.1, (2) solutions from Frame II-F tank6.6, (3) canyon sump solutions from tank 820 that are transferred through tank16.4, (4) vessel vent dehumidifier condensate from tank 7.4, and (5) sump solution


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transferred to tank 8.3 for recovery of the acid. The stripped raffinate fromevaporator 11.3 is transferred to tank 12.1 for neutralization and then to underground waste storage tanks in Building 241-F.The overheads from HAW first stage evaporator 9.3 are fed to second stageevaporator 9.1. The overheads from the second stage are transferred to Building211-F (outside facilities) for processing in the acid recovery unit (ARU). Decontamination factors of 10^ to 10^ are obtained across the 2-stage evaporation.Acid concentrated in the second stage evaporator accumulates activity and isperiodically overflowed to the bottoms tank and transferred back to feed tank 8.3.[16] A continuous canyon evaporator, overheads condenser, and reboiler areshown. Each of these pieces can be replaced remotely. A continuous evaporator canboil 12,000 to 20,000 Ib/hr, compared to 2,000 to 3,000 Ib/hr for a batch evaporator. Feed flow into the evaporator is continuous; a given sp gr is reached andmaintained in the evaporator. As dissolved solids are fed in, concentrate overflowsthe outlet weir to the bottoms tank, thus maintaining the sp gr. Solution flowsdown to the bottom of the reboiler, up through the reboiler tubes, partly flashes tosteam and passes into the de-entrainment column where steam and liquid separate.New fopd enters the Hackman hat and flows to the bottom of the reboiler. Steam and

acid v'lpors rise through the bubble-cap trays into a downdraft condenser where theyare noLe-d and condensed and flow either to a second stage evaporator or to a pumptank. A total gamma decontamination factor about 10^ is obtained from feed tooverheads. The evaporator can be emptied by a jet.[17] A canyon batch evaporator and its column are shown. Batch evaporators areused to steam-strip acid from waste concentrate to: (1) reduce waste volume bydecreasing the amount of caustic required for neutralization, (2) recover nitricacid for recycle to the process, and (3) concentrate some waste streams such assolvent wash solutions to reduce waste volume. Acidic waste concentrate is transferred into the evaporator and brought to boiling. Water is fed to the evaporatorwhile a prescribed sp gr is maintained. Most of the free acid is carried out by theoverheads. Dilute waste solutions can also be fed continuously until a designatedspecific gravity for a given volume of concentrate is reached; then the evaporator


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The raffinate is routed to tank 5.8-3. Decontamination solution is fed through thecolumn to tank 5.8-3 to remove gamma-emitting impurities. Raffinate and decontamination solutions are transferred to waste tank 6.6 and later to HAW feed tank 8.3.Pu is partitioned from the Np with 5.8N nitric acid and routed to tank 5.8-3. It isanalyzed and transferred to second plutonium cycle for recovery. Np is eluted fromthe resin with weak acid to tank 5.8-4. The Np solution is then adjusted and absorbedagain on anion resin column 5K. The raffinate goes to tank 5.8-3, along with moredecontamination solution. The raffinate and decontamination solutions are transferred to tank 6.6 and later to HAW. Np is eluted from column 5K to tank 5.8-6 with0.4N nitric acid. Elution solutions from two column 5K runs are combined in tank5.8-6 and simmered to minimize the volume of product solution shipped to HB-Linefollowing a column 7K run. Concentrated Np solution in tank 5.8-6 is then adjustedand fed to cation resin column 7K to absorb and remove thorium. The effluent fromthe column goes to product tank 5.8-8. A weak acid flush is made through column 7Kto displace Np solution from the column; the flush solution is combined with theproduct in tank 5.8-8.The traces of thorium must be removed from the Np because its high energygamma would produce radiation exposure to personnel in HB-Line. Column 7K is reconditioned occasionally to remove thorium from the resin; the solution is routed toHAW.The Np product solution is loaded from tank 5.8-8 into containers calleddoghouses and shipped to HB-Line.

I. Low Activity Waste[19] The low activity waste (LAW) system is located in the warm canyon. LAWstrips and recovers nitric acid from low activity waste streams and concentrates,neutralizes, and transfers the waste to underground storage. LAW evaporation equipment consists of continuous evaporator 8.5 and acid-stripping batch evaporators 7.6and 7.7. Waste streams received into bicell tank 8.7 for feed to continuous evaporator 8.5 are second plutonium cycle 2AW stream transferred from decanter 11.7,


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J. Laboratory Waste Evaporation[20] Waste solutions are received into underground tank 809 from Building 772-Flaboratory and truck shipments from SRL. Alkaline wash solution from the seconduranium cycle solvent washer is received into tank 902 , and on occasion rerun evaporator overheads are received in canyon tank 16.2. Materials from these sources areprocessed as an alkaline solution in batch evaporator 18.6, located in the warmcanyon. Batches of feed are transferred into tank 18.7, analyzed, and neutralized.The neutralized waste is concentrated to a prescribed sp gr in the evaporator beforeit is transferred to Building 241-F waste storage tanks. Overheads from the evaporator are accumulated in tank 18.8 and analyzed for alpha and gamma activity. Ifthe activity is low enough, the overheads are transferred to the seepage basin. Ifthe activity is high, they are recycled to the evaporator.

K. Vessel Vent System[21] All vessels in the canyons are connected to the vessel vent system. Fanspull an air purge of about 50 cfm through each of the vessels to prevent chemical

fumes and radioactivity from escaping into the canyons. This air purge is routedinto a header located within the air tunnel for each of the canyons. These headersconnect to dehumidifiers 5.6H in the warm canyon and 7.3H in the hot canyon, thento fiberglass filters 5.7F in the warm canyon and 7.2F in the hot canyon. Theindividual headers join a main header in the Building 221-F exit air tunnel whichconnects to the vessel vent fans. Air is discharged from the fans to the sandfiJ.ter and subsequently to the stack. Condensate from warm canyon dehumidifier 5.6His collected in tank 5.5 and transferred through tank 7.5 to LAW tank 8.7 fordisposal. Condensate from hot canyon dehumidifier 7.3H is collected in tank 7.4 andtransferred to HAW tank 8.3 for disposal. The vessel vent fans are located in anunderground shielded facility in Building 211-F.L. A-Line


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uranyl nitrate hexahydrate (UNH), at about 1200 g U/1. Then it flows by gravity todenitrators while it is still hot. The denitrators are heated by propane furnacesand convert the molten UNH to UO3. The UO3 is conveyed pneumatically into drums andstored. (Silica gel columns are available but are not being used at the presenttime. These columns can provide additional Zr-Nb decontamination, if required, tomeet product specifications and reduce personnel radiation exposure.)M. Airflow and Filtration

[23] General building ventilation air (called central air) and air flowingthrough certain process areas in Building 221-F is transferred through tunnels, orheaders, and through filters to the Building 291-F stack for release to the atmosphere. In addition, air from noncanyon vessels and cold feed tanks in Building 221-Fand from process vessels in A-Line is routed to the recycle vessel vent header, andsubsequently to the 195-ft stack.Air from the hot and warm canyons and filtered air from the vessel vent headerflow through the sand filters before it is exhausted through the stack. The sandfilters contain aggregate of several different sizes in layers starting with largermaterial on the bottom to the smallest (sand) on the top. A new and larger sandfilter was constructed next to the original sand filter and is in service in parallelwith the original sand filter. The new filter was built because pressure drop acrossthe original filter had increased, indicating partial pluggage, and because on twooccasions portions of the support gratings collapsed and required emergency repairs.The sand filters remove about 99.98% of the radioactivity contained in airentering the filters; this is equivalent to removal by high efficiency particulateair (HEPA) filters. Air enters from lateral distribution tunnels beneath the bed,passes upward through the aggregate, and exhausts from the filter to the stack.Central air leaving from the hot and warm gang valve corridors and from the hotand warm sample aisles, passes through banks of HEPA filters and is exhausted directly to the stack without going through the sand filter. B-Line air is HEPAfiltered and exhausted to the stack. Recycle vessel vent air passes through a glass


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activity and acid content. Acid concentrates in the bottom of the column and in thereboiler which maintains the concentrate at boiling. Hot vapor rises upward fromthe boiling solution through the distillation section, removing water as overheadsand refluxing acid to the bottom of the column. Acid concentrate is continuallydrawn from the bottom of the column and transferred through a cooler to tanks 606and 607. The acid is adjusted with 64% HNO3 or process water as required to make50% HNO3 which is stored in tank 608. Recovered acid contains some gamma activityand is transferred to the Purex process in Building 221-F through a separate header.This acid is also used to make 3.0M HNO3 for process use, primarily in the IAS stream.

0. Fume Recovery[25] Large quantities of oxides of nitrogen (NO ) are routinely emitted fromcanyon dissolvers 6.1 and 6.4 and the six denitrators in A-Line. These gases arerouted through the acid absorber column, converting most of the NO^ to 40 to 50%HNO3 which is reused in the process.Dissolver fumes generated during coating removal (aluminum dissolution withcaustic) contain ammonia and are routed direct to the stack using off-gas jets.

Fumes from uranium dissolution are routed through off-gas coolers F9-4 and -5 toMash exhausters F7-3 and -4. The exhausters discharge the fumes into the bottom ofthe acid absorber column.Denitrator fumes flow to separators Fl-1 and -6 where entrained uranium solidsare removed, through coolers F9-1 and -6 to Nash exhausters F7-1, -2 , and -5.The fumes leave the exhausters and enter the bottom of the acid absorber columnwith fumes from the dissolvers. Uranium solids accumulated in the separators aredissolved with nitric acid and transferred to the denitrators for processing.The acid absorber column consists of 44 bubble-cap trays. Process water enters

at the top of the column and flows countercurrent to the fumes. The water absorbsmost of the fumes, making nitric acid which is collected in tanks Fl-3 and -4.Seals are maintained in the exhausters with a flow of process water which absorbsfumes and generates acid. This acidic seal liquid overflows from tank Fl-2 to


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242-F contribute 9250 gal/day or 6.2% of the total when the evaporator is operatingOverheads from the hydrate evaporators in A-Line, the general purpose evaporatorsin Building 211-F, and the laboratory waste evaporator in the warm canyon contribute 8275 gal/day or 5.6% of the total. Only laboratory waste evaporator overheads within seepage basin discard limits are routed to tank 802 and subsequentlyto the seepage basin. Overheads containing high alpha or gamma activity are routedto the general purpose evaporator for further processing. Miscellaneous solutionsare transferred to tank 503 in Building 211-F. This solution is transferred toeither the general purpose evaporator or to the seepage basin, depending on itsalpha and gamma activity.


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DISSOLVING

PUREXPROCESS

HA WASTEEVAP.z

PWASTE I PRC I

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2n d PU CYCLE

Op:-I P U REF.I

TPu

SOLVENTWASH

SOLVENT SOLVENTWASH WASH 2nd U CYCLE

l ID 1l u R E c T j

UO3


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D I S S O L V I N G - H E A D E N DT O O F F - G A S T R A I N

B - L I N ES C R A P P u

C - C O N D E N S A T ES - S T E A MW - C O O L I N G W A T E R

5. 3C O A T I N G W A S T E H O L D 5 . 2W A S T E R E C E I P T1 2 . 1

W A S T E N E U T R A L I Z A T I O N


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F I R S T S O L V E N T E X T R A C T I O N C Y C L E

lA CENTRIFUG AL CONTACTOR12.3CC ilAXIAS FEED TOSTAGE 1

IB BANK14.2M

c - ^ 1C WTO 14.5-1SOLVENTWASHER

SOLVENTAQUEOUS

C CONDENSATES STEAMW COOLING WATER

ICU EVAP BOTTOMS (RECYCLE)

T O 17.7E

ICU EVAP ORATOR F EED18.5


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lAXFLOW 328TBP 30 Vol.%

n-P 70 Vol.%

IANFLOW 0.6NaN02 5.3M

lA BANKCENTRIFUGALCONTACTOR12.318

lAFFLOW 100 1U 290 g/1HNO3 l.OMAl '\-0.02M

P u 1

IASFLOW 66HNO3 3.0M

17

1 IF I R S T S O L V E N T E X T R A C T I O N C Y C L E

F L O W S H E E T D A T A

10 ]TBPn-P

IBSFLOW 8730 Vol.70 Vol.%%

IBXFLOW 45IHNO3 0.1 IMFS 0.14M

J LlAW

HNO3 1.6MAl 'vO.OlMNaN02 0.02MPu TraceU Trace

N^

/lAPU 94 g/1HNO3 0.15M

TBP 30 Vol.%n-P 70 Vol.% 1Pu

18 11IB BANKMIXER-SETTLER14.2

15FHNO3 1.2MFS '^'0.06MPuFe2(S04)3 0.04M

l - iICX

FLOW 406HNO3 0.08M

IBUU 75 g/1HNO3


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AQUEOUS OUTLET STAGEINTERFACE CONTROL

AQUEOUS OUTLET

r J l =^ a_fi_ENTRANCE NOZZLE TO"lO-in. A QUEO US DUC T i:^

AQUEOUS OUTLET END

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ORGANIC OUTLET END SIDE VIEW

7


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IBP JB-LineRecycle S E C O N D P L U T O N IU M C Y C L E S C H E M A T IC

I 1 . To 12,8I rSolve nt Washer

I II tI II I

2BW Decanter10.5

SolventAqueous

W Cooling Water


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2AXFLOW 50TBP 30 Vol.%n-P 70 Vol.%T

1

^

16

2AFFLOW 100HNO3 4.0MFe 0.087MSO4 0.17MNa 0.19MPu


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TYPE A ( 2B) MIXER-SETTLER

ELECTRICALCONNECTOR

IMPELLERASSEMBLY

MOTOR

IMPELLER

VENTMANIFOLDCHIMNEY

SOLVENTINLET

AQUEOUS OUTLETAI R PRESSUREAQUEOUSOUTLET

10

SCRUB INLET

FEED INLET


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S E C O N D U R A N I U M S O L V E N T E X T R A C T I O N C Y C L E

17.7CONTINUOUS EVAPORATOR

CONDENSATE

RECYCLETO 8.3

HAW 4-RECEIPT

1f t *!ICU EVAPORATOR FEED

ID BANKMIXER-SETTLER15.7

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IIORGANICTO HOLDTANK

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11


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S E C O N D U R A N IU M S O L V E N T E X T R A C T I O N C Y C L EF L O W S H E E T D A T A

IDXFLOWTBP 30n-P 70

1

468VolVol %7

L _I

18

IDFFLOW 100U 425 g/1HNO3 0.4MFS 0.012M

IDS'FLOW 29HNO3 3.0M

10

IDSFLOW 30H2O 100%

ID BANKMIXER-SETTLER15.7

IDWHNO3 l.OMFS 0.008MPu TraceU Trace

IDU

U 91 g/1TBP 30 Vol.%n-P 70 Vol.%HNO3 Trace

t12

lEXFLOW 478HNO3 0.08M

iIE BANKMIXER-SETTLER15.5

1

1

NOTE:1) Flows relative to IDF = 100Z) n-P = normal paraffin diluent3) FS = Ferrous Sulfamate Solvent

Aqueous

^lEW

TBP 30 Vol.%n-P 70 Vol.%HNOo Trace

12


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S O L V E N T R E C O V E R Y S Y S T E M S

1 S T C Y C L E 2 N D U C Y C L E 2 N D PU C Y C L E

icwliQfrr iN

(W)BicylindricalWasher14.5-1,2

AlkalineWasher14.8-HW

Reclrc.

lEW

&&>}AlkalineWasher901-HW

( & ^

To 2ndU Cycle "^

> To 1st Cycle(lAX and IBS)

SolventHold14.7

Note:Alkaline = 0.19-0.47N Na2C03Acid = 0.03-0.12N HNO3HW = Hot Water

^ - ^

AcidWasher903

SolventHold904

2BW

AlkalineWasher12.8

Reclrc,

To 2ndPu Cycle

SolventHold906

13


31/43

T W O - S T A G E B I C Y L I N D R I C A L W A SH E R

SOLVENT FEED-

SOLVENT

SOLVENT ORIFICE -AQUEOUS ORIFICE' ^^

AQUEOUSWASH FEED WASHEDSOLVENT OUTSPENT WASHTO WASTE

1 ^ B . i J l _ _ ' 1 J . ' - f t . , ' ''',' ' . ' - ' C

SOLVENT PUMP TANKSOLVENTRECIRCULATION HOLES

.AQUEOUS WASH FEED

CANYON PUMP

ANTISWIRL BAFFLES (4)-INTERFACE

WASHPADDLE BLADES (4)

LOUVERS (12)

WASH RECIRCULATION

14


32/43

H I GH A C TI V I T Y W A S l ^ P RI M AR Y R E C OV E R Y C OL U MN

lAWIDW16.4 (RERUN)6 . 6 (FR AM E I I - F )B2-1 (OH'S RECYCLE)7.4 (VESSEL VENT COND)820 (SUMPS)805 (DRAINS)

11.4OVERHEADS HOLD

241-FWASTE STORAGE

12.1NEUTRALIZATION 11.3ACID STRIPEVAPORATOR

FRAME

6.5PRODUCT HOLD

C - CONDENSATES - STEAMW - COOLING WATER

15


33/43

C O N T I N U O U S E V A P O R A T O RCONDENSER

CONDENSER TUBES-

COOLING WATERIN MANIFOLD

z: I

12 S 2 I

1PROCESS VESSEL VENT

WATER TOMIDDLE TRAY

ANTIFOAMADDITION

HACKMAN HAT ^^^^ "^' F E E D C O N T R O L L E R ^ * / V

DE-ENTRAINMENTCOLUMN

REBOILER

JET OUT LINE

1


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B A T C H E V A P O R A T O R A N D C O L U f'iNCONDENSER WATER OUTLET-

WATER COILS

CONDENSATE- OUT

REFLUXRETURN

STEAMCONDENSATE

OUTLET

I VENT.M ATERIALOUTLET


35/43

PRC(10.1-2)

rtrfHW-

IHW-

Simmer & Hold(6.5)

Adj. & Feed(5.8-1)

To2nd Pu Cycle

F R A M E I I - F

2KColumn ll?HW-Adj. & Feed

(5.8-4))iL

w-

5KColumn 7KColumn

HW- =5Adj. & Feed(5.8-6)

"^ \ ^ ^ HB-ToLineNp Product Hold(5.8-8)

Pu & Waste Hold(5.8-3)

To HAW-^ (8.3)

Waste Hold(6.6)HW Hot WaterW Cooling Water18


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:mO W A C T T V I T Y W A S T E

B-Line.(9.7)2AW (11.7y

19


37/43

Evaporator Feed18.7

20

L A B W A S T E E V A P O R A T I O N

Batch Evaporator18.6

211-F^(802)

SeepageBasin

Overheads Hold18.8

Waste Storage241-F

W Cooling WaterS Steam


38/43

V E S S E L V E N T S Y S T E M

. ^ ^ = ^

Dehumldifier(5.6)

Warm CanyonVessels

Vessel VentHeaderCondensate Hold(5.5)

^ ^ ^Dehumldifier(7.3)

Hot CanyonVesselsJ U J L ,Vessel VentHeader Condensate Hold(7.4)

SandFilter' 291-FStack

S SteamW Cooling Water

21


39/43

A-LINETo S eep age To El - 4 ^Ba s in OH ' s Ho ld

B a f f l e

fO iu ; p\

x / C o n d e n s e rEUEvaporatorE2-2Reboiler

' d"^ Recycle-^DiluteSolutions

cm^Feed TankSl-1

/ V

/ Blanked

r ^ 0 ^Product HoldSl-8, Sl-9

lEU HoldEl-3Recycle HoldEl-2

HydrateEvaporators

Silica GelColumns

ffeSS:^Cone. HydrateTrans. WeighCl-1 Cl-2

JdZLC3-1

J ^ Si -inC3-2 InC3-3 _JZLC3-4 nC3-5 nC3-6 Denitrators


40/43

DISSOLVER OFF-GAS' S T ACK

ie$tM

200-F AREAAIR EXHAUST TUNNELS

AR TUNNEL FLOOR DRANS^AR TUNNEL SUMPSSANO FILTER SUMPSSTACK CATCH TANKSSTACK BREECH SUMP

>- JETTED TO 805 TANK

B-LNE

CANWN AR

CENTRAL AR

PROCESS VESSEL VENT

RECVaE VESSEL VENT

BLDG 235

TOTAL STACK FLOW

TYPICALFLOW RATES(cfm)I 9,000

120,000

85,000

'5,0002,000

30,000

261,000

23


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A C I D R E C O V E R Y U N I T

Steam Jet

AcidRecoveryColumn603(10 Trays)

To 505Skimmer

Product Cooler605

RecoveredAcid606

RecoveredAcid60724


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F U M E R E C O V E R YDenltratorOff-Gas ~

W-SeparatorsFl-1 and Fl-6

-W

C ^

CoolersF9-1 and F9-6

Dissolver.Off-Gas

CoolersF9-4,F9-5

> .

DenltratorEmergency > T O StackOff-Gasi ExhaustersF7-1 to F7-5(m(Dd

1.Motor Blower

-> To Stack

44

F-8AcidAbsorberColumn(44 Trays)

W - Cooling Water

Process Water

> To AcidStorage

Acid HoldFl-3

Acid HoldFl-4

25


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S O L U T I O NA R U 0. H.'SI C U E V A P . 0. H.'Sl E U E V A P . 0. H.'S2 4 2 - F E V A P . 0. H.'SH Y D . E V A P . 0. H.'SG . P. E V A P . 0. H.'S

L A B . EVAP. 0. H. 'S221-F DRAINS

26

SOURCES OF SEEPAGE BASIN RECEIPTS

T R A N S F E R T A N K6 1 A / 6 1 51 7 . 7E l - ^3 N / 3 SC 1 - 3 / C 1 - 87 0 6 - 1 . 7 0 6 - 27 0 7 - 1 . 7 0 7 - 28 0 25 0 3

V O L U M E , G A L / D A Y6 2 . 0 1 04 1 . 9 1 02 7 . 3 0 09 . 2 5 04 . 1 2 52 . 8 0 0

1 . 3 5 09 3 0

% OF T O T A L4 1 . 42 8 . 01 8 . 26 . 22 . 81 . 9

0 . 90 . 6

149.675 100.0

PUREX - Plutonium Uranium Extraction

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