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Office of Scientific and Technical Information
EPA Update: NESHAP Uranium Activities
E-Print Network (OSTI)
measurements have been performed on high-enriched uranium (HEU) oxide fuel pins and depleted uranium metal
US Department of Energy Uranium Enrichment Activity
Science Conference Proceedings (OSTI)
KPMG Peat Marwick (KPMG), Certified Public Accountants, has completed its audit of the Department of Energy's Uranium Enrichment Activity (UEA) financial.statements as of September 30, 1991. The purpose of the audit was to determine whether (1) the financial statements were presented fairly in accordance with applicable accounting principles, (2) the auditee complied with all applicable laws and regulations that may have materially affected the financial statements, and (3) the internal accounting controls, taken as a whole, were adequate. The US Government, through the Department of Energy (DOE) and the management and operating contractor, operates the UEA to enrich uranium hexafluoride in the isotope U-235 for commercial power reactor operators, as further discussed in note 1 of the financial statements. The enrichment of uranium for Government program users, which had been a function of UEA, was transferred outside the UEA affective September 30, 1991, as described in note 3 of the financial statements. UEA is a part of DOE and does not exist as a separate legal entity. For financial reporting purposes, the entity is defined as those activities which provide enriching services to its customers. The financial statements are prepared by extracting and adjusting UEA related data from the financial records of DOE and its contractors.
Not Available
Detection of uranium enrichment activities using environmental monitoring techniques
SciTech Connect
Uranium enrichment processes have the capability of producing weapons-grade material in the form of highly enriched uranium. Thus, detection of undeclared uranium enrichment activities is an international safeguards concern. The uranium separation technologies currently in use employ UF{sub 6} gas as a separation medium, and trace quantities of enriched uranium are inevitably released to the environment from these facilities. The isotopic content of uranium in the vegetation, soil, and water near the plant site will be altered by these releases and can provide a signature for detecting the presence of enriched uranium activities. This paper discusses environmental sampling and analytical procedures that have been used for the detection of uranium enrichment facilities and possible safeguards applications of these techniques.
Belew, W.L.; Carter, J.A.; Smith, D.H.; Walker, R.L.
Active interrogation of highly enriched uranium
Active interrogation techniques provide reliable detection of highly enriched uranium (HEU) even when passive detection is difficult. We use 50-Hz pulsed beams of bremsstrahlung photons from a 10-MeV linac or 14-MeV neutrons from a neutron generator for interrogation, thus activating the HEU. Detection of neutrons between pulses is a positive indicator of the presence of fissionable material. We detect the neutrons with three neutron detector designs based on {sup 3}He tubes. This report shows examples of the responses in these three detectors, for unshielded and shielded kilogram quantities of HEU, in containers as large as cargo containers.
Moss, C. E. (Calvin E.); Hollas, C. L. (Charles L.); Myers, W. L. (William L.)
Photon and neutron active interrogation of highly enriched uranium.
The physics of photon and neutron active interrogation of highly enriched uranium (HEU) using the delayed neutron reinterrogation method is described in this paper. Two sets of active interrogation experiments were performed using a set of subcritical configurations of cocentric HEU metal hemishells. One set of measurements utilized a pulsed 14-MeV neutron generator as the active source. The second set of measurements utilized a linear accelerator-based bremsstrahlung photon source as an active interrogation source. The neutron responses were measured for both sets of experiments. The operational details and results for both measurement sets are described.
Myers, W. L. (William L.); Goulding, C. A. (Charles A.); Hollas, C. L. (Charles L.); Moss, C. E. (Calvin E.)
Charge-Separation in Uranium Diazomethane Complexes Leading to C-H Activation and Chemical Transformation
Charge-Separation in Uranium Diazomethane Complexes Leading to C-H Activation and Chemical of diphenyldiazomethane with [((t-Bu ArO)3tacn)UIII ] (1) results in an 2 -bound diphenyldiazomethane uranium complex-shell ligand, [((t-Bu ArO)3tacn)UIV (2 -NNCPh2)] (2). Treating Ph2CN2 with a uranium complex that contains
Meyer, Karsten
EA-1155: Ground-water Compliance Activities at the Uranium Mill...
Energy.gov (U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)) Indexed Site
5: Ground-water Compliance Activities at the Uranium Mill Tailings Site, Spook, Wyoming EA-1155: Ground-water Compliance Activities at the Uranium Mill Tailings Site, Spook,...
Measurement of uranium enrichment by gamma spectroscopy: result of an experimental design
PAPER Measurement of uranium enrichment by gamma spectroscopy: result of an experimental design Gamma spectroscopy is commonly used in nuclear safeguards to measure uranium enrichment. An experimental design has been carried out for the measurement of uranium enrichment using this technique with different
Calculating Capstone Depleted Uranium Aerosol Concentrations from Beta Activity Measurements
Beta activity measurements were used as surrogate measurements of uranium mass in aerosol samples collected during the field testing phase of the Capstone Depleted Uranium (DU) Aerosol Study. These aerosol samples generated by the perforation of armored combat vehicles were used to characterize the depleted uranium (DU) source term for the subsequent human health risk assessment (HHRA) of Capstone aerosols. Establishing a calibration curve between beta activity measurements and uranium mass measurements is straightforward if the uranium isotopes are in equilibrium with their immediate short-lived, beta-emitting progeny. For DU samples collected during the Capstone study, it was determined that the equilibrium between the uranium isotopes and their immediate short lived, beta-emitting progeny had been disrupted when penetrators had perforated target vehicles. Adjustments were made to account for the disrupted equilibrium and for wall losses in the aerosol samplers. Correction factors for the disrupted equilibrium ranged from 0.16 to 1, and the wall loss correction factors ranged from 1 to 1.92.
Szrom, Fran; Falo, Gerald A.; Parkhurst, MaryAnn; Whicker, Jeffrey J.; Alberth, David P.
Method for monitoring stack gases for uranium activity
DOE Patents (OSTI)
A method for monitoring the stack gases of a purge cascade of a gaseous diffusion plant for uranium activity. A sample stream is taken from the stack gases and contacted with a volume of moisture-laden air for converting trace levels of uranium hexafluoride, if any, in the stack gases into particulate uranyl fluoride. A continuous strip of filter paper from a supply roll is passed through this sampling stream to intercept and gather any uranyl fluoride in the sampling stream. This filter paper is then passed by an alpha scintillation counting device where any radioactivity on the filter paper is sensed so as to provide a continuous monitoring of the gas stream for activity indicative of the uranium content in the stack gases.
Beverly, Claude R. (Paducah, KY); Ernstberger, Harold G. (Paducah, KY)
A method for monitoring the stack gases of a purge cascade of gaseous diffusion plant for uranium activity. A sample stream is taken from the stack gases and contacted with a volume of moisture-laden air for converting trace levels of uranium hexafluoride, if any, in the stack gases into particulate uranyl fluoride. A continuous strip of filter paper from a supply roll is passed through this sampling stream to intercept and gather any uranyl fluoride in the sampling stream. This filter paper is then passed by an alpha scintillation counting device where any radioactivity on the filter paper is sensed so as to provide a continuous monitoring of the gas stream for activity indicative of the uranium content in the stack gases. 1 fig.
Beverly, C.R.; Ernstberger, E.G.
Agriculture in an area impacted by past uranium mining activities
The shallow aquifer near the old Cunha Baixa uranium mine (Viseu, Portugal) was contaminated by acid mine drainage. Concentration of radionuclides in water from irrigation wells and in the topsoil layer of the agriculture fields nearby display enhanced concentrations of uranium, radium and polonium. Two types of agriculture land in this area were selected, one with enhanced and another with low uranium concentrations, for controlled growth of lettuce and potatoes. Plants were grown in replicate portions of land (two plots) in each soil type and were periodically irrigated with water from wells. In each soil, one plot was irrigated with water containing low concentration of dissolved uranium and the other plot with water containing enhanced concentration of dissolved uranium. At the end of the growth season, plants were harvested and analysed, along with soil and irrigation water samples. Results show the accumulation of radionuclides in edible parts of plants, specially in the field plots with higher radionuclide concentrations in soil. Radionuclides in irrigation water contributed less to the radioactivity accumulated in plants than radionuclides from soils. (authors)
Carvalho, F. P.; Oliveira, J. M. [Instituto Tecnologico e Nuclear, Departamento de Proteccao Radiologica e Seguranca Nuclear, E.N. 10, 2686-953 Sacavem (Portugal); Neves, O.; Vicente, E. M. [Instituto Superior Tecnico Centro de Petrologia e Geoquimica, Universidade Tecnica de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal); Abreu, M. M. [Dept Ciencias do Ambiente, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade Tecnica de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda 1399-017 Lisboa (Portugal)
Selective adsorption of uranium on activated charcoal from electrolytic aqueous solutions
Adsorption of uranium onto various solids is important from purification, environmental, and radioactive waste disposal points of view. Adsorption of uranium on activated charcoal has been studied as a function of shaking time, amount of adsorbent, pH, concentration of adsorbate, and temperature. Uranium adsorption obeys the Langmuir isotherm. {Delta}H{degrees} and {Delta}S{degrees} were calculated from the slope and intercept of plots ln K{sub D} vs 1/T. The influence of different anions and cations on uranium adsorption has been examined. The adsorption of other metal ions on activated charcoal has been studied under specified conditions to check its selectivity; consequently, uranium was removed from Cs, Ba, Zn, and Co. More than 98% adsorbed uranium on activated charcoal can be recovered with 65 ml of 3 M HNO{sub 3} solution. A wavelength dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectrometer was used for measuring uranium concentration.
Saleem, M.; Afzal, M. (Quaid-I-Azam Univ., Islamabad (Pakistan)); Qadeer, R.; Hanif, J. (Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, Islamabad (Pakistan))
U.S. Uranium Down-blending Activities: Fact Sheet | National...
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Down-blending Activities: Fact Sheet Mar 23, 2012 The permanent disposition of Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) permanently reduces nuclear security vulnerabilities. In 1996, the...
EA-1155: Ground-water Compliance Activities at the Uranium Mill Tailings
5: Ground-water Compliance Activities at the Uranium Mill 5: Ground-water Compliance Activities at the Uranium Mill Tailings Site, Spook, Wyoming EA-1155: Ground-water Compliance Activities at the Uranium Mill Tailings Site, Spook, Wyoming SUMMARY This EA evaluates the environmental impacts for the proposal to comply with the Environmental Protection Agency's ground-water standards set forth in 40 CFR 192 at the Spook, Wyoming Uranium Mill Tailings Site by using the selected alternative stated in the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Ground Water Project. PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITIES None available at this time. DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD March 1, 1997 EA-1155: Final Environmental Assessment Ground-water Compliance Activities at the Uranium Mill Tailings Site,
Uranium industry annual 1997
This report provides statistical data on the U.S. uranium industry`s activities relating to uranium raw materials and uranium marketing.
Reimbursements to Licensees of Active Uranium and Thorium Processing Sites, Fiscal Year 2009 and 2010 Status Report
Energy.gov (U.S. Department of Energy (DOE))
Reimbursements to Licensees of Active Uranium and Thorium Processing Sites, Fiscal Year 2009 and 2010 Status Report (March 2010)��
Application of the active well coincidence counter to the measurement of uranium
An Active Well Coincidence Counter has been developed to assay uranium fuel material in field inspection applications. The unit is used to measure bulk UO/sub 2/ samples, high enrichment uranium metals, LWR fuel pellets, and /sup 233/U-Th fuel materials which have very high gamma-ray backgrounds.
Menlove, H.O.; Foley, J.E.; Bosler, G.E.
Results of the remote sensing feasibility study for the uranium hexafluoride storage cylinder yard program
The US DOE manages the safe storage of approximately 650,000 tons of depleted uranium hexafluoride remaining from the Cold War. This slightly radioactive, but chemically active, material is contained in more than 46,000 steel storage cylinders that are located at Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Paducah, Kentucky; and Portsmouth, Ohio. Some of the cylinders are more than 40 years old, and approximately 17,500 are considered problem cylinders because their physical integrity is questionable. These cylinders require an annual visual inspection. The remainder of the 46,000-plus cylinders must be visually inspected every four years. Currently, the cylinder inspection program is extremely labor intensive. Because these inspections are accomplished visually, they may not be effective in the early detection of leaking cylinders. The inspection program requires approximately 12--14 full-time-equivalent (FTE) employees. At the cost of approximately $125K per FTE, this translates to $1,500K per annum just for cylinder inspection. As part of the technology-development portion of the DOE Cylinder Management Program, the DOE Office of Facility Management requested the Remote Sensing Laboratory (RSL) to evaluate remote sensing techniques that have potential to increase the effectiveness of the inspection program and, at the same time, reduce inspection costs and personnel radiation exposure. During two site visits (March and May 1996) to the K-25 Site at Oak Ridge, TN, RSL personnel tested and characterized seven different operating systems believed to detect leakage, surface contamination, thickness and corrosion of cylinder walls, and general area contamination resulting from breached cylinders. The following techniques were used and their performances are discussed: Laser-induced fluorescent imaging; Long-range alpha detection; Neutron activation analysis; Differential gamma-ray attenuation; Compton scatterometry; Active infrared inspection; and Passive thermal infrared imaging.
Balick, L.K.; Bowman, D.R. [Bechtel Nevada, Las Vegas, NV (United States). Remote Sensing Lab.; Bounds, J.H. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)] [and others
Stimulating the in situ activity of Geobacter species to remove uranium from the groundwater of a uranium-contaminated aquifer
The potential for removing uranium from contaminated groundwater by stimulating the in situ activity of dissimilatory metal-reducing microorganisms was evaluated in a uranium-contaminated aquifer located in Rifle, Colo. Acetate (1 to 3 mM) was injected into the subsurface over a 3-month period via an injection gallery composed of 20 injection wells, which was installed upgradient from a series of 15 monitoring wells. U(VI) concentrations decreased in as little as 9 days after acetate injection was initiated, and within 50 days uranium had declined below the prescribed treatment level of 0.18 ?M in some of the monitoring wells. Analysis of 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences and phospholipid fatty acid profiles demonstrated that the initial loss of uranium from the groundwater was associated with an enrichment of Geobacter species in the treatment zone. Fe(II) in the groundwater also increased during this period, suggesting that U(VI) reduction was coincident with Fe(III) reduction. As the acetate injection continued over 50 days there was a loss of sulfate from the groundwater and an accumulation of sulfide and the composition of the microbial community changed. Organisms with 16S rDNA sequences most closely related to those of sulfate reducers became predominant,
Robert T. Anderson; Helen A. Vrionis; Irene Ortiz-bernad; Charles T. Resch; Philip E. Long; Richard Dayvault; Ken Karp; Sam Marutzky; Donald R. Metzler; Aaron Peacock; David C. White; Mary Lowe; Derek R. Lovley
Potential for and consequences of criticality resulting from hydrogeochemically concentrated fissile uranium blended with soil in low-level waste disposal facilities
Evaluations were done to determine conditions that could permit nuclear criticality with fissile uranium in low-level-waste (LLW) facilities and to estimate potential radiation exposures to personnel if there were such an accident. Simultaneous hydrogeochemical and nuclear criticality studies were done (1) to identify some realistic scenarios for uranium migration and concentration increase at LLW disposal facilities, (2) to model groundwater transport and subsequent concentration via sorption or precipitation of uranium, (3) to evaluate the potential for nuclear criticality resulting from potential increases in uranium concentration over disposal limits, and (4) to estimate potential radiation exposures to personnel resulting from criticality consequences. The scope of the referenced work was restricted to uranium at an assumed 100 wt% {sup 235}U enrichment. Three outcomes of uranium concentration are possible: uranium concentration is increased to levels that do pose a criticality safety concern; uranium concentration is increased, but levels do not pose a criticality safety concern; or uranium concentration does not increase.
Hopper, C.M.; Parks, C.V.
Determination of laser-evaporated uranium dioxide by neutron activation analysis
Safety analyses of nuclear reactors require information about the loss of fuel which may occur at high temperatures. In this study, the surface of a uranium dioxide target was heated rapidly by a laser. The uranium surface was vaporized into a vacuum. The uranium bearing species condensed on a graphite disk placed in the pathway of the expanding uranium vapor. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray analysis showed very little droplet ejection directly from the laser target surface. Neutron activation analysis was used to measure the amount of uranium deposited. The surface temperature was measured by a fast-response automatic optical pyrometer. The maximum surface temperature ranged from 2400 to 3700/sup 0/K. The Hertz-Langmuir formula, in conjunction with the measured surface temperature transient, was used to calculate the theoretical amount of uranium deposited. There was good agreement between theory and experiment above the melting point of 3120/sup 0/K. Below the melting point much more uranium was collected than was expected theoretically. This was attributed to oxidation of the surface. 29 refs., 16 figs., 7 tabs.
Allred, R.
Californium-252 in situ activation and photon detection techniques for uranium ore deposit evaluation
Four different techniques are evaluated for borehole analysis of uranium and thorium ores. Methods involving (1) detection of fission product photons following /sup 252/Cf activation, (2) detection of low-energy uranium and thorium gamma-rays, (3) direct measurement of the 1001-keV photon from /sup 234m/Pa, a progeny of /sup 238/U, and (4) isotopic excitation x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy are evaluated. The first two techniques are found too unsuitable for most low grade ores. The third is found to be suitable for the in-situ analysis of uranium ores only, and the fourth method is shown to be a superior, cost effective method for both uranium and thorium ore analysis.
Brodzinski, R.L.; Wogman, N.A.
Method of recovering uranium hexafluoride
A method of recovering uranium hexafluoride from gaseous mixtures which comprises adsorbing said uranium hexafluoride on activated carbon is described.
Schuman, S.
Uranium industry annual 1996
The Uranium Industry Annual 1996 (UIA 1996) provides current statistical data on the US uranium industry`s activities relating to uranium raw materials and uranium marketing. The UIA 1996 is prepared for use by the Congress, Federal and State agencies, the uranium and nuclear electric utility industries, and the public. Data on uranium raw materials activities for 1987 through 1996 including exploration activities and expenditures, EIA-estimated reserves, mine production of uranium, production of uranium concentrate, and industry employment are presented in Chapter 1. Data on uranium marketing activities for 1994 through 2006, including purchases of uranium and enrichment services, enrichment feed deliveries, uranium fuel assemblies, filled and unfilled market requirements, uranium imports and exports, and uranium inventories are shown in Chapter 2. A feature article, The Role of Thorium in Nuclear Energy, is included. 24 figs., 56 tabs.
Recent International R&D Activities in the Extraction of Uranium from Seawater
A literature survey has been conducted to collect information on the International R&D activities in the extraction of uranium from seawater for the period from the 1960s till the year of 2010. The reported activities, on both the laboratory scale bench experiments and the large scale marine experiments, were summarized by country/region in this report. Among all countries where such activities have been reported, Japan has carried out the most advanced large scale marine experiments with the amidoxime-based system, and achieved the collection efficiency (1.5 g-U/kg-adsorbent for 30 days soaking in the ocean) that could justify the development of industrial scale marine systems to produce uranium from seawater at the price competitive with those from conventional uranium resources. R&D opportunities are discussed for improving the system performance (selectivity for uranium, loading capacity, chemical stability and mechanical durability in the sorption-elution cycle, and sorption kinetics) and making the collection of uranium from seawater more economically competitive.
Rao, Linfeng
Heap leach studies on the removal of uranium from soil. Report of laboratory-scale test results
This report details the initial results of laboratory-scale testing of heap leach that is being developed as a method for removing uranium from uranium-contaminated soil. The soil used was obtained from the site of the Feed Materials Production Center (FMPC) near the village of Fernald in Ohio. The testing is being conducted on a laboratory scale, but it is intended that this methodology will eventually be enlarged to field scale where, millions of cubic meters of uranium-contaminated soil can be remediated. The laboratory scale experiments show that, using carbonate/bicarbonate solutions, uranium can be effectively removed from the soil from initial values of around 600 ppM down to 100 ppM or less. The goal of this research is to selectively remove uranium from the contaminated soil, without causing serious changes in the characteristics of the soil. It is also hoped that the new technologies developed for soil remediation at FEMP will be transferred to other sites that also have uranium-contaminated soil.
Turney, W.R.J.R.; York, D.A.; Mason, C.F.V.; Chisholm-Brause, C.J.; Dander, D.C.; Longmire, P.A.; Morris, D.E.; Strait, R.K.; Brewer, J.S.
Lemaire, Selective concentration of uranium from seawater byfor exploration of uranium. Reaktortagung, 7th (1975), 307-Germany. 41. H. G. Bals, Uranium extraction from seawater.
Key programmatic steps and activities for implementing the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project. [UMTRA Project
The Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978 (UMTRCA) was enacted based upon findings by Congress that uranium mill tailings located at active and inactive hazard to the public, and that protection of the public health, safety and welfare, and the regulations of interstate commerce, require that every reasonable effort be made to provide for the stabilization, disposal, and control in a safe and environmentally sound manner of such tailings in order to prevent or minimize radon diffusion into the environment and to prevent or minimize other environmental hazards from such tailings.'' A general understanding of the steps leading to elimination of the hazards associated with designated uranium mill tailings sites, and the parties involved in that effort, are presented in this document. A representative schedule is also presented in this document to show both program sequence and activity interdependence. Those activities that have the most potential to influence program duration, because of the significant amount of additional time that may be required, include identification and selection of a suitable site, field data collection delays due to weather, actual acquisition of the designated or alternate disposal site, construction delays due to weather, and site licensing. This document provides an understanding of the steps, the sequence, the parties involved, and a representative duration of activities leading to remedial action and cleanup at the designated inactive uranium mill tailings sites. 10 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.
Alpha spectrometric characterization of process-related particle size distributions from active particle sampling at the Los Alamos National Laboratory uranium foundry
Uranium particles within the respirable size range pose a significant hazard to the health and safety of workers. Significant differences in the deposition and incorporation patterns of aerosols within the respirable range can be identified and integrated into sophisticated health physics models. Data characterizing the uranium particle size distribution resulting from specific foundry-related processes are needed. Using personal air sampling cascade impactors, particles collected from several foundry processes were sorted by activity median aerodynamic diameter onto various Marple substrates. After an initial gravimetric assessment of each impactor stage, the substrates were analyzed by alpha spectrometry to determine the uranium content of each stage. Alpha spectrometry provides rapid nondestructive isotopic data that can distinguish process uranium from natural sources and the degree of uranium contribution to the total accumulated particle load. In addition, the particle size bins utilized by the impactors provide adequate resolution to determine if a process particle size distribution is: lognormal, bimodal, or trimodal. Data on process uranium particle size values and distributions facilitate the development of more sophisticated and accurate models for internal dosimetry, resulting in an improved understanding of foundry worker health and safety.
Plionis, Alexander A [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Peterson, Dominic S [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Tandon, Lav [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Lamont, Stephen P [Los Alamos National Laboratory
Calibration Tools for Measurement of Highly Enriched Uranium in Oxide and Mixed Uranium-Plutonium Oxide with a Passive-Active Neutron Drum Shuffler
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has completed an extensive effort to calibrate the LLNL passive-active neutron drum (PAN) shuffler (Canberra Model JCC-92) for accountability measurement of highly enriched uranium (HEU) oxide and HEU in mixed uranium-plutonium (U-Pu) oxide. Earlier papers described the PAN shuffler calibration over a range of item properties by standards measurements and an extensive series of detailed simulation calculations. With a single normalization factor, the simulations agree with the HEU oxide standards measurements to within {+-}1.2% at one standard deviation. Measurement errors on mixed U-Pu oxide samples are in the {+-}2% to {+-}10% range, or {+-}20 g for the smaller items. The purpose of this paper is to facilitate transfer of the LLNL procedure and calibration algorithms to external users who possess an identical, or equivalent, PAN shuffler. Steps include (1) measurement of HEU standards or working reference materials (WRMs); (2) MCNP simulation calculations for the standards or WRMs and a range of possible masses in the same containers; (3) a normalization of the calibration algorithms using the standard or WRM measurements to account for differences in the {sup 252}Cf source strength, the delayed-neutron nuclear data, effects of the irradiation protocol, and detector efficiency; and (4) a verification of the simulation series trends against like LLNL results. Tools include EXCEL/Visual Basic programs which pre- and post-process the simulations, control the normalization, and embody the calibration algorithms.
Mount, M; O' Connell, W; Cochran, C; Rinard, P
Update on Y-12 national security complex activities to recover enriched uranium in 2007
During Calendar Year 2007, the Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12) has completed recovery missions that resulted in the return of highly enriched uranium from Canada and several locations within the United States. These missions were performed in support of the National Nuclear Security Administration's Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) and the Department of Energy (DOE) Central Scrap Management Office for Uranium (U-CSMO). Additionally, Y-12 completed safety basis revisions for the ES-3100 shipping package which resulted in the issuance of a Certificate of Compliance (CoC) from the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission and a Competent Authority Certificate (CAC) from the United States Department of Transportation for air transport of highly enriched uranium in the form of un- irradiated TRIGA pellets. This certification of the ES-3100 will now allow GTRI to perform recoveries of limited quantities of fresh HEU TRIGA that have been identified at several locations. (author)
Eddy, Becky; Andes, Trent; Dunavant, Randy [Y-12 National Security Complex, Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Uranium Industry Annual, 1992
The Uranium Industry Annual provides current statistical data on the US uranium industry for the Congress, Federal and State agencies, the uranium and electric utility industries, and the public. The feature article, ``Decommissioning of US Conventional Uranium Production Centers,`` is included. Data on uranium raw materials activities including exploration activities and expenditures, resources and reserves, mine production of uranium, production of uranium concentrate, and industry employment are presented in Chapter 1. Data on uranium marketing activities including domestic uranium purchases, commitments by utilities, procurement arrangements, uranium imports under purchase contracts and exports, deliveries to enrichment suppliers, inventories, secondary market activities, utility market requirements, and uranium for sale by domestic suppliers are presented in Chapter 2.
Segregation of Uranium Metal from K Basin Sludge: Results from Vendor Testing
Under contract to Fluor Hanford, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory directed laboratory, bench-scale, and pilot-scale vendor testing to evaluate the use of commercial gravity mineral concentration technology to remove and concentrate uranium metal from Hanford K Basin sludge. Uranium metal in the sludge corrodes by reacting with water to generate heat and hydrogen gas, and may constrain shipment and disposal of the sludge to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant as remote-handled transuranic waste. Separating uranium metal from the K Basin sludge is expected to be similar to some gold recovery operations. Consequently, the capabilities of commercial gravity mineral concentration technologies were assessed for their applicability to K Basin sludge streams. Overall, the vendor testing demonstrated the technical feasibility of using gravity concentration equipment to separate the K Basin sludge into a high-volume uranium metal-depleted stream and a low-volume uranium metal-rich stream. I n test systems, more than 96% of the uranium metal surrogate was concentrated into 10 to 30% of the sludge mass (7 to 24% of the sludge volume). With more prototypical equipment and stream recycle, higher recoveries may be achieved.
Schmidt, Andrew J.; Elmore, Monte R.; Delegard, Calvin H.
Active-Interrogation Measurements of Induced-Fission Neutrons from Low-Enriched Uranium
Protection and control of nuclear fuels is paramount for nuclear security and safeguards; therefore, it is important to develop fast and robust controlling mechanisms to ensure the safety of nuclear fuels. Through both passive- and active-interrogation methods we can use fast-neutron detection to perform real-time measurements of fission neutrons for process monitoring. Active interrogation allows us to use different ranges of incident neutron energy to probe for different isotopes of uranium. With fast-neutron detectors, such as organic liquid scintillation detectors, we can detect the induced-fission neutrons and photons and work towards quantifying a sample�s mass and enrichment. Using MCNPX-PoliMi, a system was designed to measure induced-fission neutrons from U-235 and U-238. Measurements were then performed in the summer of 2010 at the Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy. Fissions were induced with an associated particle D-T generator and an isotopic Am-Li source. The fission neutrons, as well as neutrons from (n, 2n) and (n, 3n) reactions, were measured with five 5� by 5� EJ-309 organic liquid scintillators. The D-T neutron generator was available as part of a measurement campaign in place by Padova University. The measurement and data-acquisition systems were developed at the University of Michigan utilizing a CAEN V1720 digitizer and pulse-shape discrimination algorithms to differentiate neutron and photon detections. Low-enriched uranium samples of varying mass and enrichment were interrogated. Acquired time-of-flight curves and cross-correlation curves are currently analyzed to draw relationships between detected neutrons and sample mass and enrichment. In the full paper, the promise of active-interrogation measurements and fast-neutron detection will be assessed through the example of this proof-of-concept measurement campaign. Additionally, MCNPX-PoliMi simulation results will be compared to the measured data to validate the MCNPX-PoliMi code when used for active-interrogation simulations.
J. L. Dolan; M. J. Marcath; M. Flaska; S. A. Pozzi; D. L. Chichester; A. Tomanin; P. Peerani; G. Nebbia
Effects of processing variables on the hydrogen content and resultant mechanical properties of uranium and uranium-3/4 wt % titanium alloy
DOE Green Energy (OSTI)
Uranium and its alloys are capable of being processed, fabricated and heat treated by many different methods. The deleterious effects of hydrogen on the mechanical properties of uranium and its alloys are well established. In this study the effects of certain processing procedures on hydrogen absorption and removal were investigated. Both unalloyed uranium and uranium-3/4 wt % titanium were involved in this work. The tensile test data for both materials clearly show the adverse effects of hydrogen absorption.
Muller, J.F.
Uranium Enrichment
Enrichment Depleted Uranium line line Uranium Enrichment Depleted Uranium Health Effects Uranium Enrichment A description of the uranium enrichment process, including gaseous...
Isotopic ratio method for determining uranium contamination
The presence of high concentrations of uranium in the subsurface can be attributed either to contamination from uranium processing activities or to naturally occurring uranium. A mathematical method has been employed to evaluate the isotope ratios from subsurface soils at the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant (RFP) and demonstrates conclusively that the soil contains uranium from a natural source and has not been contaminated with enriched uranium resulting from RFP releases. This paper describes the method used in this determination which has widespread application in site characterizations and can be adapted to other radioisotopes used in manufacturing industries. The determination of radioisotope source can lead to a reduction of the remediation effort.
Miles, R.E.; Sieben, A.K.
Some Investigations of the Reaction of Activated Charcoal with Fluorine and Uranium Hexafluoride
The Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has been shut down since 1969, when the fuel salt was drained from the core into two Hastelloy N drain tanks at the reactor site. Over time, fluorine (F{sub 2}) and uranium hexafluoride (UF{sub 6}) moved from the salt through the gas piping to a charcoal bed, where they reacted with the activated charcoal. Some of the immediate concerns related to the migration of F{sub 2} and UF{sub 6} to the charcoal bed were the possibility of explosive reactions between the charcoal and F{sub 2}, the existence of conditions that could induce a criticality accident, and the removal and recovery of the fissile uranium from the charcoal. This report addresses the reactions and reactivity of species produced by the reaction of fluorine and activated charcoal and between charcoal and F{sub 2}-UF{sub 6} gas mixtures in order to support remediation of the MSRE auxiliary charcoal bed (ACB) and the recovery of the fissile uranium. The chemical identity, stoichiometry, thermochemistry, and potential for explosive decomposition of the primary reaction product, fluorinated charcoal, was determined.
Del Cul, G.D.; Fiedor, J.N.; Simmons, D.W.; Toth, L.M.; Trowbridge, L.D.; Williams
US Department of Energy Uranium Enrichment Activity. Financial statements, September 30, 1991 and 1990
KPMG Peat Marwick (KPMG), Certified Public Accountants, has completed its audit of the Department of Energy`s Uranium Enrichment Activity (UEA) financial.statements as of September 30, 1991. The purpose of the audit was to determine whether (1) the financial statements were presented fairly in accordance with applicable accounting principles, (2) the auditee complied with all applicable laws and regulations that may have materially affected the financial statements, and (3) the internal accounting controls, taken as a whole, were adequate. The US Government, through the Department of Energy (DOE) and the management and operating contractor, operates the UEA to enrich uranium hexafluoride in the isotope U-235 for commercial power reactor operators, as further discussed in note 1 of the financial statements. The enrichment of uranium for Government program users, which had been a function of UEA, was transferred outside the UEA affective September 30, 1991, as described in note 3 of the financial statements. UEA is a part of DOE and does not exist as a separate legal entity. For financial reporting purposes, the entity is defined as those activities which provide enriching services to its customers. The financial statements are prepared by extracting and adjusting UEA related data from the financial records of DOE and its contractors.
Methods Used to Calculate Doses Resulting from Inhalation of Capstone Depleted Uranium Aerosols
The methods used to calculate radiological and toxicological doses to hypothetical persons inside either a United States Army Abrams tank or Bradley Fighting Vehicle that has been perforated by depleted uranium munitions is described. Data from time- and particle-size-resolved measurements of depleted uranium aerosol as well as particle-size resolved measurements of aerosol solubility in lung fluids for aerosol produced in the breathing zones of the hypothetical occupants were used. The aerosol was approximated as a mixture of nine monodisperse (single particle size) components corresponding to particle size increments measured by the eight stages plus backup filter of the cascade impactors used. A Markov Chain Monte Carlo Bayesian analysis technique was employed, which straightforwardly calculates the uncertainties in doses. Extensive quality control checking of the various computer codes used is described.
Miller, Guthrie; Cheng, Yung-Sung; Traub, Richard J.; Little, Thomas T.; Guilmette, Ray A.
2012 Domestic Uranium Production Report
U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
udrilling 2012 Domestic Uranium Production Report Next Release Date: May 2014 Table 1. U.S. uranium drilling activities, 2003-2012 Year Exploration Drilling
Uranium industry annual 1998
The Uranium Industry Annual 1998 (UIA 1998) provides current statistical data on the US uranium industry`s activities relating to uranium raw materials and uranium marketing. It contains data for the period 1989 through 2008 as collected on the Form EIA-858, ``Uranium Industry Annual Survey.`` Data provides a comprehensive statistical characterization of the industry`s activities for the survey year and also include some information about industry`s plans and commitments for the near-term future. Data on uranium raw materials activities for 1989 through 1998, including exploration activities and expenditures, EIA-estimated reserves, mine production of uranium, production of uranium concentrate, and industry employment, are presented in Chapter 1. Data on uranium marketing activities for 1994 through 2008, including purchases of uranium and enrichment services, enrichment feed deliveries, uranium fuel assemblies, filled and unfilled market requirements, and uranium inventories, are shown in Chapter 2. The methodology used in the 1998 survey, including data edit and analysis, is described in Appendix A. The methodologies for estimation of resources and reserves are described in Appendix B. A list of respondents to the ``Uranium Industry Annual Survey`` is provided in Appendix C. The Form EIA-858 ``Uranium Industry Annual Survey`` is shown in Appendix D. For the readers convenience, metric versions of selected tables from Chapters 1 and 2 are presented in Appendix E along with the standard conversion factors used. A glossary of technical terms is at the end of the report. 24 figs., 56 tabs.
Uranium industry annual 1994
The Uranium Industry Annual 1994 (UIA 1994) provides current statistical data on the US uranium industry`s activities relating to uranium raw materials and uranium marketing during that survey year. The UIA 1994 is prepared for use by the Congress, Federal and State agencies, the uranium and nuclear electric utility industries, and the public. It contains data for the 10-year period 1985 through 1994 as collected on the Form EIA-858, ``Uranium Industry Annual Survey.`` Data collected on the ``Uranium Industry Annual Survey`` (UIAS) provide a comprehensive statistical characterization of the industry`s activities for the survey year and also include some information about industry`s plans and commitments for the near-term future. Where aggregate data are presented in the UIA 1994, care has been taken to protect the confidentiality of company-specific information while still conveying accurate and complete statistical data. A feature article, ``Comparison of Uranium Mill Tailings Reclamation in the United States and Canada,`` is included in the UIA 1994. Data on uranium raw materials activities including exploration activities and expenditures, EIA-estimated resources and reserves, mine production of uranium, production of uranium concentrate, and industry employment are presented in Chapter 1. Data on uranium marketing activities, including purchases of uranium and enrichment services, and uranium inventories, enrichment feed deliveries (actual and projected), and unfilled market requirements are shown in Chapter 2.
Calibration of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Passive-Active Neutron Drum Shuffler for Measurement of Highly Enriched Uranium Oxide
In partial response to a Department of Energy (DOE) request to evaluate the state of measurements of special nuclear material, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) evaluated and classified all highly enriched uranium (HEU) oxide items in its inventory. Because of a lack of traceable HEU standards, no items were deemed to fit the category of well measured. A subsequent DOE-HQ sponsored survey by New Brunswick Laboratory resulted in their preparation of certified reference material (CRM) 149 [Uranium (93% Enriched) Oxide-U{sub 3}O{sub 8} Standard for Neutron Counting Measurements], a unit of which was delivered to LLNL in October of 1999. This paper describes the approach to calibration of the LLNL passive-active neutron drum (PAN) shuffler for measurement of poorly measured/unmeasured HEU oxide inventory. Included are discussions of (1) the calibration effort, including the development of the mass calibration curve; (2) the results from an axial and radial mapping of the detector response over a wide region of the PAN shuffler counting chamber, and (3) an error model for the total (systematic + random) uncertainty in the predicted mass that includes the uncertainties in calibration and sample position.
Mount, M.; Glosup, J.; Cochran, C.; Dearborn, D.; Endres, E.
Cost results from the 1994 Fernald characterization field demonstration for uranium-contaminated soils
One of the principal objectives of the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Technology Development is to develop an optimum integrated system of technologies for removing uranium substances from soil. This system of technologies, through demonstration, must be proven in terms of cost reduction, waste minimization, risk reduction, and user applicability. To evaluate the effectiveness of these technologies, a field demonstration was conducted at the Fernald site in the summer of 1994. Fernald was selected as the host site for the demonstration based on environmental problems stemming from past production of uranium metal for defense-related applications. The following six alternative technologies were developed and/or demonstrated by the principal investigators in the Characterization Task Group at the field demonstration: (1) beta scintillation detector by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL), (2) in situ gamma detector by PNL, (3) mobile laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma/atomic emission spectrometry (LA-ICP/AES) laboratory by Ames Laboratory, (4) long-range alpha detector (LRAD) by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), (5) passive radon monitoring by ORNL, and (6) electret ion chamber by ORNL.
Douthat, D.M.; Stewart, R.N.; Armstrong, A.Q.
Parametric Evaluation of Active Neutron Interrogation for the Detection of Shielded Highly-Enriched Uranium in the Field
Parametric studies using numerical simulations are being performed to assess the performance capabilities and limits of active neutron interrogation for detecting shielded highly enriched uranium (HEU). Varying the shield material, HEU mass, HEU depth inside the shield, and interrogating neutron source energy, the simulations account for both neutron and photon emission signatures from the HEU with resolution in both energy and time. The results are processed to represent different irradiation timing schemes and several different classes of radiation detectors, and evaluated using a statistical approach considering signal intensity over background. This paper describes the details of the modeling campaign and some preliminary results, weighing the strengths of alternative measurement approaches for the different irradiation scenarios.
D. L. Chcihester; E. H. Seabury; S. J. Thompson; R. R. C. Clement
Temporal variability of uranium concentrations and 234 activity ratios in the Mississippi river and its tributaries
Department of Geology and Geophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845, United States c-basins exert the greatest control on Lower Mississippi River uranium concentration and isotope signatures; Uranium isotope ratios; Temporal variability; Tributary sources; Global riverine uranium flux 1
Solubility measurement of uranium in uranium-contaminated soils
A short-term equilibration study involving two uranium-contaminated soils at the Fernald site was conducted as part of the In Situ Remediation Integrated Program. The goal of this study is to predict the behavior of uranium during on-site remediation of these soils. Geochemical modeling was performed on the aqueous species dissolved from these soils following the equilibration study to predict the on-site uranium leaching and transport processes. The soluble levels of total uranium, calcium, magnesium, and carbonate increased continually for the first four weeks. After the first four weeks, these components either reached a steady-state equilibrium or continued linearity throughout the study. Aluminum, potassium, and iron, reached a steady-state concentration within three days. Silica levels approximated the predicted solubility of quartz throughout the study. A much higher level of dissolved uranium was observed in the soil contaminated from spillage of uranium-laden solvents and process effluents than in the soil contaminated from settling of airborne uranium particles ejected from the nearby incinerator. The high levels observed for soluble calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate are probably the result of magnesium and/or calcium carbonate minerals dissolving in these soils. Geochemical modeling confirms that the uranyl-carbonate complexes are the most stable and dominant in these solutions. The use of carbonate minerals on these soils for erosion control and road construction activities contributes to the leaching of uranium from contaminated soil particles. Dissolved carbonates promote uranium solubility, forming highly mobile anionic species. Mobile uranium species are contaminating the groundwater underlying these soils. The development of a site-specific remediation technology is urgently needed for the FEMP site.
Lee, S.Y.; Elless, M.; Hoffman, F.
Control of structure and reactivity by ligand design : applications to small molecule activation by low-valent uranium complexes
of a Charge- Separated Uranium Benzophenone Ketyl Radical3. Charge-Separation in Uranium Diazomethane ComplexesRelated Small Molecules by Uranium Coordination Complexes�,
Lam, Oanh Phi
Uranium industry annual 1995
The Uranium Industry Annual 1995 (UIA 1995) provides current statistical data on the U.S. uranium industry`s activities relating to uranium raw materials and uranium marketing. The UIA 1995 is prepared for use by the Congress, Federal and State agencies, the uranium and nuclear electric utility industries, and the public. It contains data for the period 1986 through 2005 as collected on the Form EIA-858, ``Uranium Industry Annual Survey``. Data collected on the ``Uranium Industry Annual Survey`` provide a comprehensive statistical characterization of the industry`s plans and commitments for the near-term future. Where aggregate data are presented in the UIA 1995, care has been taken to protect the confidentiality of company-specific information while still conveying accurate and complete statistical data. Data on uranium raw materials activities for 1986 through 1995 including exploration activities and expenditures, EIA-estimated reserves, mine production of uranium, production of uranium concentrate, and industry employment are presented in Chapter 1. Data on uranium marketing activities for 1994 through 2005, including purchases of uranium and enrichment services, enrichment feed deliveries, uranium fuel assemblies, filled and unfilled market requirements, uranium imports and exports, and uranium inventories are shown in Chapter 2. The methodology used in the 1995 survey, including data edit and analysis, is described in Appendix A. The methodologies for estimation of resources and reserves are described in Appendix B. A list of respondents to the ``Uranium Industry Annual Survey`` is provided in Appendix C. For the reader`s convenience, metric versions of selected tables from Chapters 1 and 2 are presented in Appendix D along with the standard conversion factors used. A glossary of technical terms is at the end of the report. 14 figs., 56 tabs.
Measurement of highly enriched uranium metal buttons with the high-level neutron coincidence counter operating in the active mode
The portable High-Level Neutron Coincidence Counter is used in the active mode with the addition of AmLi neutron sources to assay the /sup 235/U content of highly enriched metal pieces or buttons. It is concluded that the portable instrument is a practical instrument for assaying uranium metal buttons with masses in the range 1.5 to 4 kg.
Foley, J.E.
Uranium 238U/235U isotope ratios as indicators of reduction: Results from an in situ biostimulation experiment at Rifle, Colorado, USA
Series Geochemistry; In Uranium-Series Geochemistry; BernardIsotopic Fractionation of Uranium. Earth and Planetaryand precipitation of uranium and vanadium at low
Bopp IV, C.J.
coordination chemistry is depleted uranium, a by-product innuclear reactors. Depleted uranium Figure 1-1. The periodic
Depleted Uranium
Depleted Uranium Depleted Uranium Depleted Uranium line line Uranium Enrichment Depleted Uranium Health Effects Depleted Uranium Depleted uranium is uranium that has had some of its U-235 content removed. Over the last four decades, large quantities of uranium were processed by gaseous diffusion to produce uranium having a higher concentration of uranium-235 than the 0.72% that occurs naturally (called "enriched" uranium) for use in U.S. national defense and civilian applications. "Depleted" uranium is also a product of the enrichment process. However, depleted uranium has been stripped of some of its natural uranium-235 content. Most of the Department of Energy's (DOE) depleted uranium inventory contains between 0.2 to 0.4 weight-percent uranium-235, well
Low-Enriched Uranium Fuel Conversion Activities for the High Flux Isotope Reactor, Annual Report for FY 2011
This report describes progress made during FY11 in ORNL activities to support converting the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) from high-enriched uranium (HEU) fuel to low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel. Conversion from HEU to LEU will require a change in fuel form from uranium oxide to a uranium-molybdenum (UMo) alloy. With both radial and axial contouring of the fuel foil and an increase in reactor power to 100 MW, calculations indicate that the HFIR can be operated with LEU fuel with no degradation in performance to users from the current levels achieved with HEU fuel. Studies are continuing to demonstrate that the fuel thermal safety margins can be preserved following conversion. Studies are also continuing to update other aspects of the reactor steady state operation and accident response for the effects of fuel conversion. Technical input has been provided to Oregon State University in support of their hydraulic testing program. The HFIR conversion schedule was revised and provided to the GTRI program. In addition to HFIR conversion activities, technical support was provided directly to the Fuel Fabrication Capability program manager.
Renfro, David G [ORNL; Cook, David Howard [ORNL; Freels, James D [ORNL; Griffin, Frederick P [ORNL; Ilas, Germina [ORNL; Sease, John D [ORNL; Chandler, David [ORNL
Nuclear & Uranium
Nuclear & Uranium. Uranium fuel ... nuclear reactors, generation, spent fuel. Total Energy. Comprehensive data summaries, comparisons, analysis, and projections ...
Domestic Uranium Production Report
Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update (EIA)
1. U.S. uranium drilling activities, 2003-2012 Exploration Drilling Development Drilling Exploration and Development Drilling Year Number of Holes Feet (thousand) Number of Holes...
Excess Uranium Inventory Management Plan | Department of Energy
Excess Uranium Inventory Management Plan Excess Uranium Inventory Management Plan Excess Uranium Inventory Management Plan The 2013 Excess Uranium Inventory Management Plan describes a framework for the effective management of the Energy Department's surplus uranium inventory in support of meeting its critical environmental cleanup and national security missions. The Plan is not a commitment to specific activities beyond those that have already been contracted nor is it a restriction on actions that the Department may undertake in the future as a result of changing conditions. It replaces an earlier plan issued in 2008 and reflects updated information on the Department of Energy's management and disposition of its excess uranium inventories. Excess Uranium Inventory Management Plan More Documents & Publications
Interim results: development of a head-end process for recovering uranium and thorium from crushed Fort St. Vrain fuel
Development of processes and equipment for recovering uranium and thorium from crushed Ft. St. Vrain fuel is described. Primary burning, particle classification, particle breaking, secondary burning, and aqueous processing were studied. Interim pilot-plant results show that: (1) graphite can be burned at the plant equivalent rate of 35 kgC/hr-ft$sup 2$ in the primary burner and that fines can be consumed by recycle to the primary burner; (2) separation to greater than 95 percent pure fissile and 85 percent pure fertile particles can be effected by a gas classifier; (3) gas jets are capable of breaking silicon carbide coatings at rates compatible with plant requirements; gas utilization efficiencies are sufficiently great that off-gas generated by the jets is less than 5 percent of the off-gas generated by the process equipment; (4) an artificial inert bed is not required for secondary burning and the carbon content of the bed can easily be reduced to less than 2 percent in the secondary burner; (5) corrosion rates of thorex solution on 304 L stainless steel are sufficiently low to allow the dissolver to be constructed of 304 L stainless steel; and, (6) solids--liquid separation efficiencies using a continuous solid-bowl centrifuge are sufficiently high to process the dissolver product in a pulse-column extractor. Basic data on the process materials and conditions germane to the safety analysis for the process are also given. (JGB)
Hogg, G.W.; Rindfleisch, J.A.; Palmer, W.B.; Anderson, D.L.; Vavruska, J.S.
In the prior art processing of uranium ores, the ore is flrst digested with nitric acid and filtered, and the uranium values are then extracted tom the filtrate by contacting with an organic solvent. The insoluble residue has been processed separately in order to recover any uranium which it might contain. The improvement consists in contacting a slurry, composed of both solution and residue, with the organic solvent prior to filtration. Tbe result is that uranium values contained in the residue are extracted along with the uranium values contained th the solution in one step.
Yeager, J.H.
Uranium and Its Compounds
and Its Compounds Uranium and Its Compounds line line What is Uranium? Chemical Forms of Uranium Properties of Uranium Compounds Radioactivity and Radiation Uranium Health Effects...
FAQ 5-Is uranium radioactive?
Is uranium radioactive? Is uranium radioactive? Is uranium radioactive? All isotopes of uranium are radioactive, with most having extremely long half-lives. Half-life is a measure of the time it takes for one half of the atoms of a particular radionuclide to disintegrate (or decay) into another nuclear form. Each radionuclide has a characteristic half-life. Half-lives vary from millionths of a second to billions of years. Because radioactivity is a measure of the rate at which a radionuclide decays (for example, decays per second), the longer the half-life of a radionuclide, the less radioactive it is for a given mass. The half-life of uranium-238 is about 4.5 billion years, uranium-235 about 700 million years, and uranium-234 about 25 thousand years. Uranium atoms decay into other atoms, or radionuclides, that are also radioactive and commonly called "decay products." Uranium and its decay products primarily emit alpha radiation, however, lower levels of both beta and gamma radiation are also emitted. The total activity level of uranium depends on the isotopic composition and processing history. A sample of natural uranium (as mined) is composed of 99.3% uranium-238, 0.7% uranium-235, and a negligible amount of uranium-234 (by weight), as well as a number of radioactive decay products.
A method is presented for recovering uranium from hydrocarbon oils, wherein the uranium is principally present as UF/sub 4/. According to the invention, substantially complete removal of the uranium from the hydrocarbon oil may be effected by intimately mixing one part of acetone to about 2 to 12 parts of the hydrocarbon oil containing uranium and separating the resulting cake of uranium from the resulting mixture. The uranium in the cake may be readily recovered by burning to the oxide.
Gooch, L.H.
Update on Calibration of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Passive-Active Neutron Drum Shuffler for Measurement of Highly Enriched Uranium Oxide
In October of 1999, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) began an effort to calibrate the LLNL passive-active neutron (PAN) drum shuffler for measurement of highly enriched uranium (HEU) oxide. A single unit of certified reference material (CRM) 149 [Uranium (93% Enriched) Oxide - U{sub 3}O{sub 8} Standard for Neutron Counting Measurements] was used to (1) develop a mass calibration curve for HEU oxide in the nominal range of 393 g to 3144 g {sup 235}U, and (2) perform a detailed axial and radial mapping of the detector response over a wide region of the PAN shuffler counting chamber. Results from these efforts were reported at the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management 41st Annual Meeting in July 2000. This paper describes subsequent efforts by LLNL to use a unit of CRM 146 [Uranium Isotopic Standard for Gamma Spectrometry Measurements] in consort with Monte Carlo simulations of the PAN shuffler response to CRM 149 and CRM 146 units and a selected set of containers with CRM 149-equivalent U{sub 3}O{sub 8} to (1) extend the low range of the reported mass calibration curve to 10 g {sup 235}U, (2) evaluate the effect of U{sub 3}O{sub 8} density (2.4 g/cm{sup 3} to 4.8 g/cm{sup 3}) and container size (5.24 cm to 12.17 cm inside diameter and 6.35 cm to 17.72 cm inside height) on the PAN shuffler response, and (3) develop mass calibration curves for U{sub 3}O{sub 8} enriched to 20.1 wt% {sup 235}U and 52.5 wt% {sup 235}U.
Mount, M; O' Connell, W; Cochran, C; Rinard, P; Dearborn, D; Endres, E
Uranium hexafluoride public risk
The limiting value for uranium toxicity in a human being should be based on the concentration of uranium (U) in the kidneys. The threshold for nephrotoxicity appears to lie very near 3 {mu}g U per gram kidney tissue. There does not appear to be strong scientific support for any other improved estimate, either higher or lower than this, of the threshold for uranium nephrotoxicity in a human being. The value 3 {mu}g U per gram kidney is the concentration that results from a single intake of about 30 mg soluble uranium by inhalation (assuming the metabolism of a standard person). The concentration of uranium continues to increase in the kidneys after long-term, continuous (or chronic) exposure. After chronic intakes of soluble uranium by workers at the rate of 10 mg U per week, the concentration of uranium in the kidneys approaches and may even exceed the nephrotoxic limit of 3 {mu}g U per gram kidney tissue. Precise values of the kidney concentration depend on the biokinetic model and model parameters assumed for such a calculation. Since it is possible for the concentration of uranium in the kidneys to exceed 3 {mu}g per gram tissue at an intake rate of 10 mg U per week over long periods of time, we believe that the kidneys are protected from injury when intakes of soluble uranium at the rate of 10 mg U per week do not continue for more than two consecutive weeks. For long-term, continuous occupational exposure to low-level, soluble uranium, we recommend a reduced weekly intake limit of 5 mg uranium to prevent nephrotoxicity in workers. Our analysis shows that the nephrotoxic limit of 3 {mu}g U per gram kidney tissues is not exceeded after long-term, continuous uranium intake at the intake rate of 5 mg soluble uranium per week.
Fisher, D.R.; Hui, T.E.; Yurconic, M.; Johnson, J.R.
The separation of uranium from an aqueous solution containing a water soluble uranyl salt is described. The process involves adding an alkali thiocyanate to the aqueous solution, contacting the resulting solution with methyl isobutyl ketons and separating the resulting aqueous and organic phase. The uranium is extracted in the organic phase as UO/sub 2/(SCN)/sub/.
McVey, W.H.; Reas, W.H.
Characterization of uranium contaminated soils from DOE Fernald Environmental Management Project Site: Results of Phase 1 characterization
The Integrated Demonstration (ID) for remediation of uranium- contaminated soils has been established by the DOE Office of Technology Development. The Fernald (Feed Materials Production Center) site was selected as the DOE facility for the field demonstration. The principle objective of this ID is to evaluate and compare the versatility, efficiency, and economics of various technologies that may be combined into systems for the removal of uranium from contaminated soils. Several leaching solutions were employed to determine their effectiveness in extracting uranium from the soil. The extractants and their means of preparation were: 0.1 N nitric acid [HNO{sub 3}]: 6.25 mL of concentrated nitric acid was diluted to 1 L with distilled water; 2% ammonium carbonate [(NH{sub 4}){sub 2}CO{sub 3}]: 20 g of (NH{sub 4}){sub 2}CO{sub 3} was dissolved in distilled water and diluted to 1 L; 5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl): 50 mL of NaOCl reagent (Cl HCl) in 0.01 N nitric acid: 6.95 g (NH{sub 2}OH{center_dot}HCl) was dissolved and diluted to 1 L with 0.01 N HNO{sub 3}. The 0.01 N nitric acid was prepared by diluting 3 mL concentrated nitric acid to 5 L with distilled water; and the sodium citrate-bicarbonate-dithionite (CBD) method: 0.3 M sodium citrate (88 g tribasic sodium citrate, Na{sub 3}C{sub 6}H{sub 5}O{sub 7}{center_dot}2H{sub 2}O, per liter); 1 M sodium bicarbonate (84 g NaHCO{sub 3} per liter); and 5 g sodium dithionite, Na{sub 2}S{sub 2}O{sub 4}.
Lee, S.Y.; Marsh, J.D. Jr.
Results of mobile gamma scanning activities in Tonawanda, New York
During the 1940s, the Linde Air Products Division of Union Carbide operated a plant in Tonawanda, New York, for the Manhattan Engineer District (MED) and the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). Uranium production and some nickel processing were conducted at the site. It is the policy of the US Department of Energy (DOE) to verify that radiological conditions at such sites or facilities comply with current DOE guidelines. Guidelines for release and use of such sites have become more stringent as research has provided more information since previous cleanups. The Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) was established as part of that effort to confirm the closeout status of facilities under contract to agencies preceding DOE during early nuclear energy development. Under the FUSRAP program, the Linde site itself has been previously investigated to determine the extent of on-site radiological contamination. As a precaution to insure that no residual radioactive materials were transported off-site, the Department of Energy requested that ORNL survey the area in the vicinity of the Linde Plant, the waste water treatment facility on Tower Road, the Sheridan Park Fire Station (District 4), and the Tonawanda Landfill to assess whether any residual radioactive material could be detected. The survey was conducted the week of April 3, 1990. Results of analysis of soil samples from the Tonawanda Landfill revealed slightly elevated concentrations of {sup 238}U and {sup 226}Ra suggestive of residuals from former Linde Plant operations. Therefore, it is recommended that additional surveying of the landfill property and of Sheridan Creek from south of the Linde property to its confluence with the Niagara River be conducted. The survey should include the measurement of gamma radiation levels and radionuclide analysis of silt samples. 6 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.
Cottrell, W.D.; Witt, D.A.; Rodriguez, R.E.; Carrier, R.F.
The Integrated Demonstration (ID) for remediation of uranium- contaminated soils has been established by the DOE Office of Technology Development. The Fernald (Feed Materials Production Center) site was selected as the DOE facility for the field demonstration. The principle objective of this ID is to evaluate and compare the versatility, efficiency, and economics of various technologies that may be combined into systems for the removal of uranium from contaminated soils. Several leaching solutions were employed to determine their effectiveness in extracting uranium from the soil. The extractants and their means of preparation were: 0.1 N nitric acid [HNO{sub 3}]: 6.25 mL of concentrated nitric acid was diluted to 1 L with distilled water; 2% ammonium carbonate [(NH{sub 4}){sub 2}CO{sub 3}]: 20 g of (NH{sub 4}){sub 2}CO{sub 3} was dissolved in distilled water and diluted to 1 L; 5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl): 50 mL of NaOCl reagent (Cl < 6%) was diluted to 1 L with distilled water; 0.1 M ethylenediaminetetraacetric acid, disodium salt (EDTA): 37.224 g EDTA was dissolved in distilled water and diluted to 1 L; 2% citric acid monohydrate solution (H{sub 3}C{sub 6}H{sub 5}O{sub 7}{center_dot}H{sub 2}O): 20 g of critic acid was diluted to 1 L with distilled water; 0.1 M hydroxylamine-hydrochloride (NH{sub 2}OH{center_dot}HCl) in 0.01 N nitric acid: 6.95 g (NH{sub 2}OH{center_dot}HCl) was dissolved and diluted to 1 L with 0.01 N HNO{sub 3}. The 0.01 N nitric acid was prepared by diluting 3 mL concentrated nitric acid to 5 L with distilled water; and the sodium citrate-bicarbonate-dithionite (CBD) method: 0.3 M sodium citrate (88 g tribasic sodium citrate, Na{sub 3}C{sub 6}H{sub 5}O{sub 7}{center_dot}2H{sub 2}O, per liter); 1 M sodium bicarbonate (84 g NaHCO{sub 3} per liter); and 5 g sodium dithionite, Na{sub 2}S{sub 2}O{sub 4}.
A uranium alloy is reported containing from 0.1 to 5 per cent by weight of molybdenum and from 0.1 to 5 per cent by weight of silicon, the balance being uranium.
Colbeck, E.W.
Uranium industry annual 1993
Uranium production in the United States has declined dramatically from a peak of 43.7 million pounds U{sub 3}O{sub 8} (16.8 thousand metric tons uranium (U)) in 1980 to 3.1 million pounds U{sub 3}O{sub 8} (1.2 thousand metric tons U) in 1993. This decline is attributed to the world uranium market experiencing oversupply and intense competition. Large inventories of uranium accumulated when optimistic forecasts for growth in nuclear power generation were not realized. The other factor which is affecting U.S. uranium production is that some other countries, notably Australia and Canada, possess higher quality uranium reserves that can be mined at lower costs than those of the United States. Realizing its competitive advantage, Canada was the world`s largest producer in 1993 with an output of 23.9 million pounds U{sub 3}O{sub 8} (9.2 thousand metric tons U). The U.S. uranium industry, responding to over a decade of declining market prices, has downsized and adopted less costly and more efficient production methods. The main result has been a suspension of production from conventional mines and mills. Since mid-1992, only nonconventional production facilities, chiefly in situ leach (ISL) mining and byproduct recovery, have operated in the United States. In contrast, nonconventional sources provided only 13 percent of the uranium produced in 1980. ISL mining has developed into the most cost efficient and environmentally acceptable method for producing uranium in the United States. The process, also known as solution mining, differs from conventional mining in that solutions are used to recover uranium from the ground without excavating the ore and generating associated solid waste. This article describes the current ISL Yang technology and its regulatory approval process, and provides an analysis of the factors favoring ISL mining over conventional methods in a declining uranium market.
Pyrolitic Uranium Compound (PYRUC)
Pyrolitic Uranium Compound Pyrolitic Uranium Compound (PYRUC) PYRolitic Uranium Compound (PYRUC) is a shielding material consisting of depleted uranium UO2 or UC in either pellet...
A method for the recovery of uranium from sulfuric acid solutions is described. In the present process, sulfuric acid is added to the uranium bearing solution to bring the pH to between 1 and 1.8, preferably to about 1.4, and aluminum metal is then used as a reducing agent to convert hexavalent uranium to the tetravalent state. As the reaction proceeds, the pH rises amd a selective precipitation of uranium occurs resulting in a high grade precipitate. This process is an improvement over the process using metallic iron, in that metallic aluminum reacts less readily than metallic iron with sulfuric acid, thus avoiding consumption of the reducing agent and a raising of the pH without accomplishing the desired reduction of the hexavalent uranium in the solution. Another disadvantage to the use of iron is that positive ferric ions will precipitate with negative phosphate and arsenate ions at the pH range employed.
Thunaes, A.; Brown, E.A.; Smith, H.W.; Simard, R.
Survey of Radionuclide Distributions Resulting from the Church Rock, New Mexico, Uranium Mill Tailings Pond Dam Failure
An intensive site survey and on-site analysis program were conducted to evaluate the distribution of four radionucliGes in the general vicinity of Gallup, New Mexico, subsequent to the accidental breach of a uranium mill tailings pond dam and the release of a large quantity of tailings pond materials. The objective of this work was to determine the distribution and concentration levels of {sup 210}Pb, {sup 226}Ra, {sup 230}Th, and {sup 238}U in the arroyo that is immediately adjacent to the uranium tailings pond (pipeline arroyo) and in the Rio Puerco arroyo into which the pipeline arroyo drains. An intensive survey between the United Nuclear Corporation (UNC) Church Rock Mill site and the New Mexico-Arizona state border was performed. Sampling locations were established at approximately 500-ft intervals along the arroyo. During the weeks of September 24 through October 5, 1979, a series of samples was collected from alternate sampling locations along the arroyo. The purpose of this collection of samples and their subsequent analysis was to provide an immediate evaluation of the extent and the levels of radioactive contamination. The data obtained from this extensive survey were then compared to action levels which had been proposed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and were adapted by the New Mexico Environmental Improvement Division (NMEID) for {sup 230}Th and {sup 226}Ra concentrations that would require site cleanup. The Pacific Northwest Laboratory/Nuclear Regulatory Commission mobile laboratory van was on-site at the UNC Church Rock Mill from September 22, 1979, through December 13, 1979, and was manned by one or more PNL personnel for all but four weeks of this time period. Approximately 1200 samples associated with the Rio Puerco survey were analyzed 1n the laboratory. An additional 1200 samples related to the Rio Puerco cleanup operations which the United Nuclear Corporation was conducting were analyzed on-site in the mobile laboratory. The purpose of these analyses was to determine the effectiveness of the cleanup operations that were ongoing and to evaluate what additional cleanup would be required. This on-site analysis of radioactive contamination constituted the principal task of this project, with the identification of those portions of the arroyo exceeding the NMEID proposed cleanup criteria being the major output. Additiond1 tasks included an evaluation of the initial soil sampling scheme (letter from T. Wolff [NMEID] to J. Abiss [UNC]. oated September 25, 1979) and the proposed NMEID verification sampling scheme (letter from T. Buhl [NMEID] to H. Miller [NRC]. dated April 23, 1980).
Weimer, W. C.; Kinnison, R. R.; Reeves, J. H.
Dehumidification: A Review of EPRI Activities and Research Results
This is a PDF of PowerPointslides presented during the webcast 147Dehumidification: Review of EPRI Activities and Research Results,conducted on October 6, 2009. The information presented emphasizes how dehumidification technologies affect the energy efficiency of space conditioning in buildings. The topics discussed in the webcast include the following: 149The value of dehumidification in enhancing energy efficiency general cost/benefit analysis review of current and advanced dehumidification technologie...
Remediation of former uranium mining and milling activities in Central Asia
Available in abstract form only. Full text of publication follows: Several of the Central Asian countries of the former Soviet Union were involved in the uranium mining and milling industry from about 1945 for varying periods until the break up of the Soviet Union in 1991 and beyond. Some facilities are still producing in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. However, before the break up, many facilities had been abandoned and in only a few cases had any remediation been undertaken. Since 1991 the newly independent states of the region have been seeking assistance for the remediation of the multitude of tailings piles, waste rock stockpiles and abandoned, and often semi dismantled, production facilities that may be found throughout the region. Many of these sites are close to settlements that were established as service towns for the mines. Most towns still have populations, although the mining industry has departed. In some instances there are cases of pollution and contamination and in many locations there is a significant level of public concern. The IAEA has been undertaking a number of Technical Cooperation (TC) projects throughout the region for some time to strengthen the institutions in the relevant states and assist them to establish monitoring and surveillance programs as an integral part of the long term remediation process. The IAEA is liaising with other agencies and donors who are also working on these problems to optimise the remediation effort. The paper describes the objectives and operation of the main TC regional program, liaison efforts with other agencies, the achievements so far and the long term issues for remediation of these legacies of the 'cold war' era. (authors)
Waggitt, Peter [International Atomic Energy Agency - IAEA, Wagramer Strasse 5, P.O. Box 100 - 1400 Vienna (Austria)
Depleted uranium management alternatives
This report evaluates two management alternatives for Department of Energy depleted uranium: continued storage as uranium hexafluoride, and conversion to uranium metal and fabrication to shielding for spent nuclear fuel containers. The results will be used to compare the costs with other alternatives, such as disposal. Cost estimates for the continued storage alternative are based on a life-cycle of 27 years through the year 2020. Cost estimates for the recycle alternative are based on existing conversion process costs and Capital costs for fabricating the containers. Additionally, the recycle alternative accounts for costs associated with intermediate product resale and secondary waste disposal for materials generated during the conversion process.
Hertzler, T.J.; Nishimoto, D.D.
Field Measurement of Am241 and Total Uranium at a Mixed Oxide Fuel Facility with Variable Uranium Enrichments Ranging from 0.3% to 97% U235
The uranium and transuranic content of site soils and building rubble can be accurately measured using a NaI(Tl) well counter, without significant soil preparation. Accurate measurements of total uranium in uranium-transuranic mixtures can be made, despite a wide range (0.3% to 97%) of uranium enrichment, sample mass, and activity concentrations. The appropriate uranium scaling factors needed to include the undetected uranium isotopes, particularly U 234 can be readily determined on a sample by sample basis as a part of the field analysis, by comparing the relative response of the U 235 186 keV peak versus the K shell X rays of U 238 , U 235, and their immediate ingrowth daughters. The ratio of the two results is a sensitive and accurate predictor of the uranium enrichment and scaling factors. The case study will illustrate how NaI(Tl) gamma spectrometry was used to provide rapid turnaround uranium and transuranic activity levels for soil and building rubble with sample by sample determination of the appropriate scaling factor to include the U234 and Uranium238 content.
Conway, K. C.
India's Worsening Uranium Shortage
As a result of NSG restrictions, India cannot import the natural uranium required to fuel its Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs); consequently, it is forced to rely on the expediency of domestic uranium production. However, domestic production from mines and byproduct sources has not kept pace with demand from commercial reactors. This shortage has been officially confirmed by the Indian Planning Commission�s Mid-Term Appraisal of the country�s current Five Year Plan. The report stresses that as a result of the uranium shortage, Indian PHWR load factors have been continually decreasing. The Uranium Corporation of India Ltd (UCIL) operates a number of underground mines in the Singhbhum Shear Zone of Jharkhand, and it is all processed at a single mill in Jaduguda. UCIL is attempting to aggrandize operations by establishing new mines and mills in other states, but the requisite permit-gathering and development time will defer production until at least 2009. A significant portion of India�s uranium comes from byproduct sources, but a number of these are derived from accumulated stores that are nearing exhaustion. A current maximum estimate of indigenous uranium production is 430t/yr (230t from mines and 200t from byproduct sources); whereas, the current uranium requirement for Indian PHWRs is 455t/yr (depending on plant capacity factor). This deficit is exacerbated by the additional requirements of the Indian weapons program. Present power generation capacity of Indian nuclear plants is 4350 MWe. The power generation target set by the Indian Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) is 20,000 MWe by the year 2020. It is expected that around half of this total will be provided by PHWRs using indigenously supplied uranium with the bulk of the remainder provided by breeder reactors or pressurized water reactors using imported low-enriched uranium.
Curtis, Michael M.
Y-12 and uranium history
German chemists, Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassman, successfully described a new term, nuclear fission, for their experiment that resulted in the first splitting of the uranium atom....
RESULTS FROM RFETS BUILDING 771 PROJECT Activity Name Driver
RESULTS FROM RFETS BUILDING 771 PROJECT RESULTS FROM RFETS BUILDING 771 PROJECT Activity Name Driver Pre Review M-H/Yr Post Review Est M-H/Yr Est Potential Reallocable M-H/Yr Savings Est Cost Savings @$50/Hr Pre Review Frequency Suggested Frequency Bin Location Resource Organization Contamination survey in/around Gloveboxes not in use None 364 0 364 $18,200 Semi- annually N/A Cancellati on Radiation Protection Contamination Survey upon receipt of rad materials None 0 0 0 $0 As required N/A Cancellati on Radiation Protection A/S - Posting areas with potential > 10% DAC 10CFR835 2080 0 2080 $104,000 As required N/A Cancellati on Radiation Protection A/S - Use of respirators where potential for > 10% DAC 10CFR835 RCM Art 555 2080 0 2080 $104,000 As required N/A Cancellati on Radiation
Characterization of Alpha-Phase Sintering of Uranium and Uranium-Zirconium Alloys for Advanced Nuclear Fuel Applications
The sintering behavior of uranium and uranium-zirconium alloys in the alpha phase were characterized in this research. Metal uranium powder was produced from pieces of depleted uranium metal acquired from the Y-12 plant via hydriding/dehydriding process. The size distribution and morphology of the uranium powder produced by this method were determined by digital optical microscopy. Once the characteristics of the source uranium powder were known, uranium and uranium-zirconium pellets were pressed using a dual-action punch and die. The majority of these pellets were sintered isothermally, first in the alpha phase near 650�C, then in the gamma phase near 800�C. In addition, a few pellets were sintered using more exotic temperature profiles. Pellet shrinkage was continuously measured in situ during sintering. The isothermal shrinkage rates and sintering temperatures for each pellet were fit to a simple model for the initial phase of sintering of spherical powders. The material specific constants required by this model, including the activation energy of the process, were determined for both uranium and uranium-zirconium. Following sintering, pellets were sectioned, mounted, and polished for imaging by electron microscopy. Based on these results, the porosity and microstructure of the sintered pellets were analyzed. The porosity of the uranium-zirconium pellets was consistently lower than that of the pure uranium pellets. In addition, some formation of an alloyed phase of uranium and zirconium was observed. The research presented within this thesis is a continuation of a previous project; however, this research has produced many new results not previously seen. In addition, a number of issues left unresolved by the previous project have been addressed and solved. Most notably, the low original output of the hydride/dehydride powder production system has been increased by an order of magnitude, the actual characteristics of the powder have been measured and determined, shrinkage data was successfully converted into a sintering model, an alloyed phase of uranium and zirconium was produced, and pellet cracking due to delamination has been eliminated.
Helmreich, Grant
This patent relates to high purity uranium alloys characterized by improved stability to thermal cycling and low thermal neutron absorption. The high purity uranium alloy contains less than 0.1 per cent by weight in total amount of any ore or more of the elements such as aluminum, silicon, phosphorous, tin, lead, bismuth, niobium, and zinc.
Allen, N.P.; Grogan, J.D.
Decommissioning of U.S. uranium production facilities
From 1980 to 1993, the domestic production of uranium declined from almost 44 million pounds U{sub 3}O{sub 8} to about 3 million pounds. This retrenchment of the U.S. uranium industry resulted in the permanent closing of many uranium-producing facilities. Current low uranium prices, excess world supply, and low expectations for future uranium demand indicate that it is unlikely existing plants will be reopened. Because of this situation, these facilities eventually will have to be decommissioned. The Uranium Mill Tailings and Radiation Control Act of 1978 (UMTRCA) vests the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with overall responsibility for establishing environmental standards for decommissioning of uranium production facilities. UMTRCA also gave the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) the responsibility for licensing and regulating uranium production and related activities, including decommissioning. Because there are many issues associated with decommissioning-environmental, political, and financial-this report will concentrate on the answers to three questions: (1) What is required? (2) How is the process implemented? (3) What are the costs? Regulatory control is exercised principally through the NRC licensing process. Before receiving a license to construct and operate an uranium producing facility, the applicant is required to present a decommissioning plan to the NRC. Once the plan is approved, the licensee must post a surety to guarantee that funds will be available to execute the plan and reclaim the site. This report by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) represents the most comprehensive study on this topic by analyzing data on 33 (out of 43) uranium production facilities located in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Washington.
Results from a "Proof-of-Concept" Demonstration of RF-Based Tracking of UF6 Cylinders during a Processing Operation at a Uranium Enrichment Plant
Approved industry-standard cylinders are used globally for processing, storing, and transporting uranium hexafluoride (UF{sub 6}) at uranium enrichment plants. To ensure that cylinder movements at enrichment facilities occur as declared, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) must conduct time-consuming periodic physical inspections to validate facility records, cylinder identity, and containment. By using a robust system design that includes the capability for real-time unattended monitoring (of cylinder movements), site-specific rules-based event detection algorithms, and the capability to integrate with other types of monitoring technologies, one can build a system that will improve overall inspector effectiveness. This type of monitoring system can provide timely detection of safeguard events that could be used to ensure more timely and appropriate responses by the IAEA. It also could reduce reliance on facility records and have the additional benefit of enhancing domestic safeguards at the installed facilities. This paper will discuss the installation and evaluation of a radio-frequency- (RF-) based cylinder tracking system that was installed at a United States Enrichment Corporation Centrifuge Facility. This system was installed primarily to evaluate the feasibility of using RF technology at a site and the operational durability of the components under harsh processing conditions. The installation included a basic system that is designed to support layering with other safeguard system technologies and that applies fundamental rules-based event processing methodologies. This paper will discuss the fundamental elements of the system design, the results from this site installation, and future efforts needed to make this technology ready for IAEA consideration.
Pickett, Chris A [ORNL; Kovacic, Donald N [ORNL; Whitaker, J Michael [ORNL; Younkin, James R [ORNL; Hines, Jairus B [ORNL; Laughter, Mark D [ORNL; Morgan, Jim [Innovative Solutions; Carrick, Bernie [USEC; Boyer, Brian [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); Whittle, K. [USEC
Safe Operating Procedure SAFETY PROTOCOL: URANIUM
bodies depleted by uranium solution extraction and which remain underground do not constitute byproductEPA Update: NESHAP Uranium Activities Reid J. Rosnick Environmental Protection Agency Radiation Protection Division (6608J) Washington, DC 20460 NMA/NRC Uranium Recovery Workshop July 2, 2009 #12
Farritor, Shane
Clean Air Act Requirements: Uranium Mill Tailings
EPA'S Clean Air Act Requirements: Uranium Mill Tailings Radon Emissions Rulemaking Reid J. Rosnick Presentation to Environmental Protection Agency Uranium Contamination Radiation Protection Division (6608J requirements for operating uranium mill tailings (Subpart W) Status update on Subpart W activities Outreach
Depleted Uranium and Uranium Alloys
...Naturally occurring uranium makes up 0.0004% of the crust of the Earth; it is 40 times more plentiful than silver, and 800 times more plentiful than gold. Natural uranium contains approximately 0.7% fissionable U 235 and 99.3%
Process for alloying uranium and niobium
Alloys such as U-6Nb are prepared by forming a stacked sandwich array of uranium sheets and niobium powder disposed in layers between the sheets, heating the array in a vacuum induction melting furnace to a temperature such as to melt the uranium, holding the resulting mixture at a temperature above the melting point of uranium until the niobium dissolves in the uranium, and casting the uranium-niobium solution. Compositional uniformity in the alloy product is enabled by use of the sandwich structure of uranium sheets and niobium powder.
Holcombe, C.E.; Northcutt, W.G.; Masters, D.R.; Chapman, L.R.
Distribution of uranium-bearing phases in soils from Fernald
Electron beam techniques have been used to characterize uranium-contaminated soils and the Fernald Site, Ohio. Uranium particulates have been deposited on the soil through chemical spills and from the operation of an incinerator plant on the site. The major uranium phases have been identified by electron microscopy as uraninite, autunite, and uranium phosphite [U(PO{sub 3}){sub 4}]. Some of the uranium has undergone weathering resulting in the redistribution of uranium within the soil.
Buck, E.C.; Brown, N.R.; Dietz, N.L.
The effects of temperature, time and other variables on the rate and extent of reaction between UF/sub 6/ and various types, grades and particle sizes of commercial activated carbon have been studied experimentally. It is shown that both hydrolysis and reduction of the UF/sub 6/ occur, the latter more slowly than the former. Reduction leads to the formation of a mixture of fluorocarbons ranging from CF/sub 4/ to a wax-like maternial volatile only above 250 deg C. There is also evidence for the adsorption of UF/sub 6/ on an undetermined substrate. (auth)
Wilson, T.P.; Schuman, S.C.; Simons, E.L.
Table 21. Foreign sales of uranium from U.S. suppliers and owners and operators of U.S. civilian nuclear power reactors by origin and delivery year, 2008-2012
An assessment of the radiological doses resulting from accidental uranium aerosol releases and fission product releases from a postulated criticality accident at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant
A dose assessment for two separate normalized source terms was conducted for the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant. The first source term consisted of the noble gas and iodine fission products emanating from a postulated criticality with a magnitude of 10{sup 19} fissions. The second postulated source term was 1 kg of respirable highly enriched uranium. The MELCOR Accident Consequence Code System 2 (MACCS2) (beta test) computer code was used for this assessment. Both fixed weather (e.g., constant weather assumed throughout the accident) and sampled weather cases were performed using MACCS2. The results of the analysis are summarized in terms of the effective dose equivalent as a function of distance along the downwind centerline of the plume. In addition, population doses for the workers and the public are presented. A brief code comparison between the MACCS2 and MESORAD computer codes is also presented. Modeling differences for the cloudshine and groundshine dose pathways are discussed. Finally, the dose results are summarized, and recommendations are provided that enable the reader to make quick estimates of downwind doses for different source terms that are scalable.
Fisher, S.E.; Lenox, K.E.
Status of activities on the inactive uranium mill tailings sites remedial action program. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Environment
This report on the status of the Office of Environment's program for inactive uranium mill tailings sites is an analysis of the current status and a forecast of future activities of the Office of Environment. The termination date for receipt of information was September 30, 1980. Aerial radiological surveys and detailed ground radiological assessments of properties within the communities in the vicinity of the designated processing sites in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, Salt Lake City, Utah, and Boise, Idaho led to the designation of an initial group of vicinity properties for remedial action. The potential health effects of the residual radioactive materials on or near these properties were estimated, and the Assistant Secretary for Environment recommended priorities for performing remedial action to the Department's Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy. In designating these properties and establishing recommended priorities for performing remedial action, the Office of Environment consulted with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, representatives from the affected State and local governments, and individual property owners. After notifying the Governors of each of the affected States and the Navajo Nation of the Secretary of Energy's designation of processing sites within their areas of jurisdiction and establishment of remedial action priorities, a Sample Cooperative Agreement was developed by the Department in consultation with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and provided to the affected States and the Navajo Nation for comments. During September 1980, a Cooperative Agreement with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the designated Canonsburg processing site was executed by the Department. It is anticipated that a Cooperative Agreement between the State of Utah and the Department to perform remedial actions at the designated Salt Lake City site will be executed in the near future.
What is Depleted Uranium?
What is Uranium? What is Uranium? Uranium and Its Compounds line line What is Uranium? Chemical Forms of Uranium Properties of Uranium Compounds Radioactivity and Radiation Uranium Health Effects What is Uranium? Physical and chemical properties, origin, and uses of uranium. Properties of Uranium Uranium is a radioactive element that occurs naturally in varying but small amounts in soil, rocks, water, plants, animals and all human beings. It is the heaviest naturally occurring element, with an atomic number of 92. In its pure form, uranium is a silver-colored heavy metal that is nearly twice as dense as lead. In nature, uranium atoms exist as several isotopes, which are identified by the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus: uranium-238, uranium-235, and uranium-234. (Isotopes of an element have the
U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Indexed Site
3. U.S. uranium concentrate production, shipments, and sales, 2003-2012" "Activity at U.S. Mills and In-Situ-Leach Plants",2003,2004,2005,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012...
Use of Activated Charcoal for Rn-220 Adsorption for Operations Associated with the Uranium Deposit in the Auxiliary Charcoal Bed at the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment Facility
Measurements have been collected with the purpose of evaluating the effectiveness of activated charcoal for the removal of {sup 220}Rn from process off-gas at the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. A series of bench-scale tests were performed at superficial flow velocities of 10, 18, 24, and 33 cm s{sup -1} (20, 35, 47, and 65 ft min{sup -1}) with a continuous input concentration of {sup 220}Rn in the range of 9 x 10{sup 3} pCi L{sup -1}. In addition, two tests were performed at the MSRE facility by flowing helium through the auxiliary charcoal bed uranium deposit. These tests were performed so that the adsorptive effectiveness could be evaluated with a relatively high concentration of {sup 220}Rn. In addition to measuring the effectiveness of activated charcoal as a {sup 220}Rn adsorption media, the source term for available {sup 220}Rn and gaseous fission products was evaluated and compared to what is believed to be present in the deposit. The results indicate that only a few percent of the total {sup 220}Rn in the deposit is actually available for removal and that the relative activity of fission gases is very small when compared to {sup 220}Rn. The measurement data were then used to evaluate the expected effectiveness of a proposed charcoal adsorption bed consisting of a right circular cylinder having a diameter of 43 cm and a length of 91 cm (17 in. I.D. x 3 ft.). The majority of the measurement data predicts an overall {sup 220}Rn activity reduction factor of about 1 x 10{sup 9} for such a design; however, two measurements collected at a flow velocity of 18 cm s{sup -1} (35 ft min{sup -1}) indicated that the reduction factor could be as low as 1 x 10{sup 6}. The adsorptive capacity of the proposed trap was also evaluated to determine the expected life prior to degradation of performance. Taking a conservative vantage point during analysis, it was estimated that the adsorption effectiveness should not begin to deteriorate until a {sup 220}Rn activity on the order of 10{sup 10} Ci has been processed. It was therefore concluded that degradation of performance would most likely occur as the result of causes other than filling by radon progeny.
Coleman, R.L.
Tc-99 Adsorption on Selected Activated Carbons - Batch Testing Results
CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC) is currently developing a 200-West Area groundwater pump-and-treat system as the remedial action selected under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act Record of Decision for Operable Unit (OU) 200-ZP-1. This report documents the results of treatability tests Pacific Northwest National Laboratory researchers conducted to quantify the ability of selected activated carbon products (or carbons) to adsorb technetium-99 (Tc-99) from 200-West Area groundwater. The Tc-99 adsorption performance of seven activated carbons (J177601 Calgon Fitrasorb 400, J177606 Siemens AC1230AWC, J177609 Carbon Resources CR-1240-AW, J177611 General Carbon GC20X50, J177612 Norit GAC830, J177613 Norit GAC830, and J177617 Nucon LW1230) were evaluated using water from well 299-W19-36. Four of the best performing carbons (J177606 Siemens AC1230AWC, J177609 Carbon Resources CR-1240-AW, J177611 General Carbon GC20X50, and J177613 Norit GAC830) were selected for batch isotherm testing. The batch isotherm tests on four of the selected carbons indicated that under lower nitrate concentration conditions (382 mg/L), Kd values ranged from 6,000 to 20,000 mL/g. In comparison. Under higher nitrate (750 mg/L) conditions, there was a measureable decrease in Tc-99 adsorption with Kd values ranging from 3,000 to 7,000 mL/g. The adsorption data fit both the Langmuir and the Freundlich equations. Supplemental tests were conducted using the two carbons that demonstrated the highest adsorption capacity to resolve the issue of the best fit isotherm. These tests indicated that Langmuir isotherms provided the best fit for Tc-99 adsorption under low nitrate concentration conditions. At the design basis concentration of Tc 0.865 �g/L(14,700 pCi/L), the predicted Kd values from using Langmuir isotherm constants were 5,980 mL/g and 6,870 mL/g for for the two carbons. These Kd values did not meet the target Kd value of 9,000 mL/g. Tests conducted to ascertain the effects of changing pH showed that at pH values of 6.5 and 7.5, no significant differences existed in Tc-adsorption performance for three of the carbons, but the fourth carbon performed better at pH 7.5. When the pH was increased to 8.5, a slight decline in performance was observed for all carbons. Tests conducted to ascertain the temperature effect on Tc-99 adsorption indicated that at 21 �C, 27 �C, and 32 �C there were no significant differences in Tc-99 adsorption for three of the carbons. The fourth carbon showed a noticeable decline in Tc-99 adsorption performance with increasing temperature. The presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the source water did not significantly affect Tc-99 adsorption on either of two carbons tested. Technetium-99 adsorption differed by less than 15% with or without VOCs present in the test water, indicating that Tc-99 adsorption would not be significantly affected if VOCs were removed from the water prior to contact with carbon.
Mattigod, Shas V.; Wellman, Dawn M.; Golovich, Elizabeth C.; Cordova, Elsa A.; Smith, Ronald M.
Chemical Equilibrium of the Dissolved Uranium in Groundwaters From a Spanish Uranium-Ore Deposit
The main objectives of this work are to determine the hydrogeochemical evolution of an uranium ore and identify the main water/rock interaction processes that control the dissolved uranium content. The Mina Fe uranium-ore deposit is the most important and biggest mine worked in Spain. Sageras area is located at the north part of the Mina Fe, over the same ore deposit. The uranium deposit was not mined in Sageras and was only perturbed by the exploration activities performed 20 years ago. The studied area is located 10 Km northeast of Ciudad Rodrigo (Salamanca) at an altitude over 650 m.a.s.l. The uranium mineralization is related to faults affecting the metasediments of the Upper Proterozoic to Lower Cambrian schist-graywacke complex (CEG), located in the Centro-Iberian Zone of the Hesperian Massif . The primary uranium minerals are uraninite and coffinite but numerous secondary uranium minerals have been formed as a result of the weathering processes: yellow gummite, autunite, meta-autunite, torbernite, saleeite, uranotile, ianthinite and uranopilite. The water flow at regional scale is controlled by the topography. Recharge takes place mainly in the surrounding mountains (Sierra Pena de Francia) and discharge at fluvial courses, mainly Agueda and Yeltes rivers, boundaries S-NW and NE of the area, respectively. Deep flows (lower than 100 m depth) should be upwards due to the river vicinity, with flow directions towards the W, NW or N. In Sageras-Mina Fe there are more than 100 boreholes drilled to investigate the mineral resources of the deposit. 35 boreholes were selected in order to analyze the chemical composition of groundwaters based on their depth and situation around the uranium ore. Groundwater samples come from 50 to 150 m depth. The waters are classified as calcium-bicarbonate type waters, with a redox potential that indicates they are slightly reduced (values vary between 50 to -350 mV). The TOC varies between <0.1 and 4.0 mgC/L and the dissolved uranium has a maximum value of 7.7 mg/L. According the analytical data of dissolved uranium, the mineral closest to equilibrium seems to be UO{sub 2}(am). The tritium contents in the groundwaters vary between 1.5 and 7.3 T.U. Considering that the mean value of tritium in rainwater from the studied area has a value of 4 T.U., it can be concluded that the residence times of the groundwaters are relatively short, not longer than 50 years in the oldest case. (authors)
Garralon, Antonio; Gomez, Paloma; Turrero, Maria Jesus; Buil, Belen; Sanchez, Lorenzo [Departamento de Medio Ambiente, CIEMAT, Avda. Complutense 22. Edificio 19, Madrid, 28040 (Spain)
combine to indicate uranium enrichment of an alkaline magma.uranium, the Ilfmaussaq intrusion contains an unusually high enrichment
Murphy, M.
Calibration of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Passive-Active Neutron Drum Shuffler for Measurement of Highly Enriched Uranium in Mixed Oxide
As a follow-on to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) effort to calibrate the LLNL passive-active neutron drum (PAN) shuffler for measurement of highly enriched uranium (HEU) oxide, a method has been developed to extend the use of the PAN shuffler to the measurement of HEU in mixed uranium-plutonium (U-Pu) oxide. This method uses the current LLNL HEU oxide calibration algorithms, appropriately corrected for the mixed U-Pu oxide assay time, and recently developed PuO{sub 2} calibration algorithms to yield the mass of {sup 235}U present via differences between the expected count rate for the PuO{sub 2} and the measured count rate of the mixed U-Pu oxide. This paper describes the LLNL effort to use PAN shuffler measurements of units of certified reference material (CRM) 149 [uranium (93% Enriched) Oxide - U{sub 3}O{sub 8} Standard for Neutron Counting Measurements] and CRM 146 [Uranium Isotopic Standard for Gamma Spectrometry Measurements] and a selected set of LLNL PuO{sub 2}-bearing containers in consort with Monte Carlo simulations of the PAN shuffler response to each to (1) establish and validate a correction to the HEU calibration algorithm for the mixed U-Pu oxide assay time, (2) develop a PuO{sub 2} calibration algorithm that includes the effect of PuO{sub 2} density (2.4 g/cm{sup 3} to 4.8 g/cm{sup 3}) and container size (8.57 cm to 9.88 cm inside diameter and 9.60 cm to 13.29 cm inside height) on the PAN shuffler response, and (3) develop and validate the method for establishing the mass of {sup 235}U present in an unknown of mixed U-Pu oxide.
Uranium Mining and Enrichment
Overview Presentation » Uranium Mining and Enrichment Overview Presentation » Uranium Mining and Enrichment Uranium Mining and Enrichment Uranium is a radioactive element that occurs naturally in the earth's surface. Uranium is used as a fuel for nuclear reactors. Uranium-bearing ores are mined, and the uranium is processed to make reactor fuel. In nature, uranium atoms exist in several forms called isotopes - primarily uranium-238, or U-238, and uranium-235, or U-235. In a typical sample of natural uranium, most of the mass (99.3%) would consist of atoms of U-238, and a very small portion of the total mass (0.7%) would consist of atoms of U-235. Uranium Isotopes Isotopes of Uranium Using uranium as a fuel in the types of nuclear reactors common in the United States requires that the uranium be enriched so that the percentage of U-235 is increased, typically to 3 to 5%.
Use of Activated Charcoal for {sup 220}Rn Adsorption for Operations Associated with the Uranium Deposit in the Auxiliary Charcoal Bed at the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment Facility
Measurements have been collected with the purpose of evaluating the effectiveness of activated charcoal for the removal of {sup 220}Rn from process off-gas at the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. A series of bench-scale tests were performed at superficial flow velocities of 10, 18, 24, and 33 cm/s (20, 35, 47, and 65 ft/min) with a continuous input concentration of {sup 220}Rn in the range of 9 x 10{sup 3} pCi/L. In addition, two tests were performed at the MSRE facility by flowing helium through the auxiliary charcoal bed uranium deposit. These tests were performed so that the adsorptive effectiveness could be evaluated with a relatively high concentration of {sup 220}Rn. In addition to measuring the effectiveness of activated charcoal as a {sup 220}Rn adsorption media, the source term for available {sup 220}Rn in the deposit is actually available for removal and that the relative activity of fission gases is very small when compared to {sup 220}Rn. The measurement data were then used to evaluate the expected effectiveness of a proposed charcoal adsorption bed consisting of a right circular cylinder having a diameter of 43 cm and a length of 91 cm (17 in. I.D. x 3 ft.). The majority of the measurement data predicts an overall 220Rn activity reduction factor of about 1 x 10{sup 9} for such a design; however, two measurements collected at a flow velocity of 18 cm/s (35 ft/min) indicated that the reduction factor could be as low as 1 x 10{sup 6}. The adsorptive capacity of the proposed trap was also evaluated to determine the expected life prior to degradation of performance. Taking a conservative vantage point during analysis, it was estimated that the adsorption effectiveness should not begin to deteriorate until a {sup 220}Rn activity on the order of 10{sup 10} Ci has been processed. It was therefore concluded that degradation of performance would likely occur as the result of causes other than filling by radon progeny.
A process for the production of uranium hexafluoride from the oxides of uranium is reported. In accordance with the method, the higher oxides of uranium may be reduced to uranium dioxide (UO/sub 2/), the latter converted into uranium tetrafluoride by reaction with hydrogen fluoride, and the UF/sub 4/ converted to UF/sub 6/ by reaction with a fluorinating agent, such as CoF/sub 3/. The UO/sub 3/ or U/sub 3/O/sub 8/ is placed in a reac tion chamber in a copper boat or tray enclosed in a copper oven, and heated to 500 to 650 deg C while hydrogen gas is passed through the oven. After nitrogen gas is used to sweep out the hydrogen and the water vapor formed, and while continuing to inaintain the temperature between 400 deg C and 600 deg C, anhydrous hydrogen fluoride is passed through. After completion of the conversion of UO/sub 2/ to UF/sub 4/ the temperature of the reaction chamber is lowered to about 400 deg C or less, the UF/sub 4/ is mixed with the requisite quantity of CoF/sub 3/, and after evacuating the chamber, the mixture is heated to 300 to 400 deg C, and the resulting UF/sub 6/ is led off and delivered to a condenser.
Fowler, R.D.
Uranium (U)
Table 63 Properties of unstable uranium isotopes with α-particle emission...Table 63 Properties of unstable uranium isotopes with α-particle emission Isotope Abundance, % Half-life ( t 1/2 ), years Energy, MeV 234 U 0.0055 2.47 �? 10 5 4.77, 4.72, 4.58, 4.47, 235 U 0.720 7.1 �? 10 6 4.40, 4.2 238 U 99.274 4.51 �? 10 9 4.18...
Journal of the Less-Common Metals, I62 (1990) 117-127 117 COMPARISON OF URANIUM AND ZIRCONIUM COBALT FOR
surface wastes resulting from uranium solution extraction processes. Underground ore bodies depleted Washington, DC 20460 Uranium Location Database Compilation #12;Table of Contents Abstract............................................................................................................................3 Uranium
Kherani, Nazir P.
Calorimetry for Lepton Collider Experiments - CALICE results and activities
The CALICE collaboration conducts calorimeter R&D for highly granular calorimeters, mainly for their application in detectors for a future lepton collider at the TeV scale. The activities ranges from generic R&D with small devices up to extensive beam tests with prototypes comprising up to several 100000 calorimeter cells. CALICE has validated the performance of particle flow algorithms with test beam data and delivers the proof of principle that highly granular calorimeters can be built, operated and understood. The successes achieved in the past years allows the step from prototypes to calorimeter systems for particle physics detectors to be addressed.
The CALICE Collaboration
Between 2001 and 2005, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) created a set of eight Regional Application Centers (RACs) to facilitate the development and deployment of Combined Heat and Power (CHP) technologies. By utilizing the thermal energy that is normally wasted when electricity is produced at central generating stations, Combined Heat and Power installations can save substantial amounts of energy compared to more traditional technologies. In addition, the location of CHP facilities at or near the point of consumption greatly reduces or eliminates electric transmission and distribution losses. The regional nature of the RACs allows each one to design and provide services that are most relevant to the specific economic and market conditions in its particular geographic area. Between them, the eight RACs provide services to all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Through the end of the federal 2009 fiscal year (FY 2009), the primary focus of the RACs was on providing CHP-related information to targeted markets, encouraging the creation and adoption of public policies and incentives favorable to CHP, and providing CHP users and prospective users with technical assistance and support on specific projects. Beginning with the 2010 fiscal year, the focus of the regional centers broadened to include district energy and waste heat recovery and these entities became formally known as Clean Energy Application Centers, as required by the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007. In 2007, ORNL led a cooperative effort to establish metrics to quantify the RACs accomplishments. That effort began with the development of a detailed logic model describing RAC operations and outcomes, which provided a basis for identifying important activities and accomplishments to track. A data collection spreadsheet soliciting information on those activities for FY 2008 and all previous years of RAC operations was developed and sent to the RACs in the summer of 2008. This represents the first systematic attempt at RAC program measurement in a manner consistent with approaches used for other efforts funded by DOE's Industrial Technologies Program (ITP). In addition, data on CHP installations and associated effects were collected for the same years from a state-by-state database maintained for DOE by ICF international. A report documenting the findings of that study was produced in September, 2009. The purpose of the current report is to present the findings from a new study of RAC activities and accomplishments which examined what the Centers did in FY 2009, the last year in which they concentrated exclusively on CHP technologies. This study focused on identifying and describing RAC activities and was not designed to measure how those efforts influenced CHP installations or other outcomes.
Schweitzer, Martin [ORNL
Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity - PHEV Testing Results and...
on cycles 7 Baseline Performance Testing Results 8 EnergyCS Prius - UDDS Fuel Use * 9 kWh Valence lithium pack - AC kWh EnergyCS PHEV Prius MPG & kWh - UDDS Testing 180 9 170...
Aluminosilicate Precipitation Impact on Uranium
Experiments have been conducted to examine the fate of uranium during the formation of sodium aluminosilicate (NAS) when wastes containing high aluminate concentrations are mixed with wastes of high silicate concentration. Testing was conducted at varying degrees of uranium saturation. Testing examined typical tank conditions, e.g., stagnant, slightly elevated temperature (50 C). The results showed that under sub-saturated conditions uranium is not removed from solution to any large extent in both simulant testing and actual tank waste testing. This aspect was not thoroughly understood prior to this work and was necessary to avoid criticality issues when actual tank wastes were aggregated. There are data supporting a small removal due to sorption of uranium on sites in the NAS. Above the solubility limit the data are clear that a reduction in uranium concentration occurs concomitant with the formation of aluminosilicate. This uranium precipitation is fairly rapid and ceases when uranium reaches its solubility limit. At the solubility limit, it appears that uranium is not affected, but further testing might be warranted.
Translation of Uran-234 by J. Sehmorak. The following subjects are discussed: /sup 234/U and other natural radioactive isotopes, fractionation of heavy radioactive elements in nature, fractionation of radioactive isotopes, /sup 234/U in nuclear geochemistry, /sup 234/U in uranium minerals, /sup 234/U in continental waters and in quaternary deposits, and /sup 234/U in the ocean. (LK)
Cherdyntsev, V.V.
Domestic utility attitudes toward foreign uranium supply
The current embargo on the enrichment of foreign-origin uranium for use in domestic utilization facilities is scheduled to be removed in 1984. The pending removal of this embargo, complicated by a depressed worldwide market for uranium, has prompted consideration of a new or extended embargo within the US Government. As part of its on-going data collection activities, Nuclear Resources International (NRI) has surveyed 50 domestic utility/utility holding companies (representing 60 lead operator-utilities) on their foreign uranium purchase strategies and intentions. The most recent survey was conducted in early May 1981. A number of qualitative observations were made during the course of the survey. The major observations are: domestic utility views toward foreign uranium purchase are dynamic; all but three utilities had some considered foreign purchase strategy; some utilities have problems with buying foreign uranium from particular countries; an inducement is often required by some utilities to buy foreign uranium; opinions varied among utilities concerning the viability of the domestic uranium industry; and many utilities could have foreign uranium fed through their domestic uranium contracts (indirect purchases). The above observations are expanded in the final section of the report. However, it should be noted that two of the observations are particularly important and should be seriously considered in formulation of foreign uranium import restrictions. These important observations are the dynamic nature of the subject matter and the potentially large and imbalanced effect the indirect purchases could have on utility foreign uranium procurement.
Alloys such as U-6Nb are prepared by forming a stacked sandwich array of uraniun sheets and niobium powder disposed in layers between the sheets, heating the array in a vacuum induction melting furnace to a temperature such as to melt the uranium, holding the resulting mixture at a temperature above the melting point of uranium until the niobium dissolves in the uranium, and casting the uranium-niobium solution. Compositional uniformity in the alloy product is enabled by use of the sandwich structure of uranium sheets and niobium powder.
Holcombe, Cressie E. (Farragut, TN); Northcutt, Jr., Walter G. (Oak Ridge, TN); Masters, David R. (Knoxville, TN); Chapman, Lloyd R. (Knoxville, TN)
Uranium Exploration Report 2007 Cottonwood District, Utah
, undertook several field trips to determine the state of the uranium mining industry in Colorado and Utah. These field trips included active mines, abandoned mines, and active mills. Samples from some of the minesMNGN 599 Uranium Exploration Report 2007 Cottonwood District, Utah Erik Hunter Colorado School
Depleted Uranium Health Effects
Depleted Uranium Health Effects Depleted Uranium Health Effects Depleted Uranium line line Uranium Enrichment Depleted Uranium Health Effects Depleted Uranium Health Effects Discussion of health effects of external exposure, ingestion, and inhalation of depleted uranium. Depleted uranium is not a significant health hazard unless it is taken into the body. External exposure to radiation from depleted uranium is generally not a major concern because the alpha particles emitted by its isotopes travel only a few centimeters in air or can be stopped by a sheet of paper. Also, the uranium-235 that remains in depleted uranium emits only a small amount of low-energy gamma radiation. However, if allowed to enter the body, depleted uranium, like natural uranium, has the potential for both chemical and radiological toxicity with the two important target organs
The recovery of uranium from the acidic aqueous metal waste solutions resulting from the bismuth phosphate carrier precipitation of plutonium from solutions of neutron irradiated uranium is described. The waste solutions consist of phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, and uranium as a uranyl salt, together with salts of the fission products normally associated with neutron irradiated uranium. Generally, the process of the invention involves the partial neutralization of the waste solution with sodium hydroxide, followed by conversion of the solution to a pH 11 by mixing therewith sufficient sodium carbonate. The resultant carbonate-complexed waste is contacted with a titanated silica gel and the adsorbent separated from the aqueous medium. The aqueous solution is then mixed with sufficient acetic acid to bring the pH of the aqueous medium to between 4 and 5, whereby sodium uranyl acetate is precipitated. The precipitate is dissolved in nitric acid and the resulting solution preferably provided with salting out agents. Uranyl nitrate is recovered from the solution by extraction with an ether such as diethyl ether.
Hyman, H.H.; Dreher, J.L.
A process is given for preparing uranium monosulfide from uranium tetrafluoride dissolved in molten alkali metal chloride. A hydrogen-hydrogen sulfide gas mixture passed through the solution precipitates uranium monosulfide. (AEC)
Yoshioka, K.
Properties of Uranium Compounds
Triuranium Octaoxide (U3O8) Uranium Dioxide (UO2) Uranium Tetrafluoride (U4) Uranyl Fluoride (UO2F2) The physical properties of the pertinent chemical forms of uranium are...
Uranium Quick Facts
Uranium Quick Facts Uranium Quick Facts A collection of facts about uranium, DUF6, and DOEs DUF6 inventory. Over the years, the Department of Energy has received numerous...
1977. "Geology of Brazil's Uranium and Thorium Occurrences,"A tantalo-niobate of uranium, near pyrochlore. Isometric,niobate and tantalate of uranium, with ferrous iron and rare
Derived enriched uranium market
The potential impact on the uranium market of highly enriched uranium from nuclear weapons dismantling in the Russian Federation and the USA is analyzed. Uranium supply, conversion, and enrichment factors are outlined for each country; inventories are also listed. The enrichment component and conversion components are expected to cause little disruption to uranium markets. The uranium component of Russian derived enriched uranium hexafluoride is unresolved; US legislation places constraints on its introduction into the US market.
Rutkowski, E.
The End of Cheap Uranium
Historic data from many countries demonstrate that on average no more than 50-70% of the uranium in a deposit could be mined. An analysis of more recent data from Canada and Australia leads to a mining model with an average deposit extraction lifetime of 10+- 2 years. This simple model provides an accurate description of the extractable amount of uranium for the recent mining operations. Using this model for all larger existing and planned uranium mines up to 2030, a global uranium mining peak of at most 58 +- 4 ktons around the year 2015 is obtained. Thereafter we predict that uranium mine production will decline to at most 54 +- 5 ktons by 2025 and, with the decline steepening, to at most 41 +- 5 ktons around 2030. This amount will not be sufficient to fuel the existing and planned nuclear power plants during the next 10-20 years. In fact, we find that it will be difficult to avoid supply shortages even under a slow 1%/year worldwide nuclear energy phase-out scenario up to 2025. We thus suggest that a worldwide nuclear energy phase-out is in order. If such a slow global phase-out is not voluntarily effected, the end of the present cheap uranium supply situation will be unavoidable. The result will be that some countries will simply be unable to afford sufficient uranium fuel at that point, which implies involuntary and perhaps chaotic nuclear phase-outs in those countries involving brownouts, blackouts, and worse.
Michael Dittmar
Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride Management
OFFICE OF DEPLETED URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE MANAGEMENT Issuance Of Final Report On Preconceptual Designs For Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride Conversion Plants The Department of Energy...
Various techniques and methods for obtaining coppercoated uranium are given. Specifically disclosed are a group of complex uranium coatings having successive layers of nickel, copper, lead, and tin.
Gray, A.G.
Home > Nuclear > Domestic Uranium Production Report Domestic Uranium Production Report Data for: 2005 Release Date: May 15, 2006 Next Release: May 15, 2007
Uranium Oxide Semiconductors
of semiconductors, it would consume the annual production rate of depleted uranium from uranium enrichment facilities. For more information: PDF Semiconductive Properties of...
Manhattan Project: Uranium cubes
Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI)
Cubes of uranium metal, Los Alamos, 1945 Events > Difficult Choices, 1942 > More Uranium Research, 1942 Events > Bringing It All Together, 1942-1945 > Basic Research at Los Alamos,...
radiological criteria for building surfaces and radionuclides other than radium in soil, for termination of uranium recovery licenses. SUMMARY: In a Staff Requirements Memorandum (SRM) on SECY-98-084, dated August 11, 1998 (Attachment 1), the Commission indicated that it did not object to the staff's recommendation to use the radium benchmark dose in developing a final rule applicable to uranium recovery licensees. The final rule addresses radiological criteria for decommissioning land and buildings required for license termination for uranium recovery facilities, e.g., uranium mills and in situ leach facilities (ISLs). The final rule will provide a clear and consistent regulatory basis for determining the extent to which lands and structures can be considered to be decommissioned. BACKGROUND: On August 22, 1994 (59 FR 43200), the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) published a proposed rule for comment in the Federal Register, to amend 10 CFR Part 20, "Standards for Protection Against Radiation, " to include radiological criteria for decommissioning as subpart E. The proposed rule applied to uranium mill facilities and other NRC licensees, but did not apply to mill tailings disposal or to soil radium cleanup at mills because the radiological criteria for these activities are regulated under 10 CFR Part 40, Appendix A. Some commenters recommended that the rule exempt conventional thorium and uranium mill facilities and ISLs. In SECY-97-046A, dated March 28, 1997, entitled "Final Rule on Radiological Criteria for License Termination, " the staff recommended that the final rule indicate that for uranium and thorium mill facilities the cleanup of radionuclides other than radium from soil and buildings must result in a dose no greater than the dose resulting from the cleanup of radium-contaminated soil (benchmark
William D. Travers /s
The treatment of metallic uranium to provide a surface to which adherent electroplates can be applied is described. Metallic uranium is subjected to an etchant treatment in aqueous concentrated hydrochloric acid, and the etched metal is then treated to dissolve the resulting black oxide and/or chloride film without destroying the etched metal surface. The oxide or chloride removal is effected by means of moderately concentrated nitric acid in 3 to 20 seconds.
Gray, A.G.; Schweikher, E.W.
Laser induced phosphorescence uranium analysis
A method is described for measuring the uranium content of aqueous solutions wherein a uranyl phosphate complex is irradiated with a 5 nanosecond pulse of 425 nanometer laser light and resultant 520 nanometer emissions are observed for a period of 50 to 400 microseconds after the pulse. Plotting the natural logarithm of emission intensity as a function of time yields an intercept value which is proportional to uranium concentration.
Bushaw, B.A.
Predictive geochemical modeling of interactions between uranium-mill-tailings solutions and sediments in a flow-through system: model formulations and preliminary results
An equilibrium thermodynamic conceptual model consisting of minerals and solid phases was developed to represent a soil column. A computer program was used as a tool to solve the system of mathematical equations imposed by the conceptual chemical model. The combined conceptual model and computer program were used to predict aqueous phase compositions of effluent solutions from permeability cells packed with geologic materials and percolated with uranium mill tailings solutions. Initial calculations of ion speciation and mineral solubility and our understanding of the chemical processes occurring in the modeled system were used to select solid phases for inclusion in the conceptual model. The modeling predictions were compared to the analytically determined column effluent concentrations. Hypotheses were formed, based on modeling predictions and laboratory evaluations, as to the probable mechanisms controlling the migration of selected contaminants. An assemblage of minerals and other solid phases could be used to predict the concentrations of several of the macro constituents (e.g., Ca, SO/sub 4/, Al, Fe, and Mn) but could not be used to predict trace element concentrations. These modeling conclusions are applicable to situations where uranium mill tailings solutions of low pH and high total dissolved solids encounter either clay liners or natural geologic materials that contain inherent acid neutralizing capacities. 116 references, 22 figures, 6 tables.
Peterson, S.R.; Felmy, A.R.; Serne, R.J.; Gee, G.W.
Pilot plant experiments are described in which trichloroethylene was used for the reduction of uranium hexafluoride to uranium tetrafluoride. After unsatisfactory preliminary results with liquid phase reduction, satisfactory results were obtained with a vapor phase reduction system. It was found that vapor phase reduction at approximately 450 deg F, produced a low density product which contained only small quantities of uranium(VI); sintering the uranium tetrafluoride in a hydrogen fluoride atmosphere increased the product density to approximately 3 g/cc. The reduction was essentially complete, and the effluent gas contained less than 1 ppm of uranium hexafluoride. The purity of the uranium tetrafluoride produced was equivalent to that of the uranium hexafluoride used as feed. A complete discussion is given of the operation of the various parts of the system. (auth)
Baker, J.E.; Klaus, H.V.; Schmidt, R.A.; Smiley, S.H.
Soil to plant transfer of 238 Th on a uranium
Soil to plant transfer of 238 U, 226 Ra and 232 Th on a uranium mining-impacted soil from species grown in soils from southeastern China contaminated with uranium mine tailings were analyzed The radioactive waste (e.g. tailings) produced by uranium mining activities contains a series of long
Hu, Qinhong "Max"
Depleted Uranium Uses Research and Development
DU Uses DU Uses Depleted Uranium Uses Research & Development A Depleted Uranium Uses Research and Development Program was initiated to explore beneficial uses of depleted uranium (DU) and other materials resulting from conversion of depleted UF6. A Depleted Uranium Uses Research and Development Program was initiated to explore the safe, beneficial use of depleted uranium and other materials resulting from conversion of depleted UF6 (e.g., fluorine and empty carbon steel cylinders) for the purposes of resource conservation and cost savings compared with disposal. This program explored the risks and benefits of several depleted uranium uses, including uses as a radiation shielding material, a catalyst, and a semi-conductor material in electronic devices.
A process is descrlbed for the production of uranium tetrachloride by contacting uranlum values such as uranium hexafluoride, uranlum tetrafluoride, or uranium oxides with either aluminum chloride, boron chloride, or sodium alumlnum chloride under substantially anhydrous condltlons at such a temperature and pressure that the chlorldes are maintained in the molten form and until the uranium values are completely converted to uranlum tetrachloride.
Calkins, V.P.
A method of making essentially stoichiometric uranium monocarbide by pelletizing a mixture of uranium tetrafluoride, silicon, and carbon and reacting the mixture at a temperature of approximately 1500 to 1700 deg C until the reaction goes to completion, forming uranium monocarbide powder and volatile silicon tetrafluoride, is described. The powder is then melted to produce uranium monocarbide in massive form. (AEC)
Powers, R.M.
Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project. [UMTRA project
The mission of the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project is explicitly stated and directed in the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978, hereinafter referred to as the Act.'' Title I of the Act authorizes the Department of Energy (DOE) to undertake remedial action at designated inactive uranium processing sites (Attachment 1 and 2) and associated vicinity properties containing uranium mill tailings and other residual radioactive materials derived from the processing site. The purpose of the remedial actions is to stabilize and control such uranium mill tailings and other residual radioactive materials in a safe and environmentally sound manner to minimize radiation health hazards to the public. The principal health hazards and environmental concerns are: the inhalation of air particulates contaminated as a result of the emanation of radon from the tailings piles and the subsequent decay of radon daughters; and the contamination of surface and groundwaters with radionuclides or other chemically toxic materials. This UMTRA Project Plan identifies the mission and objectives of the project, outlines the technical and managerial approach for achieving them, and summarizes the performance, cost, and schedule baselines which have been established to guide operational activity. Estimated cost increases by 15 percent, or if the schedule slips by six months. 4 refs.
FAQ 23-How much depleted uranium -- including depleted uranium...
is stored in the United States? How much depleted uranium -- including depleted uranium hexafluoride -- is stored in the United States? In addition to the depleted uranium stored...
An electrochemical process is described for separating uranium from fission products. The method comprises subjecting the mass of uranium to anodic dissolution in an electrolytic cell containing aqueous alkali bicarbonate solution as its electrolyte, thereby promoting a settling from the solution of a solid sludge from about the electrodes and separating the resulting electrolyte solution containing the anodically dissolved uranium from the sludge which contains the rare earth fission products.
McLaren, J.A.; Goode, J.H.
This patent deals with the separation of rare earth and other fission products from neutron bombarded uranium. This is accomplished by melting the uranium in contact with either thorium oxide, maguesium oxide, alumnum oxide, beryllium oxide, or uranium dioxide. The melting is preferably carried out at from 1150 deg to 1400 deg C in an inert atmosphere, such as argon or helium. During this treatment a scale of uranium dioxide forms on the uranium whtch contains most of the fission products.
Feder, H.M.; Chellew, N.R.
Uranium Elemental and Isotopic Constraints on Groundwater Flow Beneath the Nopal I Uranium Deposit, Pena Blanca, Mexico
The Nopal I uranium deposit in Chihuahua, Mexico, is an excellent analogue for evaluating the fate of spent fuel, associated actinides, and fission products over long time scales for the proposed Yucca Mountain high-level nuclear waste repository. In 2003, three groundwater wells were drilled directly adjacent to (PB-1) and 50 m on either side of the uranium deposit (PB-2 and PB-3) in order to evaluate uranium-series transport in three dimensions. After drilling, uranium concentrations were elevated in all of the three wells (0.1-18 ppm) due to drilling activities and subsequently decreased to {approx}5-20% of initial values over the next several months. The {sup 234}U/{sup 238}U activity ratios were similar for PB-1 and PB-2 (1.005 to 1.079) but distinct for PB-3 (1.36 to 1.83) over this time period, suggesting limited mixing between groundwater from these wells over these short time and length scales. Regional groundwater wells located up to several km from the deposit also have distinct uranium isotopic characteristics and constrain mixing over larger length and time scales. We model the decreasing uranium concentrations in the newly drilled wells with a simple one-dimensional advection-dispersion model, assuming uranium is introduced as a slug to each of the wells and transported as a conservative tracer. Using this model for our data, the relative uranium concentrations are dependent on both the longitudinal dispersion as well as the mean groundwater flow velocity. These parameters have been found to be correlated in both laboratory and field studies of groundwater velocity and dispersion (Klotz et al., 1980). Using typical relationships between velocity and dispersion for field and laboratory studies along with the relationship observed from our uranium data, both velocity (1-10 n/yr) and dispersion coefficient (1E-5 to 1E-2 cm{sup 2}/s) can be derived from the modeling. As discussed above, these relatively small flow velocities and dispersivities agree with mixing considerations derived from the {sup 234}U/{sup 238}U data. While these results and the limited productivity of these wells consistently suggest limited groundwater flow and mixing, we anticipate additional work with artificial tracers to better establish groundwater flow velocities and gradient at this site.
S.J. Goldstein; M.T. Murrell; A.M. Simmons
A modified process is described for the production of uranium metal by means of a bomb reduction of UF/sub 4/. Difficulty is sometimes experienced in obtaining complete separation of the uranium from the slag when the process is carried out on a snnall scale, i.e., for the production of 10 grams of U or less. Complete separation may be obtained by incorporating in the reaction mixture a quantity of MnCl/sub 2/, so that this compound is reduced along with the UF/sub 4/ . As a result a U--Mn alloy is formed which has a melting point lower than that of pure U, and consequently the metal remains molten for a longer period allowing more complete separation from the slag.
Foster, L.S.; Magel, T.T.
Uranium Metal Analysis via Selective Dissolution
Uranium metal, which is present in sludge held in the Hanford Site K West Basin, can create hazardous hydrogen atmospheres during sludge handling, immobilization, or subsequent transport and storage operations by its oxidation/corrosion in water. A thorough knowledge of the uranium metal concentration in sludge therefore is essential to successful sludge management and waste process design. The goal of this work was to establish a rapid routine analytical method to determine uranium metal concentrations as low as 0.03 wt% in sludge even in the presence of up to 1000-fold higher total uranium concentrations (i.e., up to 30 wt% and more uranium) for samples to be taken during the upcoming sludge characterization campaign and in future analyses for sludge handling and processing. This report describes the experiments and results obtained in developing the selective dissolution technique to determine uranium metal concentration in K Basin sludge.
Delegard, Calvin H.; Sinkov, Sergey I.; Schmidt, Andrew J.; Chenault, Jeffrey W.
Uranium Hexafluoride (UF6)
Hexafluoride (UF6) Hexafluoride (UF6) Uranium Hexafluoride (UF6) line line Properties of UF6 UF6 Health Effects Uranium Hexafluoride (UF6) Physical and chemical properties of UF6, and its use in uranium processing. Uranium Hexafluoride and Its Properties Uranium hexafluoride is a chemical compound consisting of one atom of uranium combined with six atoms of fluorine. It is the chemical form of uranium that is used during the uranium enrichment process. Within a reasonable range of temperature and pressure, it can be a solid, liquid, or gas. Solid UF6 is a white, dense, crystalline material that resembles rock salt. UF6 crystals in a glass vial image UF6 crystals in a glass vial. Uranium hexafluoride does not react with oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, or dry air, but it does react with water or water vapor. For this reason,
Accepting Mixed Waste as Alternate Feed Material for Processing and Disposal at a Licensed Uranium Mill
Certain categories of mixed wastes that contain recoverable amounts of natural uranium can be processed for the recovery of valuable uranium, alone or together with other metals, at licensed uranium mills, and the resulting tailings permanently disposed of as 11e.(2) byproduct material in the mill's tailings impoundment, as an alternative to treatment and/or direct disposal at a mixed waste disposal facility. This paper discusses the regulatory background applicable to hazardous wastes, mixed wastes and uranium mills and, in particular, NRC's Alternate Feed Guidance under which alternate feed materials that contain certain types of mixed wastes may be processed and disposed of at uranium mills. The paper discusses the way in which the Alternate Feed Guidance has been interpreted in the past with respect to processing mixed wastes and the significance of recent changes in NRC's interpretation of the Alternate Feed Guidance that sets the stage for a broader range of mixed waste materials to be processed as alternate feed materials. The paper also reviews the le gal rationale and policy reasons why materials that would otherwise have to be treated and/or disposed of as mixed waste, at a mixed waste disposal facility, are exempt from RCRA when reprocessed as alternate feed material at a uranium mill and become subject to the sole jurisdiction of NRC, and some of the reasons why processing mixed wastes as alternate feed materials at uranium mills is preferable to direct disposal. Finally, the paper concludes with a discussion of the specific acceptance, characterization and certification requirements applicable to alternate feed materials and mixed wastes at International Uranium (USA) Corporation's White Mesa Mill, which has been the most active uranium mill in the processing of alternate feed materials under the Alternate Feed Guidance.
Frydenland, D. C.; Hochstein, R. F.; Thompson, A. J.
The ultimate disposition of depleted uranium
Significant amounts of the depleted uranium (DU) created by past uranium enrichment activities have been sold, disposed of commercially, or utilized by defense programs. In recent years, however, the demand for DU has become quite small compared to quantities available, and within the US Department of Energy (DOE) there is concern for any risks and/or cost liabilities that might be associated with the ever-growing inventory of this material. As a result, Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. (Energy Systems), was asked to review options and to develop a comprehensive plan for inventory management and the ultimate disposition of DU accumulated at the gaseous diffusion plants (GDPs). An Energy Systems task team, under the chairmanship of T. R. Lemons, was formed in late 1989 to provide advice and guidance for this task. This report reviews options and recommends actions and objectives in the management of working inventories of partially depleted feed (PDF) materials and for the ultimate disposition of fully depleted uranium (FDU). Actions that should be considered are as follows. (1) Inspect UF{sub 6} cylinders on a semiannual basis. (2) Upgrade cylinder maintenance and storage yards. (3) Convert FDU to U{sub 3}O{sub 8} for long-term storage or disposal. This will include provisions for partial recovery of costs to offset those associated with DU inventory management and the ultimate disposal of FDU. Another recommendation is to drop the term tails'' in favor of depleted uranium'' or DU'' because the tails'' label implies that it is waste.'' 13 refs.
Process for electroslag refining of uranium and uranium alloys
A process is described for electroslag refining of uranium and uranium alloys wherein molten uranium and uranium alloys are melted in a molten layer of a fluoride slag containing up to about 8 weight percent calcium metal. The calcium metal reduces oxides in the uranium and uranium alloys to provide them with an oxygen content of less than 100 parts per million. (auth)
Lewis, P.S. Jr.; Agee, W.A.; Bullock, J.S. IV; Condon, J.B.
A pyrometallurgical method for processing nuclear reactor fuel elements containing uranium and fission products and for reducing uranium compound; to metallic uranium is reported. If the material proccssed is essentially metallic uranium, it is dissolved in zinc, the sulution is cooled to crystallize UZn/sub 9/ , and the UZn/sub 9/ is distilled to obtain uranium free of fission products. If the material processed is a uranium compound, the sollvent is an alloy of zinc and magnesium and the remaining steps are the same.
Burris, L. Jr.; Knighton, J.B.; Feder, H.M.
A method is described for recovering uranium values from uranium bearing phosphate solutions such as are encountered in the manufacture of phosphate fertilizers. The solution is first treated with a reducing agent to obtain all the uranium in the tetravalent state. Following this reduction, the solution is treated to co-precipitate the rcduced uranium as a fluoride, together with other insoluble fluorides, thereby accomplishing a substantially complete recovery of even trace amounts of uranium from the phosphate solution. This precipitate usually takes the form of a complex fluoride precipitate, and after appropriate pre-treatment, the uranium fluorides are leached from this precipitate and rccovered from the leach solution.
Bailes, R.H.; Long, R.S.; Olson, R.S.; Kerlinger, H.O.
One of Its Monograph Series, The Industrial Atom.'' The joining of uranium to uranium has been done successfully using a number of commercial soft solders and fusible alloys. Soldering by using an ultrasonic soldering iron has proved the best method for making sound soldered joints of uranium to uranium and of uranium to other metals, such as stainless steel. Other method of soldering have shown some promise but did not give reliable joints all the time. The soldering characteristics of uranium may best be compared to those of aluminum. (auth)
Hanks, G.S.; Doll, D.T.; Taub, J.M.; Brundige, E.L.
Atomic Data for Uranium (U )
... Uranium (U) Homepage - Introduction Finding list Select element by name. Select element by atomic number. ... Atomic Data for Uranium (U). ...
A process is given for purifying a uranium-base nuclear material. The nuclear material is dissolved in zinc or a zinc-magnesium alloy and the concentration of magnesium is increased until uranium precipitates.
Knighton, J.B.; Feder, H.M.
Uranium Health Effects
For inhalation or ingestion of soluble or moderately soluble compounds such as uranyl fluoride (UO2F2) or uranium tetrafluoride (UF4), the uranium enters the bloodstream and...
Uranium from phosphate ores
The following topics are described briefly: the way phosphate fertilizers are made; how uranium is recovered in the phosphate industry; and how to detect covert uranium recovery operations in a phsophate plant.
Hurst, F.J.
Cathodoluminescence of uranium oxides
The cathodoluminescence of uranium oxide surfaces prepared in-situ from clean uranium exposed to dry oxygen was studied. The broad asymmetric peak observed at 470 nm is attributed to F-center excitation.
Winer, K.; Colmenares, C.; Wooten, F.
Uranium Quick Facts A collection of facts about uranium, DUF6, and DOEs DUF6 inventory. Over the years, the Department of Energy has received numerous inquiries from the...
Uranium and Aluminosilicate Surface Precipitation Tests
The 2H evaporator at the Savannah River Site has been used to treat an aluminum-rich waste stream from canyon operations and a silicon-rich waste stream from the Defense Waste Processing Facility. The formation of aluminosilicate scale in the evaporator has caused significant operational problems. Because uranium has been found to accumulate in the aluminosilicate solids, the scale deposition has introduced criticality concerns as well. The objective of the tests described in this report is to determine possible causes of the uranium incorporation in the evaporator scale materials. The scope of this task is to perform laboratory experiments with simulant solutions to determine if (1) uranium can be deposited on the surfaces of various sodium aluminosilicate (NAS) forms and (2) aluminosilicates can form on the surfaces of uranium-containing solids. Batch experiments with simulant solutions of three types were conducted: (1) contact of uranium solutions/sols with NAS coatings on stainless steel surfaces, (2) contact of uranium solutions with NAS particles, and (3) contact of precipitated uranium-containing particles with solutions containing aluminum and silicon. The results show that uranium can be incorporated in NAS solids through encapsulation in bulk agglomerated NAS particles of different phases (amorphous, zeolite A, sodalite, and cancrinite) as well as through heterogeneous deposition on the surfaces of NAS coatings (amorphous and cancrinite) grown on stainless steel. The results also indicate that NAS particles can grow on the surfaces of precipitated uranium solids. Particularly notable for evaporator operations is the finding that uranium solids can form on existing NAS scale, including cancrinite solids. If NAS scale is present, and uranium is in sufficient concentration in solution to precipitate, a portion of the uranium can be expected to become associated with the scale. The data obtained to date on uranium-NAS affinity are qualitative. A necessary next step is to quantitatively determine the amounts of uranium that may be incorporated into NAS scale solids under differing conditions e.g., varying silicon/aluminum ratio, uranium concentration, temperature, and deposition time.
Hu, M.Z.
Bicarbonate leaching of uranium
The alkaline leach process for extracting uranium from uranium ores is reviewed. This process is dependent on the chemistry of uranium and so is independent on the type of mining system (conventional, heap or in-situ) used. Particular reference is made to the geochemical conditions at Crownpoint. Some supporting data from studies using alkaline leach for remediation of uranium-contaminated sites is presented.
Mason, C.
A process is described for preparing uranium hexafluoride from carbonate- leach uranium ore concentrate. The briquetted, crushed, and screened concentrate is reacted with hydrogen fluoride in a fluidized bed, and the uranium tetrafluoride formed is mixed with a solid diluent, such as calcium fluoride. This mixture is fluorinated with fluorine and an inert diluent gas, also in a fluidized bed, and the uranium hexafluoride obtained is finally purified by fractional distillation.
Lawroski, S.; Jonke, A.A.; Steunenberg, R.K.
IMPACTS: Industrial Technologies Program, Summary of Program Results for CY2009, Appendix 6: Method of Calculating Results from DOE's Combined Heat and Power Activities
87 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 87 DOE Industrial Technologies Program Appendix 6: Method of Calculating Results from DOE's Combined Heat and Power Activities u CHP Table........................................................................................................................................................................................... 189 Method of Calculating Results from DOE's Combined Heat and Power Activities Industrial Distributed Energy, a cross-cutting activity within the Industrial Technologies Program (ITP), builds on activities conducted by DOE's Office of Industrial Technologies
RERTR program activities related to the development and application of new LEU fuels. [Reduced Enrichment Research and Test Reactor; low-enriched uranium
The statue of the U.S. Reduced Enrichment Research and Test Reactor (RERTR) Program is reviewed. After a brief outline of RERTR Program objectives and goals, program accomplishments are discussed with emphasis on the development, demonstration and application of new LEU fuels. Most program activities have proceeded as planned, and a combination of two silicide fuels (U/sub 3/Si/sub 2/-Al and U/sub 3/Si-Al) holds excellent promise for achieving the long-term program goals. Current plans and schedules project the uranium density of qualified RERTR fuels for plate-type reactors to grow by approximately 1 g U/cm/sup 3/ each year, from the current 1.7 g U/cm/sup 3/ to the 7.0 g U/cm/sup 3/ which will be reached in late 1988. The technical needs of research and test reactors for HEU exports are also forecasted to undergo a gradual but dramatic decline in the coming years.
Travelli, A.
Disposition of DOE Excess Depleted Uranium, Natural Uranium, and
Disposition of DOE Excess Depleted Uranium, Natural Uranium, and Disposition of DOE Excess Depleted Uranium, Natural Uranium, and Low-Enriched Uranium Disposition of DOE Excess Depleted Uranium, Natural Uranium, and Low-Enriched Uranium The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) owns and manages an inventory of depleted uranium (DU), natural uranium (NU), and low-enriched uranium (LEU) that is currently stored in large cylinders as depleted uranium hexafluoride (DUF6), natural uranium hexafluoride (NUF6), and low-enriched uranium hexafluoride (LEUF6) at the DOE Paducah site in western Kentucky (DOE Paducah) and the DOE Portsmouth site near Piketon in south-central Ohio (DOE Portsmouth)1. This inventory exceeds DOE's current and projected energy and defense program needs. On March 11, 2008, the Secretary of Energy issued a policy statement (the
A method is presented for producing uranium tetrafluoride from the gaseous hexafluoride by feeding the hexafluoride into a high temperature zone obtained by the recombination of molecularly dissociated hydrogen. The molal ratio of hydrogen to uranium hexnfluoride is preferably about 3 to 1. Uranium tetrafluoride is obtained in a finely divided, anhydrous state.
Shaw, W.E.; Spenceley, R.M.; Teetzel, F.M.
Overview: A Legacy of Uranium Enrichment
A Legacy of Uranium Enrichment Depleted Uranium is a Legacy of Uranium Enrichment Cylinders Photo Next Screen Management Responsibilities...
Bioremediation of uranium contaminated soils and wastes
Contamination of soils, water, and sediments by radionuclides and toxic metals from uranium mill tailings, nuclear fuel manufacturing and nuclear weapons production is a major concern. Studies of the mechanisms of biotransformation of uranium and toxic metals under various microbial process conditions has resulted in the development of two treatment processes: (1) stabilization of uranium and toxic metals with reduction in waste volume and (2) removal and recovery of uranium and toxic metals from wastes and contaminated soils. Stabilization of uranium and toxic metals in wastes is accomplished by exploiting the unique metabolic capabilities of the anaerobic bacterium, Clostridium sp. The radionuclides and toxic metals are solubilized by the bacteria directly by enzymatic reductive dissolution, or indirectly due to the production of organic acid metabolites. The radionuclides and toxic metals released into solution are immobilized by enzymatic reductive precipitation, biosorption and redistribution with stable mineral phases in the waste. Non-hazardous bulk components of the waste volume. In the second process uranium and toxic metals are removed from wastes or contaminated soils by extracting with the complexing agent citric acid. The citric-acid extract is subjected to biodegradation to recover the toxic metals, followed by photochemical degradation of the uranium citrate complex which is recalcitrant to biodegradation. The toxic metals and uranium are recovered in separate fractions for recycling or for disposal. The use of combined chemical and microbiological treatment process is more efficient than present methods and should result in considerable savings in clean-up and disposal costs.
Francis, A.J.
FAQ 10-Why is uranium hexafluoride used?
uranium hexafluoride used? Why is uranium hexafluoride used? Uranium hexafluoride is used in uranium processing because its unique properties make it very convenient. It can...
The separation of uranium from a mixture of uranium and thorium by organic solvent extraction from an aqueous solution is described. The uranium is separrted from an aqueous mixture of uranium and thorium nitrates 3 N in nitric acid and containing salting out agents such as ammonium nitrate, so as to bring ihe total nitrate ion concentration to a maximum of about 8 N by contacting the mixture with an immiscible aliphatic oxygen containing organic solvent such as diethyl carbinol, hexone, n-amyl acetate and the like. The uranium values may be recovered from the organic phase by back extraction with water.
Hyde, E.K.; Katzin, L.I.; Wolf, M.J.
The production of uranium metal by the reduction of uranium tetrafluoride is described. Massive uranium metal of high purily is produced by reacting uranium tetrafluoride with 2 to 20% stoichiometric excess of magnesium at a temperature sufficient to promote the reaction and then mantaining the reaction mass in a sealed vessel at temperature in the range of 1150 to 2000 d C, under a superatomospheric pressure of magnesium for a period of time sufficient 10 allow separation of liquid uranium and liquid magnesium fluoride into separate layers.
Spedding, F.H.; Wilhelm, H.A.; Keller, W.H.
Uranium Leasing Program Draft Programmatic EIS Issued for Public Comment |
Uranium Leasing Program Draft Programmatic EIS Issued for Public Uranium Leasing Program Draft Programmatic EIS Issued for Public Comment Uranium Leasing Program Draft Programmatic EIS Issued for Public Comment March 15, 2013 - 11:08am Addthis Uranium Leasing Program Draft Programmatic EIS Issued for Public Comment DOE has issued the Draft Uranium Leasing Program Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (ULP PEIS)(DOE/EIS-0472D) for public review and comment. The document is available here and on the ULP PEIS website. Under the Uranium Leasing Program, the DOE Office of Legacy Management administers 31 tracts of land in Mesa, Montrose, and San Miguel counties that are leased to private entities to mine uranium and vanadium. The program covers an area of approximately 25,000 acres. No mining operations are active on the ULP lands at this time. DOE is preparing the ULP PEIS to
Corrosion Evaluation of RERTR Uranium Molybdenum Fuel
As part of the National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA) mandate to replace the use of highly enriched uranium (HEU) fuel for low enriched uranium (LEU) fuel, research into the development of LEU fuel for research reactors has been active since the late 1970�s. Originally referred to as the Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactor (RERTR) program the new effort named Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) is nearing the goal of replacing the standard aluminum clad dispersion highly enriched uranium aluminide fuel with a new LEU fuel. The five domestic high performance research reactors undergoing this conversion are High Flux Isotope reactor (HFIR), Advanced Test Reactor (ATR), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Reactor, Missouri University Research Reactor (MURR) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Reactor II (MITR-II). The design of these reactors requires a higher neutron flux than other international research reactors, which to this point has posed unique challenges in the design and development of the new mandated LEU fuel. The new design utilizes a monolithic fuel configuration in order to obtain sufficient 235U within the LEU stoichoimetry to maintain the fission reaction within the domestic test reactors. The change from uranium aluminide dispersion fuel type to uranium molybdenum (UMo) monolithic configuration requires examination of possible corrosion issues associated with the new fuel meat. A focused analysis of the UMo fuel under potential corrosion conditions, within the ATR and under aqueous storage indicates a slow and predictable corrosion rate. Additional corrosion testing is recommended for the highest burn-up fuels to confirm observed corrosion rate trends. This corrosion analysis will focus only on the UMo fuel and will address corrosion of ancillary components such as cladding only in terms of how it affects the fuel. The calculations and corrosion scenarios are weighted with a conservative bias to provide additional confidence with the results. The actual corrosion rates of UMo fuel is very likely to be lower than assumed within this report which can be confirmed with additional testing.
A K Wertsching
Uranium Leasing Program | Department of Energy
» Uranium Leasing Program » Uranium Leasing Program Uranium Leasing Program Abandoned Mine Reclamation, Uravan Mineral Belt, Colorado Abandoned Mine Reclamation, Uravan Mineral Belt, Colorado LM currently manages the Uranium Leasing Program and continues to administer 31 lease tracts, all located within the Uravan Mineral Belt in southwestern Colorado. Twenty-nine of these lease tracts are actively held under lease and two lease tracts have been placed in inactive status indefinitely. Administrative duties include the ongoing monitoring and oversight of leaseholders' activities and the annual inspection of these lease tracts to identify and correct safety hazards or other environmental compliance issues. Program Summary Current Status The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has extended the public comment
Plutonium recovery from spent reactor fuel by uranium displacement
This report discusses a process for separating uranium values and transuranic values from fission products containing rare earth values when the values which are contained together in a molten chloride salt electrolyte. A molten chloride salt electrolyte with a first ratio of plutonium chloride to uranium chloride is contacted with both a solid cathode and an anode having values of uranium and fission products including plutonium. A voltage is applied across the anode and cathode electrolytically to transfer uranium and plutonium from the anode to the electrolyte while uranium values in the electrolyte electrolytically deposit as uranium metal on the solid cathode in an amount equal to the uranium and plutonium transferred from the anode causing the electrolyte to have a second ratio of plutonium chloride to uranium chloride. Then the solid cathode with the uranium metal deposited thereon is removed and molten cadmium having uranium dissolved therein is brought into contact with the electrolyte resulting in chemical transfer of plutonium values from the electrolyte to the molten cadmium and transfer of uranium values from the molten cadmium to the electrolyte until the first ratio of plutonium chloride to uranium chloride is re-established.
Ackerman, J.P.
A process for separating uranium values and transuranic values from fission products containing rare earth values when the values are contained together in a molten chloride salt electrolyte. A molten chloride salt electrolyte with a first ratio of plutonium chloride to uranium chloride is contacted with both a solid cathode and an anode having values of uranium and fission products including plutonium. A voltage is applied across the anode and cathode electrolytically to transfer uranium and plutonium from the anode to the electrolyte while uranium values in the electrolyte electrolytically deposit as uranium metal on the solid cathode in an amount equal to the uranium and plutonium transferred from the anode causing the electrolyte to have a second ratio of plutonium chloride to uranium chloride. Then the solid cathode with the uranium metal deposited thereon is removed and molten cadmium having uranium dissolved therein is brought into contact with the electrolyte resulting in chemical transfer of plutonium values from the electrolyte to the molten cadmium and transfer of uranium values from the molten cadmium to the electrolyte until the first ratio of plutonium chloride to uranium chloride is reestablished.
Ackerman, John P. (Downers Grove, IL)
Method for converting uranium oxides to uranium metal
A process is described for converting scrap and waste uranium oxide to uranium metal. The uranium oxide is sequentially reduced with a suitable reducing agent to a mixture of uranium metal and oxide products. The uranium metal is then converted to uranium hydride and the uranium hydride-containing mixtures is then cooled to a temperature less than -100/sup 0/C in an inert liquid which renders the uranium hydride ferromagnetic. The uranium hydride is then magnetically separated from the cooled mixture. The separated uranium hydride is readily converted to uranium metal by heating in an inert atmosphere. This process is environmentally acceptable and eliminates the use of hydrogen fluoride as well as the explosive conditions encountered in the previously employed bomb-reduction processes utilized for converting uranium oxides to uranium metal.
Duerksen, W.K.
A process is described for converting scrap and waste uranium oxide to uranium metal. The uranium oxide is sequentially reduced with a suitable reducing agent to a mixture of uranium metal and oxide products. The uranium metal is then converted to uranium hydride and the uranium hydride-containing mixture is then cooled to a temperature less than -100.degree. C. in an inert liquid which renders the uranium hydride ferromagnetic. The uranium hydride is then magnetically separated from the cooled mixture. The separated uranium hydride is readily converted to uranium metal by heating in an inert atmosphere. This process is environmentally acceptable and eliminates the use of hydrogen fluoride as well as the explosive conditions encountered in the previously employed bomb-reduction processes utilized for converting uranium oxides to uranium metal.
Duerksen, Walter K. (Norris, TN)
Uranium and Neptunium Desorption from Yucca Mountain Alluvium
Uranium and neptunium were used as reactive tracers in long-term laboratory desorption studies using saturated alluvium collected from south of Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The objective of these long-term experiments is to make detailed observations of the desorption behavior of uranium and neptunium to provide Yucca Mountain with technical bases for a more realistic and potentially less conservative approach to predicting the transport of adsorbing radionuclides in the saturated alluvium. This paper describes several long-term desorption experiments using a flow-through experimental method and groundwater and alluvium obtained from boreholes along a potential groundwater flow path from the proposed repository site. In the long term desorption experiments, the percentages of uranium and neptunium sorbed as a function of time after different durations of sorption was determined. In addition, the desorbed activity as a function of time was fit using a multi-site, multi-rate model to demonstrate that different desorption rate constants ranging over several orders of magnitude exist for the desorption of uranium from Yucca Mountain saturated alluvium. This information will be used to support the development of a conceptual model that ultimately results in effective K{sub d} values much larger than those currently in use for predicting radionuclide transport at Yucca Mountain.
C.D. Scism; P.W. Reimus; M. Ding; S.J. Chipera
Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) Characterization of Uranium and Uranium Alloys
Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) was used to examine the microstructures of unalloyed uranium, U-6Nb, U-10Mo, and U-0.75Ti. For unalloyed uranium, we used EBSD to examine the effects of various processes on microstructures including casting, rolling and forming, recrystallization, welding, and quasi-static and shock deformation. For U-6Nb we used EBSD to examine the microstructural evolution during shape memory loading. EBSD was used to study chemical homogenization in U-10Mo, and for U-0.75Ti, we used EBSD to study the microstructure and texture evolution during thermal cycling and deformation. The studied uranium alloys have significant microstructural and chemical differences and each of these alloys presents unique preparation challenges. Each of the alloys is prepared by a sequence of mechanical grinding and polishing followed by electropolishing with subtle differences between the alloys. U-6Nb and U-0.75Ti both have martensitic microstructures and both require special care in order to avoid mechanical polishing artifacts. Unalloyed uranium has a tendency to rapidly oxidize when exposed to air and a two-step electropolish is employed, the first step to remove the damaged surface layer resulting from the mechanical preparation and the second step to passivate the surface. All of the alloying additions provide a level of surface passivation and different one and two step electropolishes are employed to create good EBSD surfaces. Because of its low symmetry crystal structure, uranium exhibits complex deformation behavior including operation of multiple deformation twinning modes. EBSD was used to observe and quantify twinning contributions to deformation and to examine the fracture behavior. Figure 1 shows a cross section of two mating fracture surfaces in cast uranium showing the propensity of deformation twinning and intergranular fracture largely between dissimilarly oriented grains. Deformation of U-6Nb in the shape memory regime occurs by the motion of twin boundaries formed during the martensitic transformation. Deformation actually results in a coarsening of the microstructure making EBSD more practical following a limited amount of strain. Figure 2 shows the microstructure resulting from 6% compression. Casting of U-10Mo results in considerable chemical segregation as is apparent in Figure 2a. The segregation subsists through rolling and heat treatment processes as shown in Figure 2b. EBSD was used to study the effects of homogenization time and temperature on chemical heterogeneity. It was found that times and temperatures that result in a chemically homogeneous microstructure also result in a significant increase in grain size. U-0.75Ti forms an acicular martinsite as shown in Figure 4. This microstructure prevails through cycling into the higher temperature solid uranium phases.
McCabe, Rodney J. [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Kelly, Ann Marie [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Clarke, Amy J. [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Field, Robert D. [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Wenk, H. R. [University of California, Berkeley
Calibration of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Passive-Active Neutron Drum Shuffler for Measurement of Highly Enriched Uranium in Oxides within DOE-STD-3013-2000 Containers
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) uses the LLNL passive-active neutron drum (PAN) shuffler (Canberra Model JCC-92) for accountability measurement of highly enriched uranium (HEU) oxide and HEU in mixed uranium-plutonium (U-Pu) oxide. In June 2002, at the 43rd Annual Meeting of the Institute of Nuclear Material Management, LLNL reported on an extensive effort to calibrate this shuffler, based on standards measurements and extensive simulations, for HEU oxides and mixed U-Pu oxides in thin-walled primary and secondary containers. In August 2002, LLNL began to also use DOE-STD-3013-2000 containers for HEU oxide and mixed U-Pu oxide. These DOE-STD-3013-2000 containers are comprised of a stainless steel convenience can enclosed in welded stainless steel primary and secondary containers. Compared to the double thin-walled containers, the DOE-STD-3013-2000 containers have substantially thicker walls, and the density of materials in these containers was found to extend over a greater range (1.35 g/cm{sup 3} to 4.62 g/cm{sup 3}) than foreseen for the double thin-walled containers. Further, the DOE-STD-3013-2000 Standard allows for oxides containing at least 30 wt% Pu plus U whereas the calibration algorithms for thin-walled containers were derived for virtually pure HEU or mixed U-Pu oxides. An initial series of Monte Carlo simulations of the PAN shuffler response to given quantities of HEU oxide and mixed U-Pu oxide in DOE-STD-3013-2000 containers was generated and compared with the response predicted by the calibration algorithms for thin-walled containers. Results showed a decrease on the order of 10% in the count rate, and hence a decrease in the calculated U mass for measured unknowns, with some varying trends versus U mass. Therefore a decision was made to develop a calibration algorithm for the PAN shuffler unique to the DOE-STD-3013-2000 container. This paper describes that effort and selected unknown item measurement results.
Mount, M E; O' Connell, W J
Possibility of nuclear pumped laser experiment using low enriched uranium
Possibility to perform experiments for nuclear pumped laser oscillation by using low enriched uranium is investigated. Kinetic analyses are performed for two types of reactor design, one is using highly enriched uranium and the other is using low enriched uranium. The reactor design is based on the experiment reactor in IPPE. The results show the oscillation of nuclear pumped laser in the case of low enriched uranium reactor is also possible. The use of low enriched uranium in the experiment will make experiment easier.
Obara, Toru; Takezawa, Hiroki [Center for Research into Innovative Nuclear Energy Systems Tokyo Institute of Technology 2-12-1-N1-19, Ookayama Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550 (Japan)
This patent relates to the preparation of ammonium uranium fluoride. The process comprises adding a water soluble fluoride to an aqueous solution of a uranous compound containing an ammonium salt, and isolating the resulting precipitate. This patent relates to the manufacture of uranium tetnafluoride from ammonium uranium fluoride, NH/sub 4/UF/sub 5/. Uranium tetrafluoride is prepared by heating the ammonium uranium fluoride to a temperature at which dissociation occurs with liberation of ammonium fluoride. Preferably the process is carried out under reduced pressure, or in a current of an inert gas.
Ellis, A.S.; Mooney, R.B.
Uranium: Prices, rise, then fall
Uranium prices hit eight-year highs in both market tiers, $16.60/lb U{sub 3}O{sub 8} for non-former Soviet Union (FSU) origin and $15.50 for FSU origin during mid 1996. However, they declined to $14.70 and $13.90, respectively, by the end of the year. Increased uranium prices continue to encourage new production and restarts of production facilities presently on standby. Australia scrapped its {open_quotes}three-mine{close_quotes} policy following the ouster of the Labor party in a March election. The move opens the way for increasing competition with Canada`s low-cost producers. Other events in the industry during 1996 that have current or potential impacts on the market include: approval of legislation outlining the ground rules for privatization of the US Enrichment Corp. (USEC) and the subsequent sales of converted Russian highly enriched uranium (HEU) from its nuclear weapons program, announcement of sales plans for converted US HEU and other surplus material through either the Department of Energy or USEC, and continuation of quotas for uranium from the FSU in the United States and Europe. In Canada, permitting activities continued on the Cigar Lake and McArthur River projects; and construction commenced on the McClean Lake mill.
Pool, T.C.
FAQ 1-What is uranium?
What is uranium? What is uranium? What is uranium? Uranium is a radioactive element that occurs naturally in low concentrations (a few parts per million) in soil, rock, and surface and groundwater. It is the heaviest naturally occurring element, with an atomic number of 92. Uranium in its pure form is a silver-colored heavy metal that is nearly twice as dense as lead. In nature, uranium atoms exist as several isotopes: primarily uranium-238, uranium-235, and a very small amount of uranium-234. (Isotopes are different forms of an element that have the same number of protons in the nucleus, but a different number of neutrons.) In a typical sample of natural uranium, most of the mass (99.27%) consists of atoms of uranium-238. About 0.72% of the mass consists of atoms of uranium-235, and a very small amount (0.0055% by mass) is uranium-234.
An overview of NREL's PV solar radiation research task activities and results
This paper presents an overview of the recent activities and results of the Photovoltaics (PV) Solar Radiation Research task of NREL's PV Advanced Research and Development (PVAR D) Project. Topics covered include the Atmospheric Optical Calibration System (AOCS) and instrumentation systems for monitoring and characterizing the solar irradiance available to PV systems. Both types of instrumentation systems and activities are required for a thorough understanding of PV device performance and design.
Hulstrom, R.L.; Cannon, T.W.; Stoffel, T.; Riordan, C.J. (National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, Colorado 80401 (United States))
Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project. 1995 Environmental Report
In accordance with U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 23 1. 1, Environment, Safety and Health Reporting, the DOE prepares an annual report to document the activities of the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project environmental monitoring program. This monitoring must comply with appropriate laws, regulations, and standards, and it must identify apparent and meaningful trends in monitoring results. The results of all monitoring activities must be communicated to the public. The UMTRA Project has prepared annual environmental reports to the public since 1989.
Interim Report on Uranium Metal Segregation Testing
This report describes the preliminary results of laboratory and bench-scale vendor testing to evaluate the effectiveness of the gravity mineral concentration technology for removing and concentrating uranium metal from K Basin sludge.
Schmidt, Andrew J.; Elmore, Monte R.
Uranium Marketing Annual Report
4. Uranium sellers to owners and operators of U.S. civilian nuclear power reactors, 2010-2012 2010 2011 2012 4. Uranium sellers to owners and operators of U.S. civilian nuclear power reactors, 2010-2012 2010 2011 2012 American Fuel Resources, LLC Advance Uranium Asset Management Ltd. (was Uranium Asset Management) Advance Uranium Asset Management Ltd. (was Uranium Asset Management) AREVA NC, Inc. (was COGEMA, Inc.) American Fuel Resources, LLC American Fuel Resources, LLC BHP Billiton Olympic Dam Corporation Pty Ltd AREVA NC, Inc. AREVA NC, Inc. CAMECO BHP Billiton Olympic Dam Corporation Pty Ltd BHP Billiton Olympic Dam Corporation Pty Ltd ConverDyn CAMECO CAMECO Denison Mines Corp. ConverDyn ConverDyn Energy Resources of Australia Ltd. Denison Mines Corp. Energy Fuels Resources Energy USA, Inc. Effective Energy N.V. Energy Resources of Australia Ltd.
Preparation of uranium compounds
UI.sub.3(1,4-dioxane).sub.1.5 and UI.sub.4(1,4-dioxane).sub.2, were synthesized in high yield by reacting turnings of elemental uranium with iodine dissolved in 1,4-dioxane under mild conditions. These molecular compounds of uranium are thermally stable and excellent precursor materials for synthesizing other molecular compounds of uranium including alkoxide, amide, organometallic, and halide compounds.
Kiplinger, Jaqueline L; Montreal, Marisa J; Thomson, Robert K; Cantat, Thibault; Travia, Nicholas E
Process for continuous production of metallic uranium and uranium alloys
A method is described for forming metallic uranium, or a uranium alloy, from uranium oxide in a manner which substantially eliminates the formation of uranium-containing wastes. A source of uranium dioxide is first provided, for example, by reducing uranium trioxide (UO{sub 3}), or any other substantially stable uranium oxide, to form the uranium dioxide (UO{sub 2}). This uranium dioxide is then chlorinated to form uranium tetrachloride (UCl{sub 4}), and the uranium tetrachloride is then reduced to metallic uranium by reacting the uranium chloride with a metal which will form the chloride of the metal. This last step may be carried out in the presence of another metal capable of forming one or more alloys with metallic uranium to thereby lower the melting point of the reduced uranium product. The metal chloride formed during the uranium tetrachloride reduction step may then be reduced in an electrolysis cell to recover and recycle the metal back to the uranium tetrachloride reduction operation and the chlorine gas back to the uranium dioxide chlorination operation. 4 figs.
Hayden, H.W. Jr.; Horton, J.A.; Elliott, G.R.B.
A method is described for forming metallic uranium, or a uranium alloy, from uranium oxide in a manner which substantially eliminates the formation of uranium-containing wastes. A source of uranium dioxide is first provided, for example, by reducing uranium trioxide (UO.sub.3), or any other substantially stable uranium oxide, to form the uranium dioxide (UO.sub.2). This uranium dioxide is then chlorinated to form uranium tetrachloride (UCl.sub.4), and the uranium tetrachloride is then reduced to metallic uranium by reacting the uranium chloride with a metal which will form the chloride of the metal. This last step may be carried out in the presence of another metal capable of forming one or more alloys with metallic uranium to thereby lower the melting point of the reduced uranium product. The metal chloride formed during the uranium tetrachloride reduction step may then be reduced in an electrolysis cell to recover and recycle the metal back to the uranium tetrachloride reduction operation and the chlorine gas back to the uranium dioxide chlorination operation.
Hayden, Jr., Howard W. (Oakridge, TN); Horton, James A. (Livermore, CA); Elliott, Guy R. B. (Los Alamos, NM)
First Principles Calculations of Uranium and Uranium-Zirconium Alloys
Presentation Title, First Principles Calculations of Uranium and Uranium- Zirconium Alloys. Author(s), Benjamin Good, Benjamin Beeler, Chaitanya Deo, Sergey�...
Status of data, major results, and plans for geophysical activities, Yucca Mountain Project
This report describes past and planned geophysical activities associated with the Yucca Mountain Project and is intended to serve as a starting point for integration of geophysical activities. This report relates past results to site characterization plans, as presented in the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Plan (SCP). This report discusses seismic exploration, potential field methods, geoelectrical methods, teleseismic data collection and velocity structural modeling, and remote sensing. This report discusses surface-based, airborne, borehole, surface-to-borehole, crosshole, and Exploratory Shaft Facility-related activities. The data described in this paper, and the publications discussed, have been selected based on several considerations; location with respect to Yucca Mountain, whether the success or failure of geophysical data is important to future activities, elucidation of features of interest, and judgment as to the likelihood that the method will produce information that is important for site characterization. 65 refs., 19 figs., 12 tabs.
Oliver, H.W. [Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA (USA); Hardin, E.L. [Science Applications International Corp., Las Vegas, NV (USA); Nelson, P.H. [Geological Survey, Denver, CO (USA)] [eds.
Environmental assessment of remedial action at the Naturita uranium processing site near Naturita, Colorado: Revision 5
Title 1 of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (UMTRCA) of 1978, Public Law (PL) 95-604, authorized the US Department of Energy (DOE) to perform remedial action at the inactive Naturita, Colorado, uranium processing site to reduce the potential health effects from the radioactive materials at the site and at vicinity properties associated with the site. Title 2 of the UMTRCA authorized the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) or agreement state to regulate the operation and eventual reclamation of active uranium processing sites. The uranium mill tailings at the site were removed and reprocessed from 1977 to 1979. The contaminated areas include the former tailings area, the mill yard, the former ore storage area, and adjacent areas that were contaminated by uranium processing activities and wind and water erosion. The Naturita remedial action would result in the loss of 133 acres (ac) of contaminated soils at the processing site. If supplemental standards are approved by the NRC and the state of Colorado, approximately 112 ac of steeply sloped contaminated soils adjacent to the processing site would not be cleaned up. Cleanup of this contamination would have adverse environmental consequences and would be potentially hazardous to remedial action workers.
Assessing the Renal Toxicity of Capstone Depleted Uranium Oxides and Other Uranium Compounds
The primary target for uranium toxicity is the kidney. The most frequently used guideline for uranium kidney burdens is the International Commission on Radiation Protection (ICRP) value of 3 �g U/g kidney, a value that is based largely upon chronic studies in animals. In the present effort, we have developed a risk model equation to assess potential outcomes of acute uranium exposure. Twenty-seven previously published case studies in which workers were acutely exposed to soluble compounds of uranium (as a result of workplace accidents) were analyzed. Kidney burdens of uranium for these individuals were determined based on uranium in the urine, and correlated with health effects observed over a period of up to 38 years. Based upon the severity of health effects, each individual was assigned a score (- to +++) and then placed into an Effect Group. A discriminant analysis was used to build a model equation to predict the Effect Group based on the amount of uranium in the kidneys. The model equation was able to predict the Effect Group with 85% accuracy. The risk model was used to predict the Effect Group for Soldiers exposed to DU as a result of friendly fire incidents during the 1991 Gulf War. This model equation can also be used to predict the Effect Group of new cases in which acute exposures to uranium have occurred.
Roszell, Laurie E.; Hahn, Fletcher; Lee, Robyn B.; Parkhurst, MaryAnn
Uranium Purchases Report
Reports and Publications (EIA)
Final issue. This report details natural and enriched uranium purchases as reported by owners and operators of commercial nuclear power plants. 1996 represents the most recent publication year.
Douglas Bonnar
An improved process is described for the magnesium reduction of UF/sub 4/ to produce uranium metal. In the past, there have been undesirable premature reactions between the Mg and the bomb liner or the UF/sub 4/ before the actual ignition of the bomb reaction. Since these premature reactions impair the yield of uranium metal, they have been inhibited by forming a protective film upon the particles of Mg by reacting it with hydrated uranium tetrafluoride, sodium bifluoride, uranyl fluoride, or uranium trioxide. This may be accomplished by adding about 0.5 to 2% of the additive to the bomb charge.
Ruehle, A.E.; Stevenson, J.W.
Uranium 'pearls' before slime
harm to themselves, scientists have wondered how on Earth these microbes do it. For Shewanella oneidensis, a microbe that modifies uranium chemistry, the pieces are coming...
Uranium Purchases Report 1995
DOE/EIA�0570(95) Distribution Category UC�950 Uranium Purchases Report 1995 June 1996 Energy Information Administration Office of Coal, Nuclear, ...
Totals may not equal sum of components because of independent rounding. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration: Form EIA-851A, "Domestic Uranium Production Report"...
Uranium ore rolls in Westwater Canyon sandstone, San Juan Basin, New Mexico
Recent relatively deep uranium-exploration drilling in the Nose Rock area, San Juan Basin, McKinley County, New Mexico, has resulted in the discovery of previously unrecognized uranium ore rolls in gray, unoxidized Westwater Canyon Sandstone of the Morrison Formation. Both the Nose Rock ores and the primary Ambrosia Lake uranium ores were emplaced during the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous erosional interval under the same geologic conditions by the same geochemical-cell process. The red, altered interior ground resulting from the geochemical-cell process has been re-reduced by the subsequent entry of reductants into the formation. The original roll form of the Ambrosia Lake orebodies has been obscured and modified by redistribution related to the present-day active redox interface interweaving with the Ambrosia Lake ores.
Clark, D.S.
Enrichment Determination of Uranium in Shielded Configurations
The determination of the enrichment of uranium is required in many safeguards and security applications. Typical methods of determining the enrichment rely on detecting the 186 keV gamma ray emitted by {sup 235}U. In some applications, the uranium is surrounded by external shields, and removal of the shields is undesirable. In these situations, methods relying on the detection of the 186 keV gamma fail because the gamma ray is shielded easily. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has previously measured the enrichment of shielded uranium metal using active neutron interrogation. The method consists of measuring the time distribution of fast neutrons from induced fissions with large plastic scintillator detectors. To determine the enrichment, the measurements are compared to a calibration surface that is created from Monte Carlo simulations where the enrichment in the models is varied. In previous measurements, the geometry was always known. ORNL is extending this method to situations where the geometry and materials present are not known in advance. In the new method, the interrogating neutrons are both time and directionally tagged, and an array of small plastic scintillators measures the uncollided interrogating neutrons. Therefore, the attenuation through the item along many different paths is known. By applying image reconstruction techniques, an image of the item is created which shows the position-dependent attenuation. The image permits estimating the geometry and materials present, and these estimates are used as input for the Monte Carlo simulations. As before, simulations predict the time distribution of induced fission neutrons for different enrichments. Matching the measured time distribution to the closest prediction from the simulations provides an estimate of the enrichment. This presentation discusses the method and provides results from recent simulations that show the importance of knowing the geometry and materials from the imaging system.
Crye, Jason Michael [ORNL; Hall, Howard L [ORNL; McConchie, Seth M [ORNL; Mihalczo, John T [ORNL; Pena, Kirsten E [ORNL
A process is described for recovering uranium from carbonate leach solutions by precipitating uranium as a mixed oxidation state compound. Uranium is recovered by adding a quadrivalent uranium carbon;te solution to the carbonate solution, adjusting the pH to 13 or greater, and precipitating the uranium as a filterable mixed oxidation state compound. In the event vanadium occurs with the uranium, the vanadium is unaffected by the uranium precipitation step and remains in the carbonate solution. The uranium-free solution is electrolyzed in the cathode compartment of a mercury cathode diaphragm cell to reduce and precipitate the vanadium.
McClaine, L.A.
A process is described for producing uranium hexafluoride by reacting uranium hexachloride with hydrogen fluoride at a temperature below about 150 deg C, under anhydrous conditions.
Rosen, R.
The potential human health effect(s) of the metal uranium in the environment. Report on the known human health effects associated with the exposure to the metal uranium
Concern over the levels of the metal uranium in the environment as a result of industrial activities has been expressed by several Federal and State agencies. This concern is associated with potential human health effects of this metal on kidney function and bone formation. Although limits for the Metal uranium in the environment remain to be set, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently in the process of establishing guidance limits for this metal in water and soil. These limits will be established for both the metal and the associated radioactivity. The suggested limits currently being considered for water and soil are, 20 pCi/liter and 10 pCi/gram wet weight, respectively. For naturally occurring uranium EPA assumes that 1 ug of uranium metal equals 0.67 pCi at equilibrium (i.e. at equilibrium the mass ratio of {sup 234}uranium to {sup 238}uranium is small but their activities are equal). Thus the limits for water and soil on weight basis for the uranium metal would be 30 ug/liter and 15 ug/gram wet weight, respectively. These limits are being established based on the potential increase in cancer death in populations that exceed this limit. Since there does not appear to be a significant correlation between cancer deaths and.uranium metal exposure (see discussion below), these limits will probably be established based on the known association between radionuclides exposure and cancer deaths. The exposure limits for other health effects such as kidney damage and retardation in bone formation apparently are not being considered by EPA.
Metallography of pitted aluminum-clad, depleted uranium fuel
The storage of aluminum-clad fuel and target materials in the L-Disassembly Basin at the Savannah River Site for more than 5 years has resulted in extensive pitting corrosion of these materials. In many cases the pitting corrosion of the aluminum clad has penetrated in the uranium metal core, resulting in the release of plutonium, uranium, cesium-137, and other fission product activity to the basin water. In an effort to characterize the extent of corrosion of the Mark 31A target slugs, two unirradiated slug assemblies were removed from basin storage and sent to the Savannah River Technology Center for evaluation. This paper presents the results of the metallography and photographic documentation of this evaluation. The metallography confirmed that pitting depths varied, with the deepest pit found to be about 0.12 inches (3.05 nun). Less than 2% of the aluminum cladding was found to be breached resulting in less than 5% of the uranium surface area being affected by corrosion. The overall integrity of the target slug remained intact.
Nelson, D.Z.; Howell, J.P.
Synthesis of uranium metal using laser-initiated reduction of uranium tetrafluoride by calcium metal
Uranium metal has numerous uses in conventional weapons (armor penetrators) and nuclear weapons. It also has application to nuclear reactor designs utilizing metallic fuels--for example, the former Integral Fast Reactor program at Argonne National Laboratory. Uranium metal also has promise as a material of construction for spent-nuclear-fuel storage casks. A new avenue for the production of uranium metal is presented that offers several advantages over existing technology. A carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) laser is used to initiate the reaction between uranium tetrafluoride (UF{sub 4}) and calcium metal. The new method does not require induction heating of a closed system (a pressure vessel) nor does it utilize iodine (I{sub 2}) as a chemical booster. The results of five reductions of UF{sub 4}, spanning 100 to 200 g of uranium, are evaluated, and suggestions are made for future work in this area.
West, M.H.; Martinez, M.M.; Nielsen, J.B.; Court, D.C.; Appert, Q.D.
Uranium Recovery Surface Activities (Texas)
This section of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality enforces and makes the rules and regulations for handling and recovering radioactive materials associated with in situ mining in Texas....
Chapter 20 - Uranium Enrichment Decontamination & Decommissioning Fund
0. Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund 20-1 0. Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund 20-1 CHAPTER 20 URANIUM ENRICHMENT DECONTAMINATION AND DECOMMISSIONING FUND 1. INTRODUCTION. a. Purpose. To establish policies and procedures for the financial management, accounting, budget preparation, cash management of the Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund, referred to hereafter as the Fund. b. Applicability. This chapter applies to all Departmental elements, including the National Nuclear Security Administration, and activities that are directly or indirectly involved with the Fund. c. Requirements and Sources of the Fund. (1) The Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPACT) requires DOE to establish and administer the Fund. EPACT authorizes that the
DOE Extends Public Comment Period for Uranium Program Environmental Impact
Uranium Program Environmental Uranium Program Environmental Impact Statement DOE Extends Public Comment Period for Uranium Program Environmental Impact Statement April 18, 2013 - 1:08pm Addthis Contractor, Bob Darr, S.M. Stoller Corporation Public Affairs, (720) 377-9672, email@example.com GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced that the public comment period for the Draft Uranium Leasing Program Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (ULP PEIS) has been extended to May 31, 2013. Under the Uranium Leasing Program, DOE's Office of Legacy Management manages 31 tracts of land in Mesa, Montrose, and San Miguel counties in Colorado - approximately 25,000 acres - that are leased to private entities for uranium and vanadium mining. No mining operations are active
Phosphate rock, the major raw material for phosphate fertilizers, contains uranium that can be recovered when the rock is processed. This makes it possible to produce uranium in a country that has no uranium ore deposits. The author briefly describes the way that phosphate fertilizers are made, how uranium is recovered in the phosphate industry, and how to detect uranium recovery operations in a phosphate plant. Uranium recovery from the wet-process phosphoric acid involves three unit operations: (1) pretreatment to prepare the acid; (2) solvent extraction to concentrate the uranium; (3) post treatment to insure that the acid returning to the acid plant will not be harmful downstream. There are 3 extractants that are capable of extracting uranium from phosphoric acid. The pyro or OPPA process uses a pyrophosphoric acid that is prepared on site by reacting an organic alcohol (usually capryl alcohol) with phosphorous pentoxide. The DEPA-TOPO process uses a mixture of di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (DEPA) and trioctyl phosphine oxide (TOPO). The components can be bought separately or as a mixture. The OPAP process uses octylphenyl acid phosphate, a commercially available mixture of mono- and dioctylphenyl phosphoric acids. All three extractants are dissolved in kerosene-type diluents for process use.
A process is given for separating fission products from uranium by extracting the former into molten aluminum. Phase isolation can be accomplished by selectively hydriding the uranium at between 200 and 300 deg C and separating the hydride powder from coarse particles of fissionproduct-containing aluminum. (AEC)
Spedding, F.H.; Butler, T.A.
Uranium Marketing Uranium Marketing Annual Report May 2011 www.eia.gov U.S. Department of Energy Washington, DC 20585 This report was prepared by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy. By law, EIA's data, analyses, and forecasts are independent of approval by any other officer or employee of the United States Government. The views in this report therefore should not be construed as representing those of the Department of Energy or other Federal agencies. U.S. Energy Information Administration | 2010 Uranium Marketing Annual Report ii Contacts This report was prepared by the staff of the Renewables and Uranium Statistics Team, Office of Electricity, Renewables, and Uranium Statistics. Questions about the preparation and content of this report may be directed to Michele Simmons, Team Leader,
Office of Legacy Management (LM)
Recycled Uranium and Transuranics: Recycled Uranium and Transuranics: Their Relationship to Weldon Spring Site Remedial Action Project Introduction Historical Perspective On August 8, 1999, Energy Secretary Bill Richardson announced a comprehensive set of actions to address issues raised at the Paducah, Kentucky, Gaseous Diffusion Plant that may have had the potential to affect the health of the workers. One of the issues addressed the need to determine the extent and significance of radioactive fission products and transuranic elements in the uranium feed and waste products throughout the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national complex. Subsequently, a DOE agency-wide Recycled Uranium Mass Balance Project (RUMBP) was initiated. For the Weldon Spring Uranium Feed Materials Plant (WSUFMP or later referred to as Weldon Spring),
The feasibility study of small long-life gas cooled fast reactor with mixed natural Uranium/Thorium as fuel cycle input
A conceptual design study of Gas Cooled Fast Reactors with Modified CANDLE burn-up scheme has been performed. In this study, design GCFR with Helium coolant which can be continuously operated by supplying mixed Natural Uranium/Thorium without fuel enrichment plant or fuel reprocessing plant. The active reactor cores are divided into two region, Thorium fuel region and Uranium fuel region. Each fuel core regions are subdivided into ten parts (region-1 until region-10) with the same volume in the axial direction. The fresh Natural Uranium and Thorium is initially put in region-1, after one cycle of 10 years of burn-up it is shifted to region-2 and the each region-1 is filled by fresh natural Uranium/Thorium fuel. This concept is basically applied to all regions in both cores area, i.e. shifted the core of i{sup th} region into i+1 region after the end of 10 years burn-up cycle. For the next cycles, we will add only Natural Uranium and Thorium on each region-1. The calculation results show the reactivity reached by mixed Natural Uranium/Thorium with volume ratio is 4.7:1. This reactor can results power thermal 550 MWth. After reactor start-up the operation, furthermore reactor only needs Natural Uranium/Thorium supply for continue operation along 100 years.
Ariani, Menik; Su'ud, Zaki; Waris, Abdul; Khairurrijal,; Monado, Fiber; Sekimoto, Hiroshi [Department of Physics Bandung Institute of Technology Jl. Ganesha 10, Bandung 40134, Physics Department, Sriwijaya University, Kampus Indralaya, Ogan Ilir, Sumatera Selatan (Indonesia); Department of Physics Bandung Institute of Technology Jl. Ganesha 10, Bandung 40134 (Indonesia); Department of Physics Bandung Institute of Technology Jl. Ganesha 10, Bandung 40134, Physics Department, Sriwijaya University, Kampus Indralaya, Ogan Ilir, Sumatera Selatan (Indonesia); Reserach of Laboratory for Nuclear Reactors, Tokyo Institute of Technology O-okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152 (Japan)
URANIUM RECOVERY, URANIUM GEOCHEMISTRY, THERMOLUMINESCENCE AND RELATED STUDIES. Final Report
The recovery of urantum at the mine with portable equipment was shown to be feasible, using a process which involves grinding the ore, leaching with nitric acid, extracting with tributyl phosphate and kerosene, and precipitation with ammonia gas. The system is more expensive than a stationary plant but couid be used in an emergency or in difficulty accessible locations. The distribution of uranium was studied in various geographical locations and in several different materials including limestones, granites, clays, rivers and underground water, lignites, and volcanic ash and lavas. Geochemical studies, based on thermoluminescence, including stratigraphy, age determinations of limestones, and aragonite-calcite relations in calcium csrbonate are presented along with thermoluminescence studies of lithium fluoride, alkali halides, aluminum oxides, sulfates, and other inorganic salts and minerals. Radiation damage to lithium fluoride and metamixed minerals was studied, and apparatus was developed for measuring thermoluminescence of crystals exposed to gamma radiation, scintillameters for measuring alpha particle activity in materials containing a trace of uranium, and an analytical method for determining less than 1 part per million uranium. (J.R.D.)
Daniels, F.
Remediation of uranium contaminated soils with bicarbonate extraction and microbial U(VI) reduction
Lovley, Derek
.S. Hundreds of active and abandoned uranium mines are scattered over wide areas of the western United States2.0 GEOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS ON THE LOCATION OF URANIUM MINES With the exception of some phosphate mine areas in central and northern Florida, people are most likely to be exposed to uranium mining
A series of spall experiments has been completed with thin depleted uranium targets, nominally 0.1 mm thick. The first set of uranium spall targets was cut and ground to final thickness from electro-refined, high-purity, cast uranium. The second set was rolled to final thickness from low purity uranium. The impactors for these experiments were laser-launched 0.05-mm thick copper flyers, 3 mm in diameter. Laser energies were varied to yield a range of flyer impact velocities. This resulted in varying degrees of damage to the uranium spall targets, from deformation to complete spall or separation at the higher velocities. Dynamic measurements of the uranium target free surface velocities were obtained with dual velocity interferometers. Uranium targets were recovered and sectioned after testing. Free surface velocity profiles were similar for the two types of uranium, but spall strengths (estimated from the magnitude of the pull-back signal) are higher for the high-purity cast uranium. Velocity profiles and microstructural evidence of spall from the sectioned uranium targets are presented.
Robbins, D. L. (David L.); Kelly, A. M. (Anna Marie); Alexander, D. J. (David J.); Hanrahan, R. J. (Robert J.); Snow, R. C. (Ronny C.); Gehr, R. J. (Russell J.); Rupp, Ted Dean,; Sheffield, S. A. (Stephen A.); Stahl, D. B. (David B.)
Contamination of soils, water, and sediments by radionuclides and toxic metals from uranium mill tailings, nuclear fuel manufacturing and nuclear weapons production is a major concern. Studies of the mechanisms of biotransformation of uranium and toxic metals under various microbial process conditions has resulted in the development of two treatment processes: (i) stabilization of uranium and toxic metals with reduction in waste volume and (ii) removal and recovery of uranium and toxic metals from wastes and contaminated soils. Stabilization of uranium and toxic metals in wastes is accomplished by exploiting the unique metabolic capabilities of the anaerobic bacterium, Clostridium sp. The radionuclides and toxic metals are solubilized by the bacteria directly by enzymatic reductive dissolution, or indirectly due to the production of organic acid metabolites. The radionuclides and toxic metals released into solution are immobilized by enzymatic reductive precipitation, biosorption and redistribution with stable mineral phases in the waste. Non-hazardous bulk components of the waste such as Ca, Fe, K, Mg and Na released into solution are removed, thus reducing the waste volume. In the second process uranium and toxic metals are removed from wastes or contaminated soils by extracting with the complexing agent citric acid. The citric-acid extract is subjected to biodegradation to recover the toxic metals, followed by photochemical degradation of the uranium citrate complex which is recalcitrant to biodegradation. The toxic metals and uranium are recovered in separate fractions for recycling or for disposal. The use of combined chemical and microbiological treatment process is more efficient than present methods and should result in considerable savings in clean-up and disposal costs.
Spectral discrimination of uranium-mineralized breccia pipes in northwestern Arizona
The price of uranium is currently the lowest in more than a decade. The only type of uranium deposit that is economically viable in the depressed uranium market is such high-grade ore as the unconformity type found in Canada and Australia. Exploration for uranium-bearing breccia pipes in northwestern Arizona by both domestic and foreign companies is currently active because of the relatively high-grade ore they contain and their tendency to be polymetallic. In the US, uranium-mineralized breccia pipes are one of the few deposits that can compete in the current market. A stepwise discriminant analysis was performed on spectral data acquired from the field, laboratory, and Landsat thematic mapper (TM). The principal objectives were (1) to investigate the fundamental differences in the spectral properties of outcrops on the surface of breccia pipes and the background, (2) to choose TM bandpasses that were statistically optimum for distinguishing between breccia pipes and the background, and (3) to compare the results of the field, laboratory, and TM digital data which were acquired by different instruments having different spatial and spectral resolutions.
Kwarteng, A.Y.; Goodell, P.C.; Pingitore, N.E. Jr.; Wenich, K.J.
Initial Report for the Aquifer Background Study: Summary of Uranium and Plutonium Data from INEEL Groundwater Samples
As part of the �Aquifer Background Study,� Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) under contract with the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) has undertaken a study to determine uranium and plutonium abundances and isotopic composition in groundwater samples collected at the INEEL. To date, four samples have been analyzed for uranium and plutonium and an additional nine samples have been analyzed for uranium. It is expected that several more samples will be analyzed for this study. This report summarizes the results from this initial set of samples. Of the 13 samples analyzed for uranium, four samples have 238U/235U ratios that differ from the natural value of 137.88. These four samples and two additional samples also contain 236U at 3-sigma level above detection limits. The presence of 236U and the non-natural 238U/235U ratios unequivocally indicate the presence of anthropic uranium in four of the samples. A small component of anthropic uranium is also present in two additional samples with positive 236U detection but natural 238U/235U isotope ratios. Two of the samples with anthropic uranium, as well as two samples with no detectable anthropic uranium were analyzed for plutonium. No plutonium was detected in these four samples at detection limits of approximately 5E7 239Pu atoms for three of the samples and approximately 1E8 239Pu atoms for the forth sample. These detection limits correspond to (239+240)Pu activity ratios (assuming a 240Pu/239Pu atom ratio of 0.18) of 0.002 and 0.004 pCi/L respectively.
Robert C. Roback; Don L. Koeppen
Manhattan Project: Early Uranium Research, 1939-1941
Ernest Lawrence, Arthur Compton, Vannevar Bush, and James Conant discuss uranium research, Berkeley, March 29, 1940. EARLY URANIUM RESEARCH Ernest Lawrence, Arthur Compton, Vannevar Bush, and James Conant discuss uranium research, Berkeley, March 29, 1940. EARLY URANIUM RESEARCH (1939-1941) Events > Early Government Support, 1939-1942 Einstein's Letter, 1939 Early Uranium Research, 1939-1941 Piles and Plutonium, 1939-1941 Reorganization and Acceleration, 1940-1941 The MAUD Report, 1941 A Tentative Decision to Build the Bomb, 1941-1942 President Franklin D. Roosevelt responded to the call for government support of uranium research quickly but cautiously. He appointed Lyman J. Briggs, director of the National Bureau of Standards, head of the Advisory Committee on Uranium, which met for the first time on October 21, 1939. The committee, including both civilian and military representation, was to coordinate its activities with Alexander Sachs and look into the current state of research on uranium to recommend an appropriate role for the federal government. In early 1940, only months after the outbreak of war in Europe, the Uranium Committee recommended that the government fund limited research on isotope separation as well as Enrico Fermi's and Leo Szilard's work on fission chain reactions at Columbia University (below).
A liquid-liquid extraction method is presented for recovering uranium values from an aqueous acidic solution by means of certain high molecular weight amine in the amine classes of primary, secondary, heterocyclic secondary, tertiary, or heterocyclic tertiary. The uranium bearing aqueous acidic solution is contacted with the selected amine dissolved in a nonpolar water-immiscible organic solvent such as kerosene. The uranium which is substantially completely exiracted by the organic phase may be stripped therefrom by waters and recovered from the aqueous phase by treatment into ammonia to precipitate ammonium diuranate.
Brown, K.B.; Crouse, D.J. Jr.; Moore, J.G.
Salton Sea Scientific Drilling Project: A summary of drilling and engineering activities and scientific results
The Salton Sea Scientific g Project (SSSDP) completed the first major well in the United States Continental Scientific Drilling Program. The well (State 2-14) was drilled to 10,W ft (3,220 m) in the Salton Sea Geothermal Field in California's Imperial Valley, to permit scientific study of a deep, high-temperature portion of an active geothermal system. The program was designed to investigate, through drilling and testing, the subsurface thermal, chemical, and mineralogical environments of this geothermal area. Extensive samples and data, including cores, cuttings, geothermal fluids and gases, and geophysical logs, were collected for future scientific analysis, interpretation, and publication. Short duration flow tests were conducted on reservoirs at a depth of approximately 6,120 ft (1,865 m) and at 10,136 ft (3,089 m). This report summarizes all major activities of the SSSDP, from project inception in the fall of 1984 through brine-pond cleanup and site restoration, ending in February 1989. This report presents a balanced summary of drilling, coring, logging, and flow-test operations, and a brief summary of technical and scientific results. Frequent reference is made to original records, data, and publication of results. The report also reviews the proposed versus the final well design, and operational summaries, such as the bit record, the casing and cementing program, and the coring program. Summaries are and the results of three flow tests. Several teamed during the project.
Ross, H.P.; Forsgren, C.K. (eds.)
Video: The Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride Story
Depleted UF6 Story The Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride Story An overview of Uranium, its isotopes, the need and history of diffusive separation, the handling of the Depleted Uranium...
Metallic Inclusions in Uranium Dioxide", LBL-11117 (1980).in Hypostoichiornetric Uranium Dioxide 11 , LBL-11095 (OF METALLIC INCLUSIONS IN URANIUM DIOXIDE Rosa L. Yang and
Yang, Rosa L.
Manhattan Project: More Uranium Research, 1942
Cubes of uranium metal, Los Alamos, 1945 MORE URANIUM RESEARCH Cubes of uranium metal, Los Alamos, 1945 MORE URANIUM RESEARCH (1942) Events > Difficult Choices, 1942 More Uranium Research, 1942 More Piles and Plutonium, 1942 Enter the Army, 1942 Groves and the MED, 1942 Picking Horses, November 1942 Final Approval to Build the Bomb, December 1942 During the first half of 1942, several routes to a bomb via uranium continued to be explored. At Columbia University, Harold Urey worked on the gaseous diffusion and centrifuge systems for isotope separation in the codenamed SAM (Substitute or Special Alloy Metals) Laboratory. At Berkeley, Ernest Lawrence continued his investigations on electromagnetic separation using the "calutron" he had converted from his thirty-seven-inch cyclotron. Phillip Abelson, who had moved from the Carnegie Institution and the National Bureau of Standards to the Naval Research Laboratory, continued his work on liquid thermal diffusion but with few positive results, and he had lost all contact with the S-1 Section of the Office of Scientific Research and Development. Meanwhile Eger Murphree's group hurriedly studied ways to move from laboratory experiments to production facilities.
The uranium cylinder assay system for enrichment plant safeguards
Safeguarding sensitive fuel cycle technology such as uranium enrichment is a critical component in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons. A useful tool for the nuclear materials accountancy of such a plant would be an instrument that measured the uranium content of UF{sub 6} cylinders. The Uranium Cylinder Assay System (UCAS) was designed for Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited (JNFL) for use in the Rokkasho Enrichment Plant in Japan for this purpose. It uses total neutron counting to determine uranium mass in UF{sub 6} cylinders given a known enrichment. This paper describes the design of UCAS, which includes features to allow for unattended operation. It can be used on 30B and 48Y cylinders to measure depleted, natural, and enriched uranium. It can also be used to assess the amount of uranium in decommissioned equipment and waste containers. Experimental measurements have been carried out in the laboratory and these are in good agreement with the Monte Carlo modeling results.
Miller, Karen A [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Swinhoe, Martyn T [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Marlow, Johnna B [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Menlove, Howard O [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Rael, Carlos D [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Iwamoto, Tomonori [JNFL; Tamura, Takayuki [JNFL; Aiuchi, Syun [JNFL
Polyethylene Encapsulated Depleted Uranium
Poly DU Poly DU Polyethylene Encapsulated Depleted Uranium Technology Description: Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) has completed preliminary work to investigate the feasibility of encapsulating DU in low density polyethylene to form a stable, dense product. DU loadings as high as 90 wt% were achieved. A maximum product density of 4.2 g/cm3 was achieved using UO3, but increased product density using UO2 is estimated at 6.1 g/cm3. Additional product density improvements up to about 7.2 g/cm3 were projected using DU aggregate in a hybrid technique known as micro/macroencapsulation.[1] A U.S. patent for this process has been received.[2] Figure 1 Figure 1: DU Encapsulated in polyethylene samples produced at BNL containing 80 wt % depleted UO3 A recent DU market study by Kapline Enterprises, Inc. for DOE thoroughly identified and rated potential applications and markets for DU metal and oxide materials.[3] Because of its workability and high DU loading capability, the polyethylene encapsulated DU could readily be fabricated as counterweights/ballast (for use in airplanes, helicopters, ships and missiles), flywheels, armor, and projectiles. Also, polyethylene encapsulated DU is an effective shielding material for both gamma and neutron radiation, with potential application for shielding high activity waste (e.g., ion exchange resins, glass gems), spent fuel dry storage casks, and high energy experimental facilities (e.g., accelerator targets) to reduce radiation exposures to workers and the public.
Development and demonstration of biosorbents for clean-up of uranium in water. CRADA final report
Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain CSU, a nongenetically engineered bacterial strain known to bind dissolved hexavalent uranium, shows particular promise as the basis of an immobilized-cell process for removal of dissolved uranium from contaminated wastewaters. It was characterized with respect to its sorptive active. Living, heat-killed, permeabilized, and unreconstituted lyophilized cells were all capable of binding uranium. The uranium biosorption equilibrium could be described by the Langmuir isotherm. The rate of uranium adsorption increased following permeabilization of the outer and/or cytoplasmic membrane by organic solvents such as acetone. P. aeruginosa CSU biomass was significantly more sorptive toward uranium than certain novel, patented biosorbents derived from algal or fungal biomass sources. P. aeruginosa CSU biomass was also competitive with commercial cation-exchange resins, particularly in the presence of dissolved transition metals. Uranium binding by P. aeruginosa was clearly pH dependent. Uranium loading capacity increased with increasing pH under acidic conditions, presumably as a function of uranium speciation and due to the H{sup +} competition at some binding sites. Nevertheless, preliminary evidence suggests that this microorganism is also capable of binding anionic hexavalent uranium complexes. Ferric iron was a strong inhibitor of uranium binding to P. aeruginosa CSU biomass, and the presence of uranium also decreased the Fe{sup 3+} loading when the biomass was not saturated with Fe{sup 3+}, suggesting that Fe{sup 3+} and uranium may share the same binding sites on biomass.
Faison, B.D.; Hu, M.Z.C.; Norman, J.M.; Reeves, M.E.; Williams, L.; Schmidt-Kuster, W.; Darnell, K. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)]|[Ogden Environmental Service, Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Several laboratory and pilot-scale tests since the year 2000 have included demonstrations of off-gas mercury control using fixed bed, sulfur-impregnated activated carbon. These demonstrations have included operation of carbon beds with gas streams containing a wide range of mercury and other gas species concentrations representing off-gas from several U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) mixed waste treatment processes including electrical resistance heated (joule-heated) glass melters, fluidized bed calciners, and fluidized bed steam reformers. Surrogates of various DOE mixed waste streams (or surrogates of offgas from DOE mixed waste streams) including INL �sodium bearing waste� (SBW), liquid �low activity waste� (LAW) from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and liquid waste from Savannah River National Laboratory (�Tank 48H waste�) have been tested. Test results demonstrate mercury control efficiencies up to 99.999%, high enough to comply with the Hazardous Waste (HWC) Combustor Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) standards even when the uncontrolled off-gas mercury concentrations exceed 400,000 ug/dscm (at 7% O2), and confirm carbon bed design parameters for such high efficiencies. Results of several different pilot-scale and engineering-scale test programs performed over several years are presented and compared.
Nick Soelberg
4. U.S. uranium mills by owner, location, capacity, and operating status at end of the year, 2008-2012 4. U.S. uranium mills by owner, location, capacity, and operating status at end of the year, 2008-2012 Mill Owner Mill Name County, State (existing and planned locations) Milling Capacity (short tons of ore per day) Operating Status at End of the Year 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Cotter Corporation Canon City Mill Fremont, Colorado 0 Standby Standby Standby Reclamation Demolished Denison White Mesa LLC White Mesa Mill San Juan, Utah 2,000 Operating Operating Operating Operating Operating Energy Fuels Resources Corporation Piñon Ridge Mill Montrose, Colorado 500 Developing Developing Developing Permitted And Licensed Partially Permitted And Licensed Kennecott Uranium Company/Wyoming Coal Resource Company Sweetwater Uranium Project Sweetwater, Wyoming 3,000 Standby Standby Standby Standby Standby
Uranium Management and Policy
The Office of Uranium Management and Policy (NE-54), as part of the Office of Fuel Cycle Technologies (NE-5), supports the Department of Energy (DOE) by assuring domestic supplies of fuel for...
Chemical Forms of Uranium
such as water vapor in the air, the UF6 and water react, forming corrosive hydrogen fluoride (HF) and a uranium-fluoride compound called uranyl fluoride (UO2F2). For this reason,...
{sm_bullet} Uranium fuel production {sm_bullet} Test reactor and separations experiments {sm_bullet} Animal and radiobiology experiments conducted at the. 331 Laboratory Complex {sm_bullet} .Deactivation, decontamination, decommissioning,. and demolition of 300 Area facilities
Uranium-Based Catalysts
Uranium-Based Catalysts S. H. Overbury, Cyrus Riahi-Nezhad, Zongtao Zhang, Sheng Dai, and Jonathan Haire Oak Ridge National Laboratory* P.O. Box 2008 Oak Ridge, Tennessee...
Annual Energy Outlook 2012 (EIA)
6. Employment in the U.S. uranium production industry by category, 2003-2012 person-years Year Exploration Mining Milling Processing Reclamation Total 2003 W W W W 117 321 2004 18...
Uranium tailings bibliography
A bibliography containing 1,212 references is presented with its focus on the general problem of reducing human exposure to the radionuclides contained in the tailings from the milling of uranium ore. The references are divided into seven broad categories: uranium tailings pile (problems and perspectives), standards and philosophy, etiology of radiation effects, internal dosimetry and metabolism, environmental transport, background sources of tailings radionuclides, and large-area decontamination. (JSR)
Holoway, C.F.; Goldsmith, W.A.; Eldridge, V.M.
A process is described for recovering uranium values from acidic aqueous solutions containing hexavalent uranium by contacting the solution with an organic solution comprised of a substantially water-immiscible organlc diluent and an organic phosphate to extract the uranlum values into the organic phase. Carbon tetrachloride and a petroleum hydrocarbon fraction, such as kerosene, are sultable diluents to be used in combination with organlc phosphates such as dibutyl butylphosphonate, trlbutyl phosphine oxide, and tributyl phosphate.
Baldwin, W.H.; Higgins, C.E.
Depleted uranium valuation
The following uses for depleted uranium were examined to determine its value: a substitute for lead in shielding applications, feed material in gaseous diffusion enrichment facilities, feed material for an advanced enrichment concept, Mixed Oxide (MOx) diluent and blanket material in LMFBRs, and fertile material in LMFBR systems. A range of depleted uranium values was calculated for each of these applications. The sensitivity of these values to analysis assumptions is discussed. 9 tables.
Lewallen, M.A.; White, M.K.; Jenquin, U.P.
Uranium purchases report 1994
US utilities are required to report to the Secretary of Energy annually the country of origin and the seller of any uranium or enriched uranium purchased or imported into the US, as well as the country of origin and seller of any enrichment services purchased by the utility. This report compiles these data and also contains a glossary of terms and additional purchase information covering average price and contract duration. 3 tabs.
A method of separating uranium oxides from PuO/sub 2/, ThO/sub 2/, and other actinide oxides is described. The oxide mixture is suspended in a fused salt melt and a chlorinating agent such as chlorine gas or phosgene is sparged through the suspension. Uranium oxides are selectively chlorinated and dissolve in the melt, which may then be filtered to remove the unchlorinated oxides of the other actinides. (AEC)
Lyon, W.L.
Method for the recovery of uranium values from uranium tetrafluoride
The invention is a novel method for the recovery of uranium from dry, particulate uranium tetrafluoride. In one aspect, the invention comprises reacting particulate uranium tetrafluoride and calcium oxide in the presence of gaseous oxygen to effect formation of the corresponding alkaline earth metal uranate and alkaline earth metal fluoride. The product uranate is highly soluble in various acidic solutions whereas the product fluoride is virtually insoluble therein. The product mixture of uranate and alkaline earth metal fluoride is contacted with a suitable acid to provide a uranium-containing solution, from which the uranium is recovered. The invention can achieve quantitative recovery of uranium in highly pure form.
Kreuzmann, A.B.
The invention is a novel method for the recovery of uranium from dry, particulate uranium tetrafluoride. In one aspect, the invention comprises reacting particulate uranium tetrafluoride and calcium oxide in the presence of gaseous oxygen to effect formation of the corresponding alkaline earth metal uranate and alkaline earth metal fluoride. The product uranate is highly soluble in various acidic solutions wherein the product fluoride is virtually insoluble therein. The product mixture of uranate and alkaline earth metal fluoride is contacted with a suitable acid to provide a uranium-containing solution, from which the uranium is recovered. The invention can achieve quantitative recovery of uranium in highly pure form.
Kreuzmann, Alvin B. (Cincinnati, OH)
10. Uranium reserve estimates at the end of 2012 10. Uranium reserve estimates at the end of 2012 million pounds U3O8 Forward Cost2 Uranium Reserve Estimates1 by Mine and Property Status, Mining Method, and State(s) $0 to $30 per pound $0 to $50 per pound $0 to $100 per pound Properties with Exploration Completed, Exploration Continuing, and Only Assessment Work W W 102.0 Properties Under Development for Production W W W Mines in Production W 21.4 W Mines Closed Temporarily and Closed Permanently W W 133.1 In-Situ Leach Mining W W 128.6 Underground and Open Pit Mining W W 175.4 Arizona, New Mexico and Utah 0 W 164.7 Colorado, Nebraska and Texas W W 40.8 Wyoming W W 98.5 Total 51.8 W 304.0 1 Sixteen respondents reported reserve estimates on 71 mines and properties. These uranium reserve estimates cannot be compared with the much larger historical data set of uranium reserves that were published in the July 2010 report U.S. Uranium Reserves Estimates at http://www.eia.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/reserves/ures.html. Reserves, as reported here, do not necessarily imply compliance with U.S. or Canadian government definitions for purposes of investment disclosure.
Predicting 232U Content in Uranium
The minor isotope 232U may ultimately be used for detection or confirmation of uranium in a variety of applications. The primary advantage of 232 U as an indicator of the presence of enriched uranium is the plentiful and penetrating nature of the radiation emitted by its daughter radionuclide 208Tl. A possible drawback to measuring uranium via 232U is the relatively high uncertainty in 232U abundance both within and between material populations. An important step in assessing this problem is to ascertain what determines the 232U concentration within any particular sample of uranium. To this end, we here analyze the production and eventual enrichment of 232 U during fuel-cycle operations. The goal of this analysis is to allow approximate prediction of 232 U quantities, or at least some interpretation of the results of 232U measurements. We have found that 232U is produced via a number of pathways during reactor irradiation of uranium and is subsequently concentrated during the later enrichment of the uranium' s 235U Content. While exact calculations are nearly impossible for both the reactor-production and cascade-enrichment parts of the prediction problem, estimates and physical bounds can be provided as listed below and detailed within the body of the report. Even if precise calculations for the irradiation and enrichment were possible, the ultimate 212U concentration would still depend upon the detailed fuel-cycle history. Assuming that a thennal-diffusion cascade is used to produce highly enriched uranium (HEU), dilution of reactor-processed fuel at the cascade input and the long-term holdup of 232U within the cascade both affect the 232U concentration in the product. Similar issues could be expected to apply for the other isotope-separation technologies that are used in other countries. Results of this analysis are listed below: 0 The 232U concentration depends strongly on the uranium enrichment, with depleted uranium (DU) containing between 1600 and 8000 times less 232U than HEU does. * The 236U/232U concentration ratio in HEU is likely to be between 10{sup 6} and 2 x 10{sup 7}. 0 Plutonium-production reactors yield uranium with between I and 10 ppt of 232u. 0 Much higher 132U concentrations can be obtained in some situations. * Significant variation in the 232U concentration is inevitable. * Cascade enrichment increases the 232U concentration by a factor of at least 200, and possibly as much as 1000. 0 The actual 232U concentration depends upon the dilution at the cascade input.
AJ Peurrung
The US uranium industry: Regulatory and policy impediments
The Energy Policy Act of 1992 required the DOE to develop recommendations and implement government programs to assist the domestic uranium industry in increasing export opportunities. In 1993, as part of that effort, the Office of Nuclear Energy identified several key factors that could (or have) significantly impact(ed) export opportunities for domestic uranium. This report addresses one of these factors: regulatory and policy impediments to the flow of uranium products between the US and other countries. It speaks primarily to the uranium market for civil nuclear power. Changes in the world political and economic order have changed US national security requirements, and the US uranium industry has found itself without the protected market it once enjoyed. An unlevel playing field for US uranium producers has resulted from a combination of geology, history, and a general US political philosophy of nonintervention that precludes the type of industrial policy practiced in other uranium-exporting countries. The US has also been hampered in its efforts to support the domestic uranium-producing industry by its own commitment to free and open global markets and by international agreements such as GATT and NAFTA. Several US policies, including the imposition of NRC fees and licensing costs and Harbor Maintenance fees, directly harm the competitiveness of the domestic uranium industry. Finally, requirements under US law, such as those in the 1979 Nuclear Nonproliferation Act, place very strict limits on the use of US-origin uranium, limitations not imposed by other uranium-producing countries. Export promotion and coordination are two areas in which the US can help the domestic uranium industry without violating existing trade agreements or other legal or policy constraints.
Drennen, T.E.; Glicken, J.
FAQ 6-What is depleted uranium?
depleted uranium? What is depleted uranium? Depleted uranium is created during the processing that is done to make natural uranium suitable for use as fuel in nuclear power plants...
Tag: uranium | Y-12 National Security Complex
uranium Tag: uranium Displaying 1 - 10 of 23... Category: News The Nation's Expert in All Things Uranium Y-12 serves the nation and the world as a center of excellence for uranium...
DOE Announces Preferred Alternatives For Moab, Utah, Uranium Mill Tailings
WASHINGTON, DC � The U.S. Department of Energy today announced the department�s preferred alternatives for remediation of the Moab, Utah, Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project Site:� active...
The Nature of Vibrational Softening in ? - Uranium
... The Nature of Vibrational Softening in ? - Uranium. The standard textbook ... B / atom. All experiments used uranium powder. High ...
Education: Digital Resource Center - WEB: Uranium Information ...
Sep 24, 2007 ... Uranium, Electricity and the Greenhouse Effect ... Educational Resource Papers," Australian Uranium Association Ltd. Site updated weekly.
Energy Levels of Neutral Uranium ( U I )
... Data, Uranium (U) Homepage - Introduction Finding list Select element by name. ... Version Energy Levels of Neutral Uranium ( U I ). ...
Domestic Uranium Production Report 2004 -2011
Nuclear & Uranium. Uranium fuel, nuclear reactors, generation, spent fuel. Total Energy. Comprehensive data summaries, comparisons, analysis, and projections ...
Domestic Uranium Production Report - Energy Information Administration
Nuclear & Uranium. Uranium fuel, nuclear reactors, generation, ... with currently proven mining and processing technology and under current law and regulations.
In-situ neutron diffraction and crystal plasticity modeling of ?-Uranium
The present study uses a combination of in-situ neutron diffraction and crystal plasticity modeling to elucidate the deformation mechanisms active in ?-Uranium.
Uranium series disequilibrium in the Bargmann property area of Karnes County, Texas
Historical evidence is presented for natural uranium series radioactive disequilibrium in uranium bearing soils in the Bargmann property area of karnes County on the Gulf Coastal Plain of south Texas. The early history of uranium exploration in the area is recounted and records of disequilibrium before milling and mining operations began are given. The property contains an open pit uranium mine associated with a larger ore body. In 1995, the US Department of Energy (DOE) directed Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to evaluate the Bargmann tract for the presence of uranium mill tailings (ORNL 1996). There was a possibility that mill tailings had washed onto or blown onto the property from the former tailings piles in quantities that would warrant remediation under the Uranium Mill Tailings Remediation Action Project. Activity ratios illustrating disequilibrium between {sup 226}Ra and {sup 238}U in background soils during 1986 are listed and discussed. Derivations of uranium mass-to-activity conversion factors are covered in detail.
Davidson, J.R.
Challenges dealing with depleted uranium in Germany - Reuse or disposal
During enrichment large amounts of depleted Uranium are produced. In Germany every year 2.800 tons of depleted uranium are generated. In Germany depleted uranium is not classified as radioactive waste but a resource for further enrichment. Therefore since 1996 depleted Uranium is sent to ROSATOM in Russia. However it still has to be dealt with the second generation of depleted Uranium. To evaluate the alternative actions in case a solution has to be found in Germany, several studies have been initiated by the Federal Ministry of the Environment. The work that has been carried out evaluated various possibilities to deal with depleted uranium. The international studies on this field and the situation in Germany have been analyzed. In case no further enrichment is planned the depleted uranium has to be stored. In the enrichment process UF{sub 6} is generated. It is an international consensus that for storage it should be converted to U{sub 3}O{sub 8}. The necessary technique is well established. If the depleted Uranium would have to be characterized as radioactive waste, a final disposal would become necessary. For the planned Konrad repository - a repository for non heat generating radioactive waste - the amount of Uranium is limited by the licensing authority. The existing license would not allow the final disposal of large amounts of depleted Uranium in the Konrad repository. The potential effect on the safety case has not been roughly analyzed. As a result it may be necessary to think about alternatives. Several possibilities for the use of depleted uranium in the industry have been identified. Studies indicate that the properties of Uranium would make it useful in some industrial fields. Nevertheless many practical and legal questions are open. One further option may be the use as shielding e.g. in casks for transport or disposal. Possible techniques for using depleted Uranium as shielding are the use of the metallic Uranium as well as the inclusion in concrete. Another possibility could be the use of depleted uranium for the blending of High enriched Uranium (HEU) or with Plutonium to MOX-elements. (authors)
Moeller, Kai D. [Federal Office for Radiation Protection, Bundesamt fuer Strahlenschutz - BFS, Postfach 10 01 49, D-38201 Salzgitter (Germany)
Environmental radioactivity assessment around old uranium mining sites near Mangualde (Viseu), Portugal
Uranium ore was extracted in the surroundings of Mangualde city, North of Portugal, in the mines of Cunha Baixa, Quinta do Bispo and Espinho until a few years ago. Mining waste, milling tailings and acid mine waters are the on site remains of this extractive activity. Environmental radioactivity measurements were performed in and around these sites in order to assess the dispersal of radionuclides from uranium mining waste and the spread of acidic waters resulting from the in situ uranium leaching with sulphuric acid. Results show migration of acid waters into groundwater around the Cunha Baixa mine. This groundwater is tapped by irrigation wells in the agriculture area near the Cunha Baixa village. Water from wells displayed uranium ({sup 238}U) concentrations up to 19x10{sup 3} mBq L{sup -1} and sulphate ion concentrations up to 1070 mg L{sup -1}. These enhanced concentrations are positively correlated with low water pH, pointing to a common origin for radioactivity, dissolved sulphate, and acidity in underground mining works. Radionuclide concentrations were determined in horticulture and farm products from this area also and results suggest low soil to plant transfer of radionuclides and low food chain transfer of radionuclides to man. Analysis of aerosols in surface air showed re suspension of dust from mining and milling waste heaps. Therefore, it is recommended to maintain mine water treatment and to plan remediation of these mine sites in order to prevent waste dispersal in the environment. (authors)
Carvalho, Fernando P.; Torres, Lubelia M.; Oliveira, Joao M. [Instituto Tecnologico e Nuclear, Departamento de Proteccao Radiologica e Seguranca Nuclear, E.N. 10, 2686-953 Sacavem (Portugal)
Process for electrolytically preparing uranium metal
A process for making uranium metal from uranium oxide by first fluorinating uranium oxide to form uranium tetrafluoride and next electrolytically reducing the uranium tetrafluoride with a carbon anode to form uranium metal and CF.sub.4. The CF.sub.4 is reused in the fluorination reaction rather than being disposed of as a hazardous waste.
Haas, Paul A. (Knoxville, TN)
A method is given for forming compositions, as well as the compositions themselves, employing uranium hydride in a liquid bismuth composition to increase the solubility of uranium, plutonium and thorium oxides in the liquid bismuth. The finely divided oxide of uranium, plutonium. or thorium is mixed with the liquid bismuth and uranium hydride, the hydride being present in an amount equal to about 3 at. %, heated to about 5OO deg C, agitated and thereafter cooled and excess resultant hydrogen removed therefrom.
Davidson, J.K.; Robb, W.L.; Salmon, O.N.
Reported radioactivity in the Low-Intensity Test Reactor (LITR) water coolant traceable to uranium contamination on the surfaces of the alclad uranium-- aluminum plate-tyne fuel element led to an investigation to determine the sources of uranium contamination on the fuel plate surfaces. Two possible contributors to surface contamination are external sources such as rolling-mill equipment, the most obvious, and diffusion of uranium from the uranium-aluminum alloy fuel into the aluminum cladding. This diffusion is likely because of the 600 deg C heat treatments used in the conventional fabrication process. Uranium determinations based on neutron activation analysis of machined layers from fuel plate surfaces showed that rolling-mill equipment, contaminated with highly enriched uranium, was responsible for transferring as much as 180 ppm U to plate surfaces. By careful practice where cleanliness is emphasized, surface contamination can be reduced to 0.6 ppm U/sup 235/. The residue remaining on the plate surface may be accounted for by diffusion of uranium from the fuel alloy into and through the cladding of the fuel plate. Data obtained from preliminary diffusion studies permitted a good estimate to be made of the diffusion coefficient of uranium into aluminum at 600 deg C: 2.5 x 10/sup -8/ cm//sec. To minimize diffusion while the plate-type aluminum-base research reactor fuel element is being processed, heat treatments at 600 deg C should be limited to 2.5 hr. The uranium contamination on the surfaces of the finished fuel plates should then be less than 0.6 ppm U / sup 235/ . This investigation also revealed that the solubility limit of uranium in aluminum at 600 deg C is approx 60 ppm. (auth)
Beaver, R.J.; Erwin, J.H.; Mateer, R.S.
Fate of Uranium during Sodium Aluminosilicate Formation under Waste Tank Conditions
Experiments have been conducted to examine the fate of uranium during the formation of sodium aluminosilicate (NAS) when wastes containing high aluminate concentrations are mixed with wastes of high silicate concentration. Testing was conducted at varying degrees of uranium saturation. Testing examined typical tank conditions, e.g., stagnant, slightly elevated temperature (50 C). The results showed that under sub-saturated conditions uranium is not removed from solution to any large extent in both simulant testing and actual tank waste testing. There are data supporting a small removal due to sorption of uranium on sites in the NAS. Above the solubility limit the data are clear that a reduction in uranium concentration occurs with the formation of aluminosilicate. This uranium precipitation is fairly rapid and ceases when uranium reaches its solubility limit. At the solubility limit, it appears that uranium is not affected, but further testing might be warranted. Lastly, analysis of the uranium speciation in a Tank 49H set of samples showed the uranium to be soluble. Analysis of the solution composition and subsequent use of the Hobb's uranium solubility model indicated a uranium solubility limit of 32 mg/L. The measured value of uranium in the Tank 49H matched the model prediction.
Wilmarth, B
Uranium hexafluoride handling. Proceedings
The United States Department of Energy, Oak Ridge Field Office, and Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., are co-sponsoring this Second International Conference on Uranium Hexafluoride Handling. The conference is offered as a forum for the exchange of information and concepts regarding the technical and regulatory issues and the safety aspects which relate to the handling of uranium hexafluoride. Through the papers presented here, we attempt not only to share technological advances and lessons learned, but also to demonstrate that we are concerned about the health and safety of our workers and the public, and are good stewards of the environment in which we all work and live. These proceedings are a compilation of the work of many experts in that phase of world-wide industry which comprises the nuclear fuel cycle. Their experience spans the entire range over which uranium hexafluoride is involved in the fuel cycle, from the production of UF{sub 6} from the naturally-occurring oxide to its re-conversion to oxide for reactor fuels. The papers furnish insights into the chemical, physical, and nuclear properties of uranium hexafluoride as they influence its transport, storage, and the design and operation of plant-scale facilities for production, processing, and conversion to oxide. The papers demonstrate, in an industry often cited for its excellent safety record, continuing efforts to further improve safety in all areas of handling uranium hexafluoride. Selected papers were processed separately for inclusion in the Energy Science and Technology Database.
Uranium-titanium-niobium alloy
A uranium alloy having small additions of Ti and Nb shows improved strength and ductility in cross section of greater than one inch over prior uranium alloy having only Ti as an alloying element.
Ludtka, Gail M. (Oak Ridge, TN); Ludtka, Gerard M. (Oak Ridge, TN)
This patent relates to a method of sintering uranium dioxide. Uranium dioxide bodies are heated to above 1200 nif- C in hydrogen, sintered in steam, and then cooled in hydrogen. (AEC)
Henderson, C.M.; Stavrolakis, J.A.
It's Elemental - The Element Uranium
into uranium-233, also through beta decay. If completely fissioned, one pound (0.45 kilograms) of uranium-233 will provide the same amount of energy as burning 1,500 tons...
Uranium resources: Issues and facts
Although there are several secondary issues, the most important uranium resource issue is, ``will there be enough uranium available at a cost which will allow nuclear power to be competitive in the future?`` This paper will attempt to answer this question by discussing uranium supply, demand, and economics from the perspective of the United States. The paper will discuss: how much uranium is available; the sensitivity of nuclear power costs to uranium price; the potential future demand for uranium in the Unites States, some of the options available to reduce this demand, the potential role of the Advanced Liquid Metal Cooled Reactor (ALMR) in reducing uranium demand; and potential alternative uranium sources and technologies.
Delene, J.G.
S>The recovery of uranium compounds which have been adsorbed on anion exchange resins is discussed. The uranium and thorium-containing residues from monazite processed by alkali hydroxide are separated from solution, and leached with an alkali metal carbonate solution, whereby the uranium and thorium hydrorides are dissolved. The carbonate solution is then passed over an anion exchange resin causing the uranium to be adsorbed while the thorium remains in solution. The uranium may be recovered by contacting the uranium-holding resin with an aqueous ammonium carbonate solution whereby the uranium values are eluted from the resin and then heating the eluate whereby carbon dioxide and ammonia are given off, the pH value of the solution is lowered, and the uranium is precipitated.
Poirier, R.H.
The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) has developed an analytical method to measure many trace elements in a variety of uranium materials at the high part-per-billion (ppb) to low part-per-million (ppm) levels using matrix removal and analysis by quadrapole ICP-MS. Over 35 elements were measured in uranium oxides, acetate, ore and metal. Replicate analyses of samples did provide precise results however none of the materials was certified for trace element content thus no measure of the accuracy could be made. The DOE New Brunswick Laboratory (NBL) does provide a Certified Reference Material (CRM) that has provisional values for a series of trace elements. The NBL CRM were purchased and analyzed to determine the accuracy of the method for the analysis of trace elements in uranium oxide. These results are presented and discussed in the following paper.
Beals, D; Charles Shick, C
1987 annual report to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the Colorado State Historic Preservation Officer on the Department of Energy's cultural resource activities at Colorado UMTRA Project sites. [Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project
This report is a summary of the Department of Energy's (DOE) cultural resource investigations related to the DOE's Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project sites in Colorado. This report is intended to fulfill the DOE's obligation for an annual report as stated in the Programmatic Memorandum of Agreement executed between the DOE, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the Colorado State Historic Preservation Officer in December, 1984. A summary of the cultural resource surveys and identified resources is provided for project sites in the vicinities of Durango, Grand Junction, Gunnison, Maybell, Naturita, Rifle, and Slick Rock, Colorado. This report summarizes all DOE UKTRA Project cultural resource activities in Colorado for the 1987 calender year.
Synthesis of Uranium Trichloride for the Pyrometallurgical Processing of Used Nuclear Fuel
The pyroprocessing of used nuclear fuel via electrorefining requires the continued addition of uranium trichloride to sustain operations. Uranium trichloride is utilized as an oxidant in the system to allow separation of uranium metal from the minor actinides and fission products. The inventory of uranium trichloride had diminished to a point that production was necessary to continue electrorefiner operations. Following initial experimentation, cupric chloride was chosen as a reactant with uranium metal to synthesize uranium trichloride. Despite the variability in equipment and charge characteristics, uranium trichloride was produced in sufficient quantities to maintain operations in the electrorefiner. The results and conclusions from several experiments are presented along with a set of optimized operating conditions for the synthesis of uranium trichloride.
B.R. Westphal; J.C. Price; R.D. Mariani
Complex defects in the oxidation of uranium
We are reporting EPR results obtained with uranium powder samples fully oxidized in dry air, water vapor, and air/water vapor mixtures. The results reported previously are confirmed and additional paramagnetic centers, associated with chemisorbed species, have been identified. The temperature dependence of the g-value for these centers from room temperature to 10K is also reported.
MacCrone, R.K.; Sankaran, S.; Shatynski, S.R.; Colmenares, C.A.
Domestic Uranium Production Report Domestic Uranium Production Report 2012 Domestic Uranium Production Report Release Date: June 6, 2013 Next Release Date: May 2014 Activity at U.S. Mills and In-Situ-Leach Plants 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Ore from Underground Mines and Stockpiles Fed to Mills 1 0 W W W 0 W W W W W Other Feed Materials 2 W W W W W W W W W W Total Mill Feed W W W W W W W W W W (thousand pounds U 3 O 8 ) W W W W W W W W W W (thousand pounds U 3 O 8 ) W W W W W W W W W W (thousand pounds U 3 O 8 ) E2,000 2,282 2,689 4,106 4,534 3,902 3,708 4,228 3,991 4,146 (thousand pounds U 3 O 8 ) E1,600 2,280 2,702 3,838 4,050 4,130 3,620 5,137 4,000 3,911 Deliveries (thousand pounds U 3 O 8 ) W W W 3,786 3,602 3,656 2,044 2,684 2,870 3,630 Weighted-Average Price (dollars per pound U 3 O 8 ) W W W 28.98 42.11 43.81 36.61 37.59 52.36 49.63 Notes: The 2003 annual amounts were estimated by rounding to the nearest 200,000 pounds to avoid disclosure of individual company data. Totals may not equal sum of components
The global unified parallel file system (GUPFS) project: FY 2002 activities and results
The Global Unified Parallel File System (GUPFS) project is a multiple-phase, five-year project at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing (NERSC) Center to provide a scalable, high performance, high bandwidth, shared file system for all the NERSC production computing and support systems. The primary purpose of the GUPFS project is to make it easier to conduct advanced scientific research using the NERSC systems. This is to be accomplished through the use of a shared file system providing a unified file namespace, operating on consolidated shared storage that is directly accessed by all the NERSC production computing and support systems. During its first year, FY 2002, the GUPFS project focused on identifying, testing, and evaluating existing and emerging shared/cluster file system, SAN fabric, and storage technologies; identifying NERSC user input/output (I/O) requirements, methods, and mechanisms; and developing appropriate benchmarking methodologies and benchmark codes for a parallel environment. This report presents the activities and progress of the GUPFS project during its first year, the results of the evaluations conducted, and plans for near-term and longer-term investigations.
Butler, Gregory F.; Lee, Rei Chi; Welcome, Michael L.
An improved process is presented for recovering uranium from a carnotite ore. In the improved process U/sub 2/O/sub 5/ is added to the comminuted ore along with the usual amount of NaCl prior to roasting. The amount of U/sub 2/O/ sub 5/ is dependent on the amount of free calcium oxide and the uranium in the ore. Specifically, the desirable amount of U/sub 2/O/sub 5/ is 3.2% for each 1% of CaO, and 5 to 6% for each 1% of uranium. The mixture is roasted at about 1560 deg C for about 30 min and then leached with a 3 to 9% aqueous solution of sodium carbonate.
Kesler, R.D.; Rabb, D.D.
Uranium immobilization and nuclear waste
Considerable information useful in nuclear waste storage can be gained by studying the conditions of uranium ore deposit formation. Further information can be gained by comparing the chemistry of uranium to nuclear fission products and other radionuclides of concern to nuclear waste disposal. Redox state appears to be the most important variable in controlling uranium solubility, especially at near neutral pH, which is characteristic of most ground water. This is probably also true of neptunium, plutonium, and technetium. Further, redox conditions that immobilize uranium should immobilize these elements. The mechanisms that have produced uranium ore bodies in the Earth's crust are somewhat less clear. At the temperatures of hydrothermal uranium deposits, equilibrium models are probably adequate, aqueous uranium (VI) being reduced and precipitated by interaction with ferrous-iron-bearing oxides and silicates. In lower temperature roll-type uranium deposits, overall equilibrium may not have been achieved. The involvement of sulfate-reducing bacteria in ore-body formation has been postulated, but is uncertain. Reduced sulfur species do, however, appear to be involved in much of the low temperature uranium precipitation. Assessment of the possibility of uranium transport in natural ground water is complicated because the system is generally not in overall equilibrium. For this reason, Eh measurements are of limited value. If a ground water is to be capable of reducing uranium, it must contain ions capable of reducing uranium both thermodynamically and kinetically. At present, the best candidates are reduced sulfur species.
Duffy, C.J.; Ogard, A.E.
A process of preparing uranium monocarbide is de scribed. Uranium metal is dissolved in cadmium, zinc, cadmium-- zinc, or magnesium-- zinc alloy and a small quantity of alkali metal is added. Addition of stoichiometric amounts of carbon at 500 to 820 deg C then precipitates uranium monocarbide. (AEC)
Miller, W.E.; Stethers, H.L.; Johnson, T.R.
Identifying the sources of subsurface contamination at the Hanford site in Washington using high-precision uranium isotopic measurements
enrichment for nuclear applications or to changes resulting from the burn up of natural or enriched uranium
Christensen, John N.; Dresel, P. Evan; Conrad, Mark E.; Maher, Kate; DePaolo, Donald J.
An improved process is presented for prcparation of uranium surfaces prior to electroplating. The surfacc of the uranium to be electroplated is anodized in a bath comprising a solution of approximately 20 to 602 by weight of phosphoric acid which contains about 20 cc per liter of concentrated hydrochloric acid. Anodization is carried out for approximately 20 minutes at a current density of about 0.5 amperes per square inch at a temperature of about 35 to 45 C. The oxidic film produced by anodization is removed by dipping in strong nitric acid, followed by rinsing with water just prior to electroplating.
Slunder, C.J.
An improved precipitation method is described for the recovery of uranium from aqueous solutions. After removal of all but small amounts of Ni or Cu, and after complexing any iron present, the uranium is separated as the peroxide by adding H/sub 2/O/sub 2/. The improvement lies in the fact that the addition of H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ and consequent precipitation are carried out at a temperature below the freezing; point of the solution, so that minute crystals of solvent are present as seed crystals for the precipitation.
Price, T.D.; Jeung, N.M.
Production and Handling Slide 21: Melting Points of Uranium and...
Points of Uranium and Uranium Compounds Skip Presentation Navigation First Slide Previous Slide Next Slide Last Presentation Table of Contents Melting Points of Uranium and Uranium...
FAQ 26-Are there any uses for depleted uranium?
uses for depleted uranium? Are there any uses for depleted uranium? Several current and potential uses exist for depleted uranium. Depleted uranium could be mixed with highly...
Depleted uranium plasma reduction system study
A system life-cycle cost study was conducted of a preliminary design concept for a plasma reduction process for converting depleted uranium to uranium metal and anhydrous HF. The plasma-based process is expected to offer significant economic and environmental advantages over present technology. Depleted Uranium is currently stored in the form of solid UF{sub 6}, of which approximately 575,000 metric tons is stored at three locations in the U.S. The proposed system is preconceptual in nature, but includes all necessary processing equipment and facilities to perform the process. The study has identified total processing cost of approximately $3.00/kg of UF{sub 6} processed. Based on the results of this study, the development of a laboratory-scale system (1 kg/h throughput of UF6) is warranted. Further scaling of the process to pilot scale will be determined after laboratory testing is complete.
Rekemeyer, P.; Feizollahi, F.; Quapp, W.J.; Brown, B.W.
High loading uranium fuel plate
Two embodiments of a high uranium fuel plate are disclosed which contain a meat comprising structured uranium compound confined between a pair of diffusion bonded ductile metal cladding plates uniformly covering the meat, the meat having a uniform high fuel loading comprising a content of uranium compound greater than about 45 Vol. % at a porosity not greater than about 10 Vol. %. In a first embodiment, the meat is a plurality of parallel wires of uranium compound. In a second embodiment, the meat is a dispersion compact containing uranium compound. The fuel plates are fabricated by a hot isostatic pressing process.
Wiencek, Thomas C. (Bolingbrook, IL); Domagala, Robert F. (Indian Head Park, IL); Thresh, Henry R. (Palos Heights, IL)
Legacy Management Work Progresses on Defense-Related Uranium Mines Report
Legacy Management Work Progresses on Defense-Related Uranium Mines Legacy Management Work Progresses on Defense-Related Uranium Mines Report to Congress Legacy Management Work Progresses on Defense-Related Uranium Mines Report to Congress October 23, 2013 - 1:35pm Addthis What does this project do? Goal 4. Optimize the use of land and assets The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management (LM) continues to work on a report to Congress regarding defense-related legacy uranium mines. LM was directed by the U.S. Congress in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 to undertake a review of, and prepare a report on, abandoned uranium mines in the United States that provided uranium ore for atomic energy defense activities. The report is due to Congress by July 2014. LM is compiling uranium mine data from federal, state, and tribal agencies
In Situ Biological Uranium Remediation within a Highly Contaminated Aquifer
In Situ Biological Uranium Remediation In Situ Biological Uranium Remediation within a Highly Contaminated Aquifer Matthew Ginder-Vogel1, Wei-Min Wu1, Jack Carley2, Phillip Jardine2, Scott Fendorf1 and Craig Criddle1 1Stanford University, Stanford, CA 2Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN Microbial Respiration Figure 1. Uranium(VI) reduction is driven by microbial respiration resulting in the precipitation of uraninite. Uranium contamination of ground and surface waters has been detected at numerous sites throughout the world, including agricultural evaporation ponds (1), U.S. Department of Energy nuclear weapons manufacturing areas, and mine tailings sites (2). In oxygen-containing groundwater, uranium is generally found in the hexavalent oxidation state (3,4), which is a relatively soluble chemical form. As U(VI) is transported through
A process is presented for recovering uranium values from UCl/sub 4/ deposits formed on calutrons. Such deposits are removed from the calutron parts by an aqueous wash solution which then contains the uranium values in addition to the following impurities: Ni, Cu, Fe, and Cr. This impurity bearing wash solution is treated with an oxidizing agent, and the oxidized solution is then treated with ammonia in order to precipitate the uranium as ammonium diuranate. The metal impurities of iron and chromium, which form insoluble hydroxides, are precipitated along with the uranium values. The precipitate is separated from the solution, dissolved in acid, and the solution again treated with ammonia and ammonium carbonate, which results in the precipitation of the metal impurities as hydroxides while the uranium values remain in solution.
Carter, J.M.; Kamen, M.D.
Alpha irradiation of uranium hexafluoride results in the formation of fluorine and intermediate, solid uranium fluorides: these products react with each other, apparently by a radiation-induced process. to reform uranium hexifluoride. The number of molecules of uranium hexafluoride decomposed, excluding recombiapproximately 1 in the temperature range 21 to 87 deg C. Irradiation of a mixture of fluorine and uranium hexafluoride in a vessel containing uranium fluorides substantistes the postulated mechanism. At fluorine pressures of 50 to 100 mm Hg, there is an increase, rather than a decrease, in uranium hexafluoride pressure. Rates of both decomposition and recombination processes appear to depend only on the rates of radiation energy absorption. Equations formnulated to describe the combined decomposition and reformation reactions can be used to calculate equilibrium concentrations of uranium hexfluoride and fluorine when the intensity of the radiation source is defined. The effects of three diluent gases, helium, nitrogen and oxygen, were studied in an attempt to find possible electron transfer processes. (auth)
Bernhardt, H.A.; Davis, W. Jr.; Shiflett, C.H.
A liquid-liquid extraction method is given for recovering uranium values from uranium-containing solutions. Uranium is removed from a uranium-containing organic solution by contacting said organic solution with an aqueous ammonium carbonate solution substantially saturated in uranium values. A uranium- containing precipitate is thereby formed which is separated from the organic and aqueous phases. Uranium values are recovered from this separated precipitate. (AE C)
Crouse, D.J. Jr.
Simplified Active Array L-Band Radar for Atmospheric Wind Profiling: Initial Results
A simple approach is presented to implement an active aperture radar with a constrained beam-forming network that is adequate enough to generate multiple beams for atmospheric wind profiling. In this approach, elements of the antenna array are fed ...
P. Srinivasulu; P. Yasodha; A. Jayaraman; S. N. Reddy; S. Satyanarayana
Uranium potential of southwestern New Mexico (southern Hidalgo County), including observations on crystallization history of lavas and ash tuffs and the release of uranium from them. Final report
Geological environments present in southwestern New Mexico include thick sequences of sedimentary rock including limestone, conglomerates, sandstone, and shale: igneous intrusions with associated metal deposits; caldera centers, margins, and outflow facies; and basins with marginal faults and thick late Cenozoic sedimentary fillings. Predominant rock types are Paleozoic carbonates, Mesozoic terrigeneous rocks and carbonates, and Cenozoic volcanic rocks and basin-filling terrigeneous rocks. Consideration of information available in Preliminary Reconnaissance Reports and in Hydrogeochemical and Stream Reconnaissance Reports together with 347 new whole rock chemical analyses points to three areas of anomalous uranium abundance in Hidalgo County, New Mexico. The area has experienced three major periods of igneous activity in Phanerozoic time: one associated with the Laramide cycle of the Late Cretaceous and early Tertiary, mid-Tertiary cycle of silicic volcanism with abundant calderas, and a late Tertiary cycle of mafic volcanism. Silicic volcanic rocks are the most common exposed rock type in the area, and the most enriched in uranium (range, 0.4 to 19 ppM). The most likely source for any uranium ore-forming solutions lies with this cycle of volcanism. Solutions might have been introduced during volcanism or formed later by groundwater leaching of cooled volcanic rocks. Results indicate that groundwater leaching of cooled volcanic rocks was not an effective means of mobilizing uranium in the area. Study of several rhyolite lava flows indicates that they were emplaced in supercooled condition and may have crystallized completely at temperatures well below their liquids, or they may have warmed as crystallization released latent heat. Statistical comparison of the uranium concentration revealed no differences between vitrophyres and associated felsites.
Walton, A.W.; Salter, T.L.; Zetterlund, D.
Controlling intake of uranium in the workplace: Applications of biokinetic modeling and occupational monitoring data
This report provides methods for interpreting and applying occupational uranium monitoring data. The methods are based on current international radiation protection guidance, current information on the chemical toxicity of uranium, and best available biokinetic models for uranium. Emphasis is on air monitoring data and three types of bioassay data: the concentration of uranium in urine; the concentration of uranium in feces; and the externally measured content of uranium in the chest. Primary Reference guidance levels for prevention of chemical effects and limitation of radiation effects are selected based on a review of current scientific data and regulatory principles for setting standards. Generic investigation levels and immediate action levels are then defined in terms of these primary guidance levels. The generic investigation and immediate actions levels are stated in terms of radiation dose and concentration of uranium in the kidneys. These are not directly measurable quantities, but models can be used to relate the generic levels to the concentration of uranium in air, urine, or feces, or the total uranium activity in the chest. Default investigation and immediate action levels for uranium in air, urine, feces, and chest are recommended for situations in which there is little information on the form of uranium taken into the body. Methods are prescribed also for deriving case-specific investigation and immediate action levels for uranium in air, urine, feces, and chest when there is sufficient information on the form of uranium to narrow the range of predictions of accumulation of uranium in the main target organs for uranium: kidneys for chemical effects and lungs for radiological effects. In addition, methods for using the information herein for alternative guidance levels, different from the ones selected for this report, are described.
Leggett, Richard Wayne [ORNL; Eckerman, Keith F [ORNL; McGinn, Wilson [ORNL; Meck, Dr. Robert A. [U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Depleted Uranium Technical Brief
. This Technical Brief specifically addresses DU in an environmental contamination setting and specifically does.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and other govern ment sources. DU occurs in a number of different compounds airborne releases of uranium at one DOE facility amounted to 310,000 kg between 1951 and 1988, which
New Technique for Speciation of Uranium in Sediments Following Acetate-Stimulated Bioremediation
Acetate-stimulated bioremediation is a promising new technique for sequestering toxic uranium contamination from groundwater. The speciation of uranium in sediments after such bioremediation attempts remains unknown as a result of low uranium concentration, and is important to analyzing the stability of sequestered uranium. A new technique was developed for investigating the oxidation state and local molecular structure of uranium from field site sediments using X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS), and was implemented at the site of a former uranium mill in Rifle, CO. Glass columns filled with bioactive Rifle sediments were deployed in wells in the contaminated Rifle aquifer and amended with a hexavalent uranium (U(VI)) stock solution to increase uranium concentration while maintaining field conditions. This sediment was harvested and XAS was utilized to analyze the oxidation state and local molecular structure of the uranium in sediment samples. Extended X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) data was collected and compared to known uranium spectra to determine the local molecular structure of the uranium in the sediment. Fitting was used to determine that the field site sediments did not contain uraninite (UO{sub 2}), indicating that models based on bioreduction using pure bacterial cultures are not accurate for bioremediation in the field. Stability tests on the monomeric tetravalent uranium (U(IV)) produced by bioremediation are needed in order to assess the efficacy of acetate-stimulation bioremediation.
300 Area Uranium Stabilization Through Polyphosphate Injection: Final Report
The objective of the treatability test was to evaluate the efficacy of using polyphosphate injections to treat uranium-contaminated groundwater in situ. A test site consisting of an injection well and 15 monitoring wells was installed in the 300 Area near the process trenches that had previously received uranium-bearing effluents. This report summarizes the work on the polyphosphate injection project, including bench-scale laboratory studies, a field injection test, and the subsequent analysis and interpretation of the results. Previous laboratory tests have demonstrated that when a soluble form of polyphosphate is injected into uranium-bearing saturated porous media, immobilization of uranium occurs due to formation of an insoluble uranyl phosphate, autunite [Ca(UO2)2(PO4)2�nH2O]. These tests were conducted at conditions expected for the aquifer and used Hanford soils and groundwater containing very low concentrations of uranium (10-6 M). Because autunite sequesters uranium in the oxidized form U(VI) rather than forcing reduction to U(IV), the possibility of re-oxidation and subsequent re-mobilization is negated. Extensive testing demonstrated the very low solubility and slow dissolution kinetics of autunite. In addition to autunite, excess phosphorous may result in apatite mineral formation, which provides a long-term source of treatment capacity. Phosphate arrival response data indicate that, under site conditions, the polyphosphate amendment could be effectively distributed over a relatively large lateral extent, with wells located at a radial distance of 23 m (75 ft) reaching from between 40% and 60% of the injection concentration. Given these phosphate transport characteristics, direct treatment of uranium through the formation of uranyl-phosphate mineral phases (i.e., autunite) could likely be effectively implemented at full field scale. However, formation of calcium-phosphate mineral phases using the selected three-phase approach was problematic. Although amendment arrival response data indicate some degree of overlap between the reactive species and thus potential for the formation of calcium-phosphate mineral phases (i.e., apatite formation), the efficiency of this treatment approach was relatively poor. In general, uranium performance monitoring results support the hypothesis that limited long-term treatment capacity (i.e., apatite formation) was established during the injection test. Two separate overarching issues affect the efficacy of apatite remediation for uranium sequestration within the 300 Area: 1) the efficacy of apatite for sequestering uranium under the present geochemical and hydrodynamic conditions, and 2) the formation and emplacement of apatite via polyphosphate technology. In addition, the long-term stability of uranium sequestered via apatite is dependent on the chemical speciation of uranium, surface speciation of apatite, and the mechanism of retention, which is highly susceptible to dynamic geochemical conditions. It was expected that uranium sequestration in the presence of hydroxyapatite would occur by sorption and/or surface complexation until all surface sites have been depleted, but that the high carbonate concentrations in the 300 Area would act to inhibit the transformation of sorbed uranium to chernikovite and/or autunite. Adsorption of uranium by apatite was never considered a viable approach for in situ uranium sequestration in and of itself, because by definition, this is a reversible reaction. The efficacy of uranium sequestration by apatite assumes that the adsorbed uranium would subsequently convert to autunite, or other stable uranium phases. Because this appears to not be the case in the 300 Area aquifer, even in locations near the river, apatite may have limited efficacy for the retention and long-term immobilization of uranium at the 300 Area site..
Vermeul, Vincent R.; Bjornstad, Bruce N.; Fritz, Brad G.; Fruchter, Jonathan S.; Mackley, Rob D.; Newcomer, Darrell R.; Mendoza, Donaldo P.; Rockhold, Mark L.; Wellman, Dawn M.; Williams, Mark D.
A method of applying a protective coating to a metallic uranium article is given. The method comprises etching the surface of the article with an etchant solution containlng chloride ions, such as a solution of phosphoric acid and hydrochloric acid, cleaning the etched surface, electroplating iron thereon from a ferrous ammonium sulfate electroplating bath, and soldering an aluminum sheath to the resultant iron layer.
Nuclear Fuel Facts: Uranium | Department of Energy
Uranium Management and Uranium Management and Policy » Nuclear Fuel Facts: Uranium Nuclear Fuel Facts: Uranium Nuclear Fuel Facts: Uranium Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Uranium has the highest atomic weight (19 kg m) of all naturally occurring elements. Uranium occurs naturally in low concentrations in soil, rock and water, and is commercially extracted from uranium-bearing minerals such as uraninite. Uranium ore can be mined from open pits or underground excavations. The ore can then be crushed and treated at a mill to separate the valuable uranium from the ore. Uranium may also be dissolved directly from the ore deposits
The preparation of uranium metal by the carbon reduction of an oxide of uranium is described. In a preferred embodiment of the invention a charge composed of carbon and uranium oxide is heated to a solid mass after which it is further heated under vacuum to a temperature of about 2000 deg C to produce a fused uranium metal. Slowly ccoling the fused mass produces a dendritic structure of uranium carbide in uranium metal. Reacting the solidified charge with deionized water hydrolyzes the uranium carbide to finely divide uranium dioxide which can be separated from the coarser uranium metal by ordinary filtration methods.
Holden, R.B.; Powers, R.M.; Blaber, O.J.
Remedial Action Plan and site design for stabilization of the inactive uranium mill tailings site at Durango, Colorado: Attachment 3, Groundwater hydrology report. Revised final report
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established health and environmental protection regulations to correct and prevent groundwater contamination resulting from processing activities at inactive uranium milling sites. According to the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978, (UMTRCA) the US Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for assessing the inactive uranium processing sites. The DOE has determined this assessment shall include information on hydrogeologic site characterization. The water resources protection strategy that describes how the proposed action will comply with the EPA groundwater protection standards is presented in Attachment 4. Site characterization activities discussed in this section include: Characterization of the hydrogeologic environment; characterization of existing groundwater quality; definition of physical and chemical characteristics of the potential contaminant source; and description of local water resources.
Remediation and Recovery of Uranium from Contaminated
uranium containing the mixture of isotopes occurring in nature; uranium depleted in the isotope 235; Depleted uranium 1000 kilograms; and Thorium 1000 kilograms. #12;INFCIRC/254/Rev.9/Part.1 November 2007 Annex B, section 4.); 2.5. Plants for the separation of isotopes of natural uranium, depleted uranium
Method of preparation of uranium nitride
Method for producing terminal uranium nitride complexes comprising providing a suitable starting material comprising uranium; oxidizing the starting material with a suitable oxidant to produce one or more uranium(IV)-azide complexes; and, sufficiently irradiating the uranium(IV)-azide complexes to produce the terminal uranium nitride complexes.
Kiplinger, Jaqueline Loetsch; Thomson, Robert Kenneth James
Computational Modeling of Uranium Hydriding and Complexes
Uranium hydriding is one of the most important processes that has received considerable attention over many years. Although many experimental and modeling studies have been carried out concerning thermochemistry, diffusion kinetics and mechanisms of U-hydriding, very little is known about the electronic structure and electronic features that govern the U-hydriding process. Yet it is the electronic feature that controls the activation barrier and thus the rate of hydriding. Moreover the role of impurities and the role of the product UH{sub 3} on hydriding rating are not fully understood. An early study by Condon and Larson concerns with the kinetics of U-hydrogen system and a mathematical model for the U-hydriding process. They proposed that diffusion in the reactant phase by hydrogen before nucleation to form hydride phase and that the reaction is first order for hydriding and zero order for dehydriding. Condon has also calculated and measures the reaction rates of U-hydriding and proposed a diffusion model for the U-hydriding. This model was found to be in excellent agreement with the experimental reaction rates. From the slopes of the Arrhenius plot the activation energy was calculated as 6.35 kcal/mole. In a subsequent study Kirkpatrick formulated a close-form for approximate solution to Condon's equation. Bloch and Mintz have proposed the kinetics and mechanism for the U-H reaction over a wide range of pressures and temperatures. They have discussed their results through two models, one, which considers hydrogen diffusion through a protective UH{sub 3} product layer, and the second where hydride growth occurs at the hydride-metal interface. These authors obtained two-dimensional fits of experimental data to the pressure-temperature reactions. Kirkpatrick and Condon have obtained a linear solution to hydriding of uranium. These authors showed that the calculated reaction rates compared quite well with the experimental data at a hydrogen pressure of 1 atm. Powell et al. have studied U-hydriding in ultrahigh vacuum and obtained the linear rate data over a wide range of temperatures and pressures. They found reversible hydrogen sorption on the UH{sub 3} reaction product from kinetic effects at 21 C. This demonstrates restarting of the hydriding process in the presence of UH{sub 3} reaction product. DeMint and Leckey have shown that Si impurities dramatically accelerate the U-hydriding rates. We report our recent results of relativistic computations that vary from complete active space multi-configuration interaction (CAS-MCSCF) followed by multi-reference configuration interaction (MRSDCI) computations that included up to 50 million configurations for modeling of uranium-hydriding with cluster models will be presented.
Balasubramanian, K; Siekhaus, W J; McLean, W
Selective Extraction of Uranium from Liquid or Supercritical Carbon Dioxide
Current liquid-liquid extraction processes used in recycling irradiated nuclear fuel rely on (1) strong nitric acid to dissolve uranium oxide fuel, and (2) the use of aliphatic hydrocarbons as a diluent in formulating the solvent used to extract uranium. The nitric acid dissolution process is not selective. It dissolves virtually the entire fuel meat which complicates the uranium extraction process. In addition, a solvent washing process is used to remove TBP degradation products, which adds complexity to the recycling plant and increases the overall plant footprint and cost. A liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide (l/sc -CO2) system was designed to mitigate these problems. Indeed, TBP nitric acid complexes are highly soluble in l/sc -CO2 and are capable of extracting uranium directly from UO2, UO3 and U3O8 powders. This eliminates the need for total acid dissolution of the irradiated fuel. Furthermore, since CO2 is easily recycled by evaporation at room temperature and pressure, it eliminates the complex solvent washing process. In this report, we demonstrate: (1) A reprocessing scheme starting with the selective extraction of uranium from solid uranium oxides into a TBP-HNO3 loaded Sc-CO2 phase, (2) Back extraction of uranium into an aqueous phase, and (3) Conversion of recovered purified uranium into uranium oxide. The purified uranium product from step 3 can be disposed of as low level waste, or mixed with enriched uranium for use in a reactor for another fuel cycle. After an introduction on the concept and properties of supercritical fluids, we first report the characterization of the different oxides used for this project. Our extraction system and our online monitoring capability using UV-Vis absorbance spectroscopy directly in sc-CO2 is then presented. Next, the uranium extraction efficiencies and kinetics is demonstrated for different oxides and under different physical and chemical conditions: l/sc -CO2 pressure and temperature, TBP/HNO3 complex used, reductant or complexant used for selectivity, and ionic liquids used as supportive media. To complete the extraction and recovery cycle, we then demonstrate uranium back extraction from the TBP loaded sc-CO2 phase into an aqueous phase and the characterization of the uranium complex formed at the end of this process. Another aspect of this project was to limit proliferation risks by either co-extracting uranium and plutonium, or by leaving plutonium behind by selectively extracting uranium. We report that the former is easily achieved, since plutonium is in the tetravalent or hexavalent oxidation state in the oxidizing environment created by the TBP-nitric acid complex, and is therefore co-extracted. The latter is more challenging, as a reductant or complexant to plutonium has to be used to selectively extract uranium. After undertaking experiments on different reducing or complexing systems (e.g., AcetoHydroxamic Acid (AHA), Fe(II), ascorbic acid), oxalic acid was chosen as it can complex tetravalent actinides (Pu, Np, Th) in the aqueous phase while allowing the extraction of hexavalent uranium in the sc-CO2 phase. Finally, we show results using an alternative media to commonly used aqueous phases: ionic liquids. We show the dissolution of uranium in ionic liquids and its extraction using sc-CO2 with and without the presence of AHA. The possible separation of trivalent actinides from uranium is also demonstrated in ionic liquids using neodymium as a surrogate and diglycolamides as the extractant.
Farawila, Anne F.; O'Hara, Matthew J.; Wai, Chien M.; Taylor, Harry Z.; Liao, Yu-Jung
Method of preparing uranium nitride or uranium carbonitride bodies
Sintered uranium nitride or uranium carbonitride bodies having a controlled final carbon-to-uranium ratio are prepared, in an essentially continuous process, from U.sub.3 O.sub.8 and carbon by varying the weight ratio of carbon to U.sub.3 O.sub.8 in the feed mixture, which is compressed into a green body and sintered in a continuous heating process under various controlled atmospheric conditions to prepare the sintered bodies.
Wilhelm, Harley A. (Ames, IA); McClusky, James K. (Valparaiso, IN)
National Uranium Resource Evaluation, Trona Quadrangle, California
The Trona 2/sup 0/ Quadrangle, in southeastern California, was evaluated according to criteria of developed for the National Uranium Resource Evaluation Program to identify areas favorable for the occurrence of uranium deposits. General reconnaissance and sampling were conducted in all accessible areas of the quadrangle. Detailed surface investigations were conducted in potentially favorable environments. Subsurface data were limited to the available results of previous drilling. The results of these studies indicate that granitic rock in the Castle Butte and Boron 15' quadrangles is favorable for authigenic uranium deposits; vein-type and stratabound deposits within tuffaceous sandstones of the Tropico Group in the same area are favorable; Barstow Formation sandstones and shales are favorable in carbonaceous shale and in peneconcordant sandstone in the south-central part of the quadrangle; and sediments of the Lake Tecopa Beds in the northeast of the quadrangle are favorable for hydroallogenic deposits. Environments unfavorable for uranium deposits are in Precambrian and Paleozoic metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks, except those in unevaluated areas; in plutonic and volcanic rocks of Mesozoic Age, except the favorable granite in the Castle Butte and Boron quadrangles; in Tertiary sedimentary and volcanic rocks, except those favorable in the Tropico Group and Barstow Formation; and in Quaternary volcanic rocks and sediments, except the favorable deposits at Lake Tecopa and the unevaluated alluvium. Two inaccessible areas and the alluvium are unevaluated.
Bushnell, M.M.; Morton, P.K.
Statistical design of a uranium corrosion experiment
This work supports an experiment being conducted by Roland Schulze and Mary Ann Hill to study hydride formation, one of the most important forms of corrosion observed in uranium and uranium alloys. The study goals and objectives are described in Schulze and Hill (2008), and the work described here focuses on development of a statistical experiment plan being used for the study. The results of this study will contribute to the development of a uranium hydriding model for use in lifetime prediction models. A parametric study of the effect of hydrogen pressure, gap size and abrasion on hydride initiation and growth is being planned where results can be analyzed statistically to determine individual effects as well as multi-variable interactions. Input to ESC from this experiment will include expected hydride nucleation, size, distribution, and volume on various uranium surface situations (geometry) as a function of age. This study will also address the effect of hydrogen threshold pressure on corrosion nucleation and the effect of oxide abrasion/breach on hydriding processes. Statistical experiment plans provide for efficient collection of data that aids in understanding the impact of specific experiment factors on initiation and growth of corrosion. The experiment planning methods used here also allow for robust data collection accommodating other sources of variation such as the density of inclusions, assumed to vary linearly along the cast rods from which samples are obtained.
Wendelberger, Joanne R [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Moore, Leslie M [Los Alamos National Laboratory
Method for fabricating uranium foils and uranium alloy foils
A method of producing thin foils of uranium or an alloy. The uranium or alloy is cast as a plate or sheet having a thickness less than about 5 mm and thereafter cold rolled in one or more passes at substantially ambient temperatures until the uranium or alloy thereof is in the shape of a foil having a thickness less than about 1.0 mm. The uranium alloy includes one or more of Zr, Nb, Mo, Cr, Fe, Si, Ni, Cu or Al.
Hofman, Gerard L. (Downers Grove, IL); Meyer, Mitchell K. (Idaho Falls, ID); Knighton, Gaven C. (Moore, ID); Clark, Curtis R. (Idaho Falls, ID)
An electrolytic method is given for obtaining pure thorium, uranium, and thorium-uranium alloys. The electrolytic cell comprises a cathode composed of a metal selected from the class consisting of zinc, cadmium, tin, lead, antimony, and bismuth, an anode composed of at least one of the metals selected from the group consisting of thorium and uranium in an impure state, and an electrolyte composed of a fused salt containing at least one of the salts of the metals selected from the class consisting of thorium, uranium. zinc, cadmium, tin, lead, antimony, and bismuth. Electrolysis of the fused salt while the cathode is maintained in the molten condition deposits thorium, uranium, or thorium-uranium alloys in pure form in the molten cathode which thereafter may be separated from the molten cathode product by distillation.
Hansen, W.N.
9. Summary production statistics of the U.S. uranium industry, 1993-2012 9. Summary production statistics of the U.S. uranium industry, 1993-2012 Item 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 E2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Exploration and Development Surface Drilling (million feet) 1.1 0.7 1.3 3.0 4.9 4.6 2.5 1.0 0.7 W W 1.2 1.7 2.7 5.1 5.1 3.7 4.9 6.3 7.2 Drilling Expenditures (million dollars)1 5.7 1.1 2.6 7.2 20.0 18.1 7.9 5.6 2.7 W W 10.6 18.1 40.1 67.5 81.9 35.4 44.6 53.6 66.6 Mine Production of Uranium (million pounds U3O8) 2.1 2.5 3.5 4.7 4.7 4.8 4.5 3.1 2.6 2.4 2.2 2.5 3.0 4.7 4.5 3.9 4.1 4.2 4.1 4.3 Uranium Concentrate Production (million pounds U3O8) 3.1 3.4 6.0 6.3 5.6 4.7 4.6 4.0 2.6 2.3 2.0 2.3 2.7 4.1 4.5 3.9 3.7 4.2 4.0 4.1
A fuel element is presented for a neutronic reactor and is comprised of a uranium body, a non-fissionable jacket surrounding sald body, thu jacket including a portion sealed by a weld, and an inclusion in said sealed jacket at said weld of a fiux having a low neutron capture cross-section. The flux is provided by combining chlorine gas and hydrogen in the intense heat of-the arc, in a "Heliarc" welding muthod, to form dry hydrochloric acid gas.
Gurinsky, D.H.
8. U.S. uranium expenditures, 2003-2012 8. U.S. uranium expenditures, 2003-2012 million dollars Year Drilling Production Land and Other Total Expenditures Total Land and Other Land Exploration Reclamation 2003 W W 31.3 NA NA NA W 2004 10.6 27.8 48.4 NA NA NA 86.9 2005 18.1 58.2 59.7 NA NA NA 136.0 2006 40.1 65.9 115.2 41.0 23.3 50.9 221.2 2007 67.5 90.4 178.2 77.7 50.3 50.2 336.2 2008 81.9 221.2 164.4 65.2 50.2 49.1 467.6 2009 35.4 141.0 104.0 17.3 24.2 62.4 280.5 2010 44.6 133.3 99.5 20.2 34.5 44.7 277.3 2011 53.6 168.8 96.8 19.6 43.5 33.7 319.2 2012 66.6 186.9 99.4 16.8 33.3 49.3 352.9 Drilling: All expenditures directly associated with exploration and development drilling. Production: All expenditures for mining, milling, processing of uranium, and facility expense.
An improved process is presented for providing uranium slugs with thin walled aluminum jackets. Since aluminum has a slightiy higher coefficient of thermal expansion than does uraaium, both uranium slugs and aluminum cans are heated to an elevated temperature of about 180 C, and the slug are inserted in the cans at that temperature. During the subsequent cooling of the assembly, the aluminum contracts more than does the uranium and a tight shrink fit is thus assured.
Maloney, J.O.; Haines, E.B.; Tepe, J.B.
A process is presented for producing oxygen-free uranium metal comprising contacting iodine vapor with crude uranium in a reaction zone maintained at 400 to 800 C to produce a vaporous mixture of UI/sub 4/ and iodine. Also disposed within the maction zone is a tungsten filament which is heated to about 1600 C. The UI/sub 4/, upon contacting the hot filament, is decomposed to molten uranium substantially free of oxygen.
Prescott, C.H. Jr.; Reynolds, F.L.
FAQ 2-Where does uranium come from?
come from? Where does uranium come from? Small amounts of uranium are found almost everywhere in soil, rock, and water. However, concentrated deposits of uranium ores are found in...
IN HYPOSTOICHIOMETRIC URANIUM DIOXIDE Kee Chul Kim Ph.D.727-366; Figure 1. Oxygen-uranium phase-equilibrium _ystem [18]. uranium dioxide powders and 18 0 enriched carbon
Kim, Kee Chul
Reoxidation of Bioreduced Uranium Under Reducing Conditions
Microbial reduction of uranium. Nature 350, 413-416 (1991).C. Enzymatic iron and uranium reduction by sulfate-reducingS. Reduction of hexavalent uranium from organic complexes by
A pyrometallurgical method is given for purifying uranium containing ruthenium and palladium. The uranium is disintegrated and oxidized by exposure to air and then the ruthenium and palladium are extracted from the uranium with molten zinc.
Knighton, J.B.
A process is described for reclaiming metallic uranium enriched with uranium-235 from the collector of a calutron upon which the enriched metallic uranium is Editor please delete 22166.
Price, T.D.; Henrickson, A.V.
Variably Saturated Flow and Multicomponent Biogeochemical Reactive Transport Modeling of a Uranium Bioremediation Field Experiment
Field experiments at a former uranium mill tailings site have identified the potential for stimulating indigenous bacteria to catalyze the conversion of aqueous uranium in the +6 oxidation state to immobile solid-associated uranium in the +4 oxidation state. This effectively removes uranium from solution resulting in groundwater concentrations below actionable standards. Three-dimensional, coupled variably-saturated flow and biogeochemical reactive transport modeling of a 2008 in situ uranium bioremediation field experiment is used to better understand the interplay of transport rates and biogeochemical reaction rates that determine the location and magnitude of key reaction products. A comprehensive reaction network, developed largely through previous 1-D modeling studies, was used to simulate the impacts on uranium behavior of pulsed acetate amendment, seasonal water table variation, spatially-variable physical (hydraulic conductivity, porosity) and geochemical (reactive surface area) material properties. A principal challenge is the mechanistic representation of biologically-mediated terminal electron acceptor process (TEAP) reactions whose products significantly alter geochemical controls on uranium mobility through increases in pH, alkalinity, exchangeable cations, and highly reactive reduction products. In general, these simulations of the 2008 Big Rusty acetate biostimulation field experiment in Rifle, Colorado confirmed previously identified behaviors including (1) initial dominance by iron reducing bacteria that concomitantly reduce aqueous U(VI), (2) sulfate reducing bacteria that become dominant after {approx}30 days and outcompete iron reducers for the acetate electron donor, (3) continuing iron-reducer activity and U(VI) bioreduction during dominantly sulfate reducing conditions, and (4) lower apparent U(VI) removal from groundwater during dominantly sulfate reducing conditions. New knowledge on simultaneously active metal and sulfate reducers has been incorporated into the modeling. In this case, an initially small population of slow growing sulfate reducers is active from the initiation of biostimulation. Three-dimensional, variably saturated flow modeling was used to address impacts of a falling water table during acetate injection. These impacts included a significant reduction in aquifer saturated thickness and isolation of residual reactants and products, as well as unmitigated uranium, in the newly unsaturated vadose zone. High permeability sandy gravel structures resulted in locally high flow rates in the vicinity of injection wells that increased acetate dilution. In downgradient locations, these structures created preferential flow paths for acetate delivery that enhanced local zones of TEAP reactivity and subsidiary reactions. Conversely, smaller transport rates associated with the lower permeability lithofacies (e.g., fine) and vadose zone were shown to limit acetate access and reaction. Once accessed by acetate, however, these same zones limited subsequent acetate dilution and provided longer residence times that resulted in higher concentrations of TEAP products when terminal electron donors and acceptors were not limiting. Finally, facies-based porosity and reactive surface area variations were shown to affect aqueous uranium concentration distributions; however, the ranges were sufficiently small to preserve general trends. Large computer memory and high computational performance were required to simulate the detailed coupled process models for multiple biogeochemical components in highly resolved heterogeneous materials for the 110-day field experiment and 50 days of post-biostimulation behavior. In this case, a highly-scalable subsurface simulator operating on 128 processor cores for 12 hours was used to simulate each realization. An equivalent simulation without parallel processing would have taken 60 days, assuming sufficient memory was available.
Yabusaki, Steven B.; Fang, Yilin; Williams, Kenneth H.; Murray, Christopher J.; Ward, Anderson L.; Dayvault, Richard; Waichler, Scott R.; Newcomer, Darrell R.; Spane, Frank A.; Long, Philip E.
Integration of health physics, safety and operational processes for management and disposition of recycled uranium wastes at the Fernald Environmental Management Project (FEMP)
Fluor Fernald, Inc. (Fluor Fernald), the contractor for the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) Fernald Environmental Management Project (FEMP), recently submitted a new baseline plan for achieving site closure by the end of calendar year 2006. This plan was submitted at DOE's request, as the FEMP was selected as one of the sites for their accelerated closure initiative. In accordance with the accelerated baseline, the FEMP Waste Management Project (WMP) is actively evaluating innovative processes for the management and disposition of low-level uranium, fissile material, and thorium, all of which have been classified as waste. These activities are being conducted by the Low Level Waste (LLW) and Uranium Waste Disposition (UWD) projects. Alternatives associated with operational processing of individual waste streams, each of which poses potentially unique health physics, industrial hygiene and industrial hazards, are being evaluated for determination of the most cost effective and safe met hod for handling and disposition. Low-level Mixed Waste (LLMW) projects are not addressed in this paper. This paper summarizes historical uranium recycling programs and resultant trace quantity contamination of uranium waste streams with radionuclides, other than uranium. The presentation then describes how waste characterization data is reviewed for radiological and/or chemical hazards and exposure mitigation techniques, in conjunction with proposed operations for handling and disposition. The final part of the presentation consists of an overview of recent operations within LLW and UWD project dispositions, which have been safely completed, and a description of several current operations.
Barber, James; Buckley, James
Application of electrical methods to measure microbial activity in soils: Preliminary microcosm results
The application of the geophysical technique known as self-potential to the measurement of microbial activity was tested on laboratory microcosms containing ferric iron and iron-reducing bacteria Shewanella alga BrY. Measurements of the electrical response of silver-coated copper electrodes distributed along a Teflon probe inserted into sterile and inoculated layers containing either ferric chloride, ferric citrate, or ferric oxide rich soil were recorded over hours or days. Strong electrical signals reached values more negative than {minus}400 mV for all types of inoculated ferric iron layers. Electric signals in sterile control layers, by contrast, rarely reached values more negative than {minus}150 mV. These preliminary experiments indicate that it may be possible to apply the self-potential geophysical method to monitor bioremediation in the field.
Cox, B.L. Sweet, A.; Majer, E.
Highly Enriched Uranium Transparency Program
and Climate Research Center for Geospatial Analysis Program Highlights Index Highly Enriched Uranium Transparency Program EVS staff members helped to implement transparency and...
This patent relates to electrolytic methods for the production of uranium tetrafluoride. According to the present invention a process for the production of uranium tetrafluoride comprises submitting to electrolysis an aqueous solution of uranyl fluoride containing free hydrofluoric acid. Advantageously the aqueous solution of uranyl fluoride is obtained by dissolving uranium hexafluoride in water. On electrolysis, the uranyl ions are reduced to uranous tons at the cathode and immediately combine with the fluoride ions in solution to form the insoluble uranium tetrafluoride which is precipitated.
Lofthouse, E.
A method is presented of preparing uranium metal of high purity consisting contacting impure U metal with halogen vapor at between 450 and 550 C to form uranium halide vapor, contacting the uranium halide vapor in the presence of H/sub 2/ with a refractory surface at about 1400 C to thermally decompose the uranium halides and deposit molten U on the refractory surface and collecting the molten U dripping from the surface. The entire operation is carried on at a sub-atmospheric pressure of below 1 mm mercury.
Magel, T.T.; Brewer, L.
A description is given for the separation of thorium from uranium by forming an aqueous acidic solution containing ionic species of thorium, uranyl uranium, and hydroxylamine, flowing the solution through a column containing the phenol-formaldehyde type cation exchange resin to selectively adsorb substantially all the thorium values and a portion of the uranium values, flowing a dilute solution of hydrochloric acid through the column to desorb the uranium values, and then flowing a dilute aqueous acidic solution containing an ion, such as bisulfate, which has a complexing effect upon thortum through the column to desorb substantially all of the thorium.
Bane, R.W.
A procedure was developed for the preparation of uranium(IV) nitrate solutions in dilute nitric acid. Zinc metal was used as a reducing agent for uranium(VI) in dilute sulfuric acid. The uranium(IV) was precipitated as the hydrated oxide and dissolved in nitric acid. Uranium(IV) nitrate solutions were prepared at a maximum concentration of 100 g/l. The uranium(VI) content was less than 2% of the uranium(IV). (auth)
Ondrejcin, R.S.
Criticality safety considerations for MSRE fuel drain tank uranium aggregation
This paper presents the results of a preliminary criticality safety study of some potential effects of uranium reduction and aggregation in the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) fuel drain tanks (FDTs) during salt removal operations. Since the salt was transferred to the FDTs in 1969, radiological and chemical reactions have been converting the uranium and fluorine in the salt to UF{sub 6} and free fluorine. Significant amounts of uranium (at least 3 kg) and fluorine have migrated out of the FDTs and into the off-gas system (OGS) and the auxiliary charcoal bed (ACB). The loss of uranium and fluorine from the salt changes the chemical properties of the salt sufficiently to possibly allow the reduction of the UF{sub 4} in the salt to uranium metal as the salt is remelted prior to removal. It has been postulated that up to 9 kg of the maximum 19.4 kg of uranium in one FDT could be reduced to metal and concentrated. This study shows that criticality becomes a concern when more than 5 kg of uranium concentrates to over 8 wt% of the salt in a favorable geometry.
Hollenbach, D.F.; Hopper, C.M. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States). Computational Physics and Engineering Div.
Eight Regional CHP Application Centers (RACs) are funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to facilitate the development and deployment of Combined Heat and Power (CHP) technologies in all 50 states. The RACs build end-user awareness by providing CHP-related information to targeted markets through education and outreach; they work with the states and regulators to encourage the creation and adoption of favorable public policies; and they provide CHP users and prospective users with technical assistance and support on specific projects. The RACs were started by DOE as a pilot program in 2001 to support the National CHP Roadmap developed by industry to accelerate deployment of energy efficient CHP technologies (U.S. Combined Heat and Power Association 2001). The intent was to foster a regional presence to build market awareness, address policy issues, and facilitate project development. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has supported DOE with the RAC program since its inception. In 2007, ORNL led a cooperative effort involving DOE and some CHP industry stakeholders to establish quantitative metrics for measuring the RACs accomplishments. This effort incorporated the use of logic models to define and describe key RAC activities, outputs, and outcomes. Based on this detailed examination of RAC operations, potential metrics were identified associated with the various key sectors addressed by the RACs: policy makers; regulatory agencies; investor owned utilities; municipal and cooperative utilities; financiers; developers; and end users. The final product was reviewed by a panel of representatives from DOE, ORNL, RACs, and the private sector. The metrics developed through this effort focus on major RAC activities as well as on CHP installations and related outcomes. All eight RACs were contacted in August 2008 and asked to provide data for every year of Center operations for those metrics on which they kept records. In addition, data on CHP installations and related outcomes were obtained from an existing DOE-supported data base. The information provided on the individual RACs was summed to yield totals for all the Centers combined for each relevant item.
A method is presented for fabricating uranium oxide into a shaped refractory article by introducing a uranium halide fluxing reagent into the uranium oxide, and then mixing and compressing the materials into a shaped composite mass. The shaped mass of uranium oxide and uranium halide is then fired at an elevated temperature so as to form a refractory sintered article. It was found in the present invention that the introduction of a uraninm halide fluxing agent afforded a fluxing action with the uranium oxide particles and that excellent cohesion between these oxide particles was obtained. Approximately 90% of uranium dioxide and 10% of uranium tetrafluoride represent a preferred composition.
Hamilton, N.E.
Uranium Leasing Program Uranium Leasing Program Abandoned Mine Reclamation, Uravan Mineral Belt, Colorado Abandoned Mine Reclamation, Uravan Mineral Belt, Colorado LM currently...
Consolidated Edison Uranium Solidification Project | Department...
Consolidated Edison Uranium Solidification Project Consolidated Edison Uranium Solidification Project CEUSP Inventory11-6-13Finalprint-ready.pdf CEUSPtimelinefinalprint-ready...
Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund's...
Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund's Fiscal Year 2008 and 2007 Financial Statement Audit, OAS-FS-10-05 Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and...
Understanding How Uranium Changes in Subsurface Environments...
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whether it is immobilized or moves out of a contaminated area, potentially into water supplies. The Impact New research on the transformation of uranium (VI) to uranium...
Uranium Compounds and Other Natural Radioactivities
X-ray Science Division XSD Groups Industry Argonne Home Advanced Photon Source Uranium Compounds and Other Natural Radioactivities Uranium containing compounds and other...
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Uranium Mining Tax (Nebraska) | Department of Energy
Sites Power Marketing Administration Other Agencies You are here Home Savings Uranium Mining Tax (Nebraska) Uranium Mining Tax (Nebraska) Eligibility Agricultural...
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Science Highlight - March 2013 Biotic-Abiotic Pathways: A New Paradigm for Uranium Reduction in Sediments Uranium, one of the most common radioactive elements on Earth, makes its...
Domestic Uranium Production Report - Quarterly - Energy ...
Total anticipated uranium market requirements at U.S. civilian nuclear power reactors are 50 million pounds for 2013. 2. 1 2012 Uranium Marketing ...
A process is given for converting uranyl nitrate solution to uranium dioxide. The process comprises spraying fine droplets of aqueous uranyl nitrate solution into a hightemperature hydrocarbon flame, said flame being deficient in oxygen approximately 30%, retaining the feed in the flame for a sufficient length of time to reduce the nitrate to the dioxide, and recovering uranium dioxide. (AEC)
Hedley, W.H.; Roehrs, R.J.; Henderson, C.M.
Conversion of depleted uranium hexafluoride to a solid uranium compound
A process for converting UF.sub.6 to a solid uranium compound such as UO.sub.2 and CaF. The UF.sub.6 vapor form is contacted with an aqueous solution of NH.sub.4 OH at a pH greater than 7 to precipitate at least some solid uranium values as a solid leaving an aqueous solution containing NH.sub.4 OH and NH.sub.4 F and remaining uranium values. The solid uranium values are separated from the aqueous solution of NH.sub.4 OH and NH.sub.4 F and remaining uranium values which is then diluted with additional water precipitating more uranium values as a solid leaving trace quantities of uranium in a dilute aqueous solution. The dilute aqueous solution is contacted with an ion-exchange resin to remove substantially all the uranium values from the dilute aqueous solution. The dilute solution being contacted with Ca(OH).sub.2 to precipitate CaF.sub.2 leaving dilute NH.sub.4 OH.
Rothman, Alan B. (Willowbrook, IL); Graczyk, Donald G. (Lemont, IL); Essling, Alice M. (Elmhurst, IL); Horwitz, E. Philip (Naperville, IL)
The utilization of uranium industry technology and relevant chemistry to leach uranium from mixed-waste solids
Methods for the chemical extraction of uranium from a number of refractory uranium-containing minerals found in nature have been in place and employed by the uranium mining and milling industry for nearly half a century. These same methods, in conjunction with the principles of relevant uranium chemistry, have been employed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to chemically leach depleted uranium from mixed-waste sludge and soil. The removal of uranium from what is now classified as mixed waste may result in the reclassification of the waste as hazardous, which may then be delisted. The delisted waste might eventually be disposed of in commercial landfill sites. This paper generally discusses the application of chemical extractive methods to remove depleted uranium from a biodenitrification sludge and a storm sewer soil sediment from the Y-12 weapons plant in Oak Ridge. Some select data obtained from scoping leach tests on these materials are presented along with associated limitations and observations which might be useful to others performing such test work. 6 refs., 2 tabs.
Mattus, A.J.; Farr, L.L.
Reaction of uranium oxides with chlorine and carbon or carbon monoxide to prepare uranium chlorides
The preferred preparation concept of uranium metal for feed to an AVLIS uranium enrichment process requires preparation of uranium tetrachloride (UCI{sub 4}) by reacting uranium oxides (UO{sub 2}/UO{sub 3}) and chlorine (Cl{sub 2}) in a molten chloride salt medium. UO{sub 2} is a very stable metal oxide; thus, the chemical conversion requires both a chlorinating agent and a reducing agent that gives an oxide product which is much more stable than the corresponding chloride. Experimental studies in a quartz reactor of 4-cm ID have demonstrated the practically of some chemical flow sheets. Experimentation has illustrated a sequence of results concerning the chemical flow sheets. Tests with a graphite block at 850{degrees}C demonstrated rapid reactions of Cl{sub 2} and evolution of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) as a product. Use of carbon monoxide (CO) as the reducing agent also gave rapid reactions of Cl{sub 2} and formation of CO{sub 2} at lower temperatures, but the reduction reactions were slower than the chlorinations. Carbon powder in the molten salt melt gave higher rates of reduction and better steady state utilization of Cl{sub 2}. Addition of UO{sub 2} feed while chlorination was in progress greatly improved the operation by avoiding the plugging effects from high UO{sub 2} concentrations and the poor Cl{sub 2} utilizations from low UO{sub 2} concentrations. An UO{sub 3} feed gave undesirable effects while a feed of UO{sub 2}-C spheres was excellent. The UO{sub 2}-C spheres also gave good rates of reaction as a fixed bed without any molten chloride salt. Results with a larger reactor and a bottom condenser for volatilized uranium show collection of condensed uranium chlorides as a loose powder and chlorine utilizations of 95--98% at high feed rates. 14 refs., 7 figs., 14 tabs.
Haas, P.A.; Lee, D.D.; Mailen, J.C.
Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project, Surface Project Management Plan. Revision 1
Title I of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (UMTRCA) authorizes the US Department of Energy (DOE) to undertake remedial action at 24 designated inactive uranium processing sites and associated vicinity properties (VP) containing uranium mill tailings and related residual radioactive materials. The purpose of the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Surface Project is to minimize or eliminate radiation health hazards to the public and the environment at the 24 sites and related VPs. This document describes the management organization, system, and methods used to manage the design, construction, and other activities required to clean up the designated sites and associated VPs, in accordance with the UMTRCA.
>A continuous process for the reduction of uranium hexafluoride to uranium tetrafluoride was developed and proved on a pilot-plant scale. Complete conversion to uranium tetrafluoride was realized by contacting gaseous uranium hexafluoride with hydrogen in a heated, vertical, open-tube reactor. The purity and density of the solid product met metal grade uranium tetrafluoride specifications. Some difficulty with the accumulation of fused uranium fluorides in the tower was encountered, however, and it was necessary to stop and desing the unit about every 8 to 24 hours. The reaction of uranium hexafluoride with gaseous trichloroethylene was stadied before the tests with hydrogen were made. Although the reduction to uranium tetrafluoride was complete, the solid product was highly contaminated with the organic by-products of the reaction and was quite low in density. Tests of this method were discontinued when promising results were obtained with hydrogen as the reductant. (auth)
Smiley, S H; Brater, D C
DOE Evaluates Environmental Impacts of Uranium Mining on Government Land in
Evaluates Environmental Impacts of Uranium Mining on Government Evaluates Environmental Impacts of Uranium Mining on Government Land in Western Colorado DOE Evaluates Environmental Impacts of Uranium Mining on Government Land in Western Colorado March 15, 2013 - 12:20pm Addthis Contractor, Bob Darr, S.M. Stoller Corporation Public Affairs, (720) 377-9672, firstname.lastname@example.com GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced that the Draft Uranium Leasing Program Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (ULP PEIS) is available for public review and comment. Under the Uranium Leasing Program, DOE's Office of Legacy Management manages 31 tracts of land in Mesa, Montrose, and San Miguel counties in Colorado - approximately 25,000 acres - that are leased to private entities for uranium and vanadium mining. No mining operations are active
LM Progressing with Uranium Mines Report to Congress | Department of Energy
Progressing with Uranium Mines Report to Congress Progressing with Uranium Mines Report to Congress LM Progressing with Uranium Mines Report to Congress July 12, 2013 - 10:50am Addthis As reported in an earlier Program Update newsletter, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Legacy Management (LM) is compiling data for a Report to Congress on defense-related uranium mines. DOE was directed by the U.S. Congress in this year's National Defense Authorization Act to undertake a review of, and prepare a report on, abandoned uranium mines (AUM) in the U.S. that provided ore for atomic energy defense activities. The report must be completed by July 2014. The article, "Abandoned Uranium Mines Report to Congress: LM Wants Your Input" from the January-March 2013 issue of the LM Program Update provides additional
Determination of the 235U enrichment of bulk uranium samples using delayed neutrons.
A technique for utilizing the physics of the delayed neutron re-interrogation method to determine uranium enrichment is presented in this paper. A series of active interrogation measurements was performed using pulsed 14-MeV neutrons and a polyethylene moderated {sup 3}He based neutron detection system. Proof of principle measurements were performed on a set of bulk uranium oxide standards of differing enrichments. A series of measurements was performed on a set of uranium 'unknowns' with and without high-Z gamma-ray shielding (lead) present. Uranium enrichment estimates were obtained for all cases including the bulk uranium samples shielded by lead. Further refinement of this technique is needed to make it a more powerful tool for non-destructive assay of bulk uranium samples.
Myers, W. L. (William L.); Goulding, C. A. (Charles A.); Hollas, C. L. (Charles L.)
A process is presented for separating colloidally dissed uranium oxides from the heavy water medium in upwhich they are contained. The method consists in treating such dispersions with hydrogen peroxide, thereby converting the uranium to non-colloidal UO/sub 4/, and separating the UO/sub 4/ sfter its rapid settling.
Wigner, E.P.; McAdams, W.A.
7 7 2012 Domestic Uranium Production Report Release Date: June 6, 2013 Next Release Date: May 2014 Milling Capacity (short tons of ore per day) 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Cotter Corporation Canon City Mill Fremont, Colorado 0 Standby Standby Standby Reclamation Demolished EFR White Mesa LLC White Mesa Mill San Juan, Utah 2,000 Operating Operating Operating Operating Operating Energy Fuels Resources Corporation Piñon Ridge Mill Montrose, Colorado 500 Developing Developing Developing Permitted And Licensed Partially Permitted And Licensed Kennecott Uranium Company/Wyoming Coal Resource Company Sweetwater Uranium Project Sweetwater, Wyoming 3,000 Standby Standby Standby Standby Standby Uranium One Americas, Inc. Shootaring Canyon Uranium Mill Garfield, Utah 750 Changing License To Operational Standby
This patent relates to a preparation of metallic uranium surfaces for receiving coatings, particularly in order to secure adherent electroplated coatings upon uranium metal. In accordance with the invention the uranium surface is pretreated by degreasing in trichloroethylene, followed by immersion in 25 to 50% nitric acid for several minutes, and then rinsed with running water, prior to pickling in trichloroacetic acid. The last treatment is best accomplished by making the uranium the anode in an aqueous solution of 50 per cent by weight trichloroacetic acid until work-distorted crystals or oxide present on the metal surface have been removed and the basic crystalline structure of the base metal has been exposed. Following these initial steps the metallic uranium is rinsed in dilute nitric acid and then electroplated with nickel. Adnerent firmly-bonded coatings of nickel are obtained.
Rebol, E.W.; Wehrmann, R.F.
Uranium in Hanford Site 300 Area: Extraction Data on Borehole Sediments
In this study, sediments collected from boreholes drilled in 2010 and 2011 as part of a remedial investigation/feasibility study were characterized. The wells, located within or around two process ponds and one process trench waste site, were characterized in terms of total uranium concentration, mobile fraction of uranium, particle size, and moisture content along the borehole depth. In general, the gravel-dominated sediments of the vadose zone Hanford formation in all investigated boreholes had low moisture contents. Based on total uranium content, a total of 48 vadose zone and periodically rewetted zone sediment samples were selected for more detailed characterization, including measuring the concentration of uranium extracted with 8 M nitric acid, and leached using bicarbonate mixed solutions to determine the liable uranium (U(VI)) contents. In addition, water extraction was conducted on 17 selected sediments. Results from the sediment acid and bicarbonate extractions indicated the total concentrations of anthropogenic labile uranium in the sediments varied among the investigated boreholes. The peak uranium concentration (114.84 �g/g, acid extract) in uranium concentrations (~0.3�2.5 �g/g, acid extract) in uranium concentrations was observed that increased as the particle size decreased when relating the sediment particle size and acid extractable uranium concentrations in two selected sediment samples. The labile uranium bicarbonate leaching kinetic experiments on three selected sediments indicated a two-step leaching rate: an initial rapid release, followed by a slow continual release of uranium from the sediment. Based on the uranium leaching kinetic results, quasi equilibrium can be assumed after 1000-h batch reaction time in this study.
Wang, Guohui; Serne, R. Jeffrey; Lindberg, Michael J.; Um, Wooyong; Bjornstad, Bruce N.; Williams, Benjamin D.; Kutynakov, I. V.; Wang, Zheming; Qafoku, Nikolla
GC GUIDANCE ON BARTER TRANSACTIONS INVOLVING DOE-OWNED URANIUM GC GUIDANCE ON BARTER TRANSACTIONS INVOLVING DOE-OWNED URANIUM The Department of Energy has on a variety of occasions engaged in transactions under which it bartered uranium to which it has title for goods or services . This guidance memorializes the results of analyses previously directed to individual proposed transactions . For the reasons discussed below, we conclude that the Atomic Energy Act of 1954' , as amended, (AEA), authorizes such barter transactions. Background : DOE Barter Transactions In a number of instances, DOE has engaged in transactions involving the barter of DOE-owned uranium2 in exchange for various products or services. For example, DOE entered into a transaction with the United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC), under which USEC would
2. U.S. uranium mine production and number of mines and sources, 2003-2012 2. U.S. uranium mine production and number of mines and sources, 2003-2012 Production / Mining Method 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Underground (estimated contained thousand pounds U3O8) W W W W W W W W W W Open Pit (estimated contained thousand pounds U3O8) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 In-Situ Leaching (thousand pounds U3O8) W W 2,681 4,259 W W W W W W Other1 (thousand pounds U3O8) W W W W W W W W W W Total Mine Production (thousand pounds U3O8) E2,200 2,452 3,045 4,692 4,541 3,879 4,145 4,237 4,114 4,335 Number of Operating Mines Underground 1 2 4 5 6 10 14 4 5 6 Open Pit 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 In-Situ Leaching 2 3 4 5 5 6 4 4 5 5 Other Sources1 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1
5. U.S. uranium in-situ-leach plants by owner, location, capacity, and operating status at end of the year, 2008-2012 5. U.S. uranium in-situ-leach plants by owner, location, capacity, and operating status at end of the year, 2008-2012 In-Situ-Leach Plant Owner In-Situ-Leach Plant Name County, State (existing and planned locations) Production Capacity (pounds U3O8 per year) Operating Status at End of the Year 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Cameco Crow Butte Operation Dawes, Nebraska 1,000,000 Operating Operating Operating Operating Operating Hydro Resources, Inc. Crownpoint McKinley, New Mexico 1,000,000 Partially Permitted And Licensed Partially Permitted And Licensed Partially Permitted And Licensed Partially Permitted And Licensed Partially Permitted And Licensed Hydro Resources,Inc. Church Rock McKinley, New Mexico 1,000,000 Partially Permitted And Licensed Partially Permitted And Licensed Partially Permitted And Licensed Partially Permitted And Licensed Partially Permitted And Licensed
FAQ 7-How is depleted uranium produced?
How is depleted uranium produced? How is depleted uranium produced? How is depleted uranium produced? Depleted uranium is produced during the uranium enrichment process. In the United States, uranium is enriched through the gaseous diffusion process in which the compound uranium hexafluoride (UF6) is heated and converted from a solid to a gas. The gas is then forced through a series of compressors and converters that contain porous barriers. Because uranium-235 has a slightly lighter isotopic mass than uranium-238, UF6 molecules made with uranium-235 diffuse through the barriers at a slightly higher rate than the molecules containing uranium-238. At the end of the process, there are two UF6 streams, with one stream having a higher concentration of uranium-235 than the other. The stream having the greater uranium-235 concentration is referred to as enriched UF6, while the stream that is reduced in its concentration of uranium-235 is referred to as depleted UF6. The depleted UF6 can be converted to other chemical forms, such as depleted uranium oxide or depleted uranium metal.
A method of separating uranium from a mixture of uranium hexafluoride and other gases is described that comprises bringing the mixture into contact with anhydrous calcium sulfate to preferentially absorb the uranium hexafluoride on the sulfate. The calcium sulfate is then leached with a selective solvent for the adsorbed uranium. (AEC)
Jury, S.H.
Process for removing carbon from uranium
Carbon contamination is removed from uranium and uranium alloys by heating in inert atmosphere to 700.degree.-1900.degree.C in effective contact with yttrium to cause carbon in the uranium to react with the yttrium. The yttrium is either in direct contact with the contaminated uranium or in indirect contact by means of an intermediate transport medium.
Powell, George L. (Oak Ridge, TN); Holcombe, Jr., Cressie E. (Knoxville, TN)
APPENDIX J Partition Coefficients For Uranium
APPENDIX J Partition Coefficients For Uranium #12;Appendix J Partition Coefficients For Uranium J.1.0 Background The review of uranium Kd values obtained for a number of soils, crushed rock and their effects on uranium adsorption on soils are discussed below. The solution pH was also used as the basis
Process for producing enriched uranium having a {sup 235}U content of at least 4 wt. % via combination of a gaseous diffusion process and an atomic vapor laser isotope separation process to eliminate uranium hexafluoride tails storage
An uranium enrichment process capable of producing an enriched uranium, having a {sup 235}U content greater than about 4 wt. %, is disclosed which will consume less energy and produce metallic uranium tails having a lower {sup 235}U content than the tails normally produced in a gaseous diffusion separation process and, therefore, eliminate UF{sub 6} tails storage and sharply reduce fluorine use. The uranium enrichment process comprises feeding metallic uranium into an atomic vapor laser isotope separation process to produce an enriched metallic uranium isotopic mixture having a {sup 235} U content of at least about 2 wt. % and a metallic uranium residue containing from about 0.1 wt. % to about 0.2 wt. % {sup 235} U; fluorinating this enriched metallic uranium isotopic mixture to form UF{sub 6}; processing the resultant isotopic mixture of UF{sub 6} in a gaseous diffusion process to produce a final enriched uranium product having a {sup 235}U content of at least 4 wt. %, and up to 93.5 wt. % or higher, of the total uranium content of the product, and a low {sup 235}U content UF{sub 6} having a {sup 235}U content of about 0.71 wt. % of the total uranium content of the low {sup 235}U content UF{sub 6}; and converting this low {sup 235}U content UF{sub 6} to metallic uranium for recycle to the atomic vapor laser isotope separation process. 4 figs.
Horton, J.A.; Hayden, H.W. Jr.
Process for producing enriched uranium having a .sup.235 U content of at least 4 wt. % via combination of a gaseous diffusion process and an atomic vapor laser isotope separation process to eliminate uranium hexafluoride tails storage
An uranium enrichment process capable of producing an enriched uranium, having a .sup.235 U content greater than about 4 wt. %, is disclosed which will consume less energy and produce metallic uranium tails having a lower .sup.235 U content than the tails normally produced in a gaseous diffusion separation process and, therefore, eliminate UF.sub.6 tails storage and sharply reduce fluorine use. The uranium enrichment process comprises feeding metallic uranium into an atomic vapor laser isotope separation process to produce an enriched metallic uranium isotopic mixture having a .sup.235 U content of at least about 2 wt. % and a metallic uranium residue containing from about 0.1 wt. % to about 0.2 wt. % .sup.235 U; fluorinating this enriched metallic uranium isotopic mixture to form UF.sub.6 ; processing the resultant isotopic mixture of UF.sub.6 in a gaseous diffusion process to produce a final enriched uranium product having a .sup.235 U content of at least 4 wt. %, and up to 93.5 wt. % or higher, of the total uranium content of the product, and a low .sup.235 U content UF.sub.6 having a .sup.235 U content of about 0.71 wt. % of the total uranium content of the low .sup.235 U content UF.sub.6 ; and converting this low .sup.235 U content UF.sub.6 to metallic uranium for recycle to the atomic vapor laser isotope separation process.
Horton, James A. (Livermore, CA); Hayden, Jr., Howard W. (Oakridge, TN)
Uranium hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance data release for the Elk City NTMS Quadrangle, Idaho/Montana, including concentrations of forty-five additional elements
Totals of 1580 water and 1720 sediment samples were collected from 1754 locations in the quadrangle. Elemental concentration, field measurement, weather, geologic, and geographic data for each sample location are listed for waters in Appendix I-A and for sediments in Appendix I-B. Uranium/thorium ratios for sediment samples are also included in Appendix I-B. All elemental analyses were performed at the LASL. Water samples were initially analyzed for uranium by fluorometry. All water samples containing more than 40 parts per billion (ppB) uranium were reanalyzed by delayed-neutron counting (DNC). A supplemental report containing the multielement analyses of water samples will be open filed in the near future. Sediments were analyzed for uranium and thorium as well as aluminum, antimony, arsenic, barium, beryllium, bismuth, cadmium, calcium, cerium, cesium, chlorine, chromium, cobalt, copper, dysprosium, europium, gold, hafnium, iron, lanthanum, lead, lithium, lutetium, magnesium, manganese, nickel, niobium, potassium, rubidium, samarium, selenium, scandium, silver, sodium, strontium, tantalum, terbium, tin, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, ytterbium, zinc, and zirconium. Basic statistics for 40 of these elements are presented. All sediments were analyzed for uranium by delayed-neutron counting. Other elemental concentrations in sediments were determined by neutron-activation analysis for 30 elements, by x-ray fluorescence for 12 elements, and by arc-source emission spectrography for 2 elements. Analytical results for sediments are reported as parts per million.
Broxton, D.E.; Beyth, M.
Physicochemical Characterization of Capstone Depleted Uranium Aerosols II: Particle Size Distributions as a Function of Time
The Capstone Depleted Uranium (DU) Aerosol Study, which generated and characterized aerosols containing depleted uranium from perforation of armored vehicles with large-caliber DU penetrators, incorporated a sampling protocol to evaluated particle size distributions. Aerosol particle size distribution is an important parameter that influences aerosol transport and deposition processes as well as the dosimetry of the inhaled particles. These aerosols were collected on cascade impactor substrates using a pre-established time sequence following the firing event to analyze the uranium concentration and particle size of the aerosols as a function of time. The impactor substrates were analyzed using beta spectrometry, and the derived uranium content of each served as input to the evaluation of particle size distributions. Activity median aerodynamic diameters (AMADs) of the particle size distributions were evaluated using unimodal and bimodal models. The particle size data from the impactor measurements was quite variable. Most size distributions measured in the test based on activity had bimodal size distributions with a small particle size mode in the range of between 0.2 and 1.2 um and a large size mode between 2 and 15 um. In general, the evolution of particle size over time showed an overall decrease of average particle size from AMADs of 5 to 10 um shortly after perforation to around 1 um at the end of the 2-hr sampling period. The AMADs generally decreased over time because of settling. Additionally, the median diameter of the larger size mode decreased with time. These results were used to estimate the dosimetry of inhaled DU particles.
Cheng, Yung-Sung; Kenoyer, Judson L.; Guilmette, Raymond A.; Parkhurst, MaryAnn
Development of Integrated Online Monitoring Systems for Detection of Diversion at Natural Uranium Conversion Facilities
Recent work at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has focused on some source term modeling of uranyl nitrate (UN) as part of a comprehensive validation effort employing gamma-ray detector instrumentation for the detection of diversion from declared conversion activities. Conversion, the process by which natural uranium ore (yellowcake) is purified and converted through a series of chemical processes into uranium hexafluoride gas (UF6), has historically been excluded from the nuclear safeguards requirements of the 235U-based nuclear fuel cycle. The undeclared diversion of this product material could potentially provide feedstock for a clandestine weapons program for state or non-state entities. Given the changing global political environment and the increased availability of dual-use nuclear technology, the International Atomic Energy Agency has evolved its policies to emphasize safeguarding this potential feedstock material in response to dynamic and evolving potential diversion pathways. To meet the demand for instrumentation testing at conversion facilities, ORNL developed the Uranyl Nitrate Calibration Loop Equipment (UNCLE) facility to simulate the full-scale operating conditions of a purified uranium-bearing aqueous stream exiting the solvent extraction process in a natural uranium conversion plant. This work investigates gamma-ray signatures of UN circulating in the UNCLE facility and evaluates detector instrumentation sensitivity to UN for safeguards applications. These detector validation activities include assessing detector responses to the UN gamma-ray signatures for spectrometers based on sodium iodide, lanthanum bromide, and germanium detectors. The results of measurements under static and dynamic operating conditions at concentrations ranging from 10-90g U/L of naturally enriched UN will be presented. A range of gamma-ray lines was examined and self-attenuation factors were calculated, in addition to attenuation for transmission measurement of density, concentration and enrichment. A detailed uncertainty analysis will be presented providing insights into instrumentation limitations to spoofing.
Dewji, Shaheen A [ORNL; Lee, Denise L [ORNL; Croft, Stephen [ORNL; McElroy, Robert Dennis [ORNL; Hertel, Nolan [Georgia Institute of Technology; Chapman, Jeffrey Allen [ORNL; Cleveland, Steven L [ORNL
Standard test method for radiochemical determination of uranium isotopes in soil by alpha spectrometry
1.1 This test method covers the determination of alpha-emitting uranium isotopes in soil. This test method describes one acceptable approach to the determination of uranium isotopes in soil. 1.2 The test method is designed to analyze 10 g of soil; however, the sample size may be varied to 50 g depending on the activity level. This test method may not be able to completely dissolve all forms of uranium in the soil matrix. Studies have indicated that the use of hydrofluoric acid to dissolve soil has resulted in lower values than results using total dissolution by fusion. 1.3 The lower limit of detection is dependent on count time, sample size, detector, background, and tracer yield. The chemical yield averaged 78 % in a single laboratory evaluation, and 66 % in an interlaboratory collaborative study. 1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only. 1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, ass...
American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia
Baseline risk assessment of ground water contamination at the Uranium Mill Tailings Site near Maybell, Colorado
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project consists of the Surface Project (Phase I) and the Ground Water Project (Phase II). Under the UMTRA Surface Project, tailings, contaminated soil, building foundations, and materials associated with the former processing of uranium ore at UMTRA Project sites are placed into disposal cells. The cells are designed to reduce radon and other radiation emissions and to prevent further contamination of ground water. One UMTRA Project site is near Maybell, Colorado. Surface cleanup at this site began in 1995 and is scheduled for completion in 1996. The tailings are being stabilized in place at this site. The disposal area has been withdrawn from public use by the DOE and is referred to as the permanent withdrawal area. The Ground Water Project evaluates the nature and extent of ground water contamination resulting from past uranium ore processing activities. The Ground Water Project at this site is in its beginning stages. This report is a site-specific document that will be used to evaluate current and future potential impacts to the public and the environment from exposure to contaminated ground water. The results presented in this document and other evaluations will determine whether any action is needed to protect human health or the environment.
Literature information applicable to the reaction of uranium oxides with chlorine to prepare uranium tetrachloride
The reaction of uranium oxides and chlorine to prepare anhydrous uranium tetrachloride (UCl{sub 4}) are important to more economical preparation of uranium metal. The most practical reactions require carbon or carbon monoxide (CO) to give CO or carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) as waste gases. The chemistry of U-O-Cl compounds is very complex with valances of 3, 4, 5, and 6 and with stable oxychlorides. Literature was reviewed to collect thermochemical data, phase equilibrium information, and results of experimental studies. Calculations using thermodynamic data can identify the probable reactions, but the results are uncertain. All the U-O-Cl compounds have large free energies of formation and the calculations give uncertain small differences of large numbers. The phase diagram for UCl{sub 4}-UO{sub 2} shows a reaction to form uranium oxychloride (UOCl{sub 2}) that has a good solubility in molten UCl{sub 4}. This appears more favorable to good rates of reaction than reaction of solids and gases. There is limited information on U-O-Cl salt properties. Information on the preparation of titanium, zirconium, silicon, and thorium tetrachlorides (TiCl{sub 4}, ZrCl{sub 4}, SiCl{sub 4}, ThCl{sub 4}) by reaction of oxides with chlorine (Cl{sub 2}) and carbon has application to the preparation of UCl{sub 4}.
Haas, P.A.
Baseline risk assessment of ground water contamination at the Uranium Mill Tailings Site at Grand Junction, Colorado. Revision 1
This risk assessment evaluates potential impacts to public health or the environment resulting from ground water contamination at the former uranium mill processing site. The tailings and other contaminated material at this site were placed in an off-site disposal cell by the US Department of Energy`s (DOE) Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project. The remedial activities at the site were conducted from 1989 to 1993. Currently, the UMTRA Project is evaluating ground water contamination. This risk assessment evaluates the most contaminated ground water that flows beneath the processing site toward the Colorado River. The monitor wells that have consistently shown the highest concentrations of most contaminants are used to assess risk. This risk assessment will be used in conjunction with additional activities and documents to determine what remedial action may be needed for contaminated ground water at the site.
Physicochemical Characterization of Capstone Depleted Uranium Aerosols I: Uranium Concentration in Aerosols as a Function of Time and Particle Size
During the Capstone Depleted Uranium (DU) Aerosol Study, aerosols containing depleted uranium were produced inside unventilated armored vehicles (i.e., Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles) by perforation with large-caliber DU penetrators. These aerosols were collected and characterized, and the data were subsequently used to assess human health risks to personnel exposed to DU aerosols. The DU content of each aerosol sample was first quantified by radioanalytical methods, and selected samples, primarily those from the cyclone separator grit chambers, were analyzed radiochemically. Deposition occurred inside the vehicles as particles settled on interior surfaces. Settling rates of uranium from the aerosols were evaluated using filter cassette samples that collected aerosol as total mass over eight sequential time intervals. A moving filter was used to collect aerosol samples over time particularly within the first minute after the shot. The results demonstrate that the peak uranium concentration in the aerosol occurred in the first 10 s, and the concentration decreased in the Abrams tank shots to about 50% within 1 min and to less than 2% 30 min after perforation. In the Bradley vehicle, the initial (and maximum) uranium concentration was lower than those observed in the Abrams tank and decreased more slowly. Uranium mass concentrations in the aerosols as a function of particle size were evaluated using samples collected in the cyclone samplers, which collected aerosol continuously for 2 h post perforation. The percentages of uranium mass in the cyclone separator stages from the Abrams tank tests ranged from 38% to 72% and, in most cases, varied with particle size, typically with less uranium associated with the smaller particle sizes. Results with the Bradley vehicle ranged from 18% to 29% and were not specifically correlated with particle size.
Parkhurst, MaryAnn; Cheng, Yung-Sung; Kenoyer, Judson L.; Traub, Richard J.
Electrodeposited nickel coatings on uranium for protection from destructive corrosion in boiling water wns investigated. Correlation between the pretreatment of the uranium and subsequent protection by thin nickel coatings was established. Thin electrodeposited nickel coatings provide better protection when applied to a matte surface produced by blasting with an aqueous suspension of silica (100 mesh) followed by a cathodic treatment in 35 wt% sulfuric acid than when applied to the rough surfaces produced on uranium by anodic pretreatments and acid pickling. Blistering of nickel electrodeposits arising from hydrogen was encountered and eliminated. (auth)
Beard, A.P.; Crooks, D.D.
A process is presented for separating uranium from thorium wherein the ratio of thorium to uranium is between 100 to 10,000. According to the invention the thoriumuranium mixture is dissolved in nitric acid, and the solution is prepared so as to obtain the desired concentration within a critical range of from 4 to 8 N with regard to the total nitrate due to thorium nitrate, with or without nitric acid or any nitrate salting out agent. The solution is then contacted with an ether, such as diethyl ether, whereby uranium is extracted into ihe organic phase while thorium remains in the aqueous phase.
Hellman, N.N.
Boiling water reactor uranium utilization improvement potential
This report documents the results of design and operational simulation studies to assess the potential for reduction of BWR uranium requirements. The impact of the improvements on separative work requirements and other fuel cycle requirements also were evaluated. The emphasis was on analysis of the improvement potential for once-through cycles, although plutonium recycle also was evaluated. The improvement potential was analyzed for several design alternatives including axial and radial natural uranium blankets, low-leakage refueling patterns, initial core enrichment distribution optimization, reinsert of initial core discharge fuel, preplanned end-of-cycle power coastdown and feedwater temperature reduction, increased discharge burnup, high enrichment discharge fuel rod reassembly and reinsert, lattice and fuel bundle design optimization, coolant density spectral shift with flow control, reduced burnable absorber residual, boric acid for cold shutdown, six-month subcycle refueling, and applications of a once-through thorium cycle design and plutonium recycle.
Wei, P.; Crowther, R.L.; Fennern, L.E.; Savoia, P.J.; Specker, S.R.; Tilley, R.M.; Townsend, D.B.; Wolters, R.A.
A flux composition is preseated for use with molten uranium and uranium alloys. It consists of about 60% calcium fluoride, 30% calcium chloride and 10% uranium tetrafluoride.
Foote, F.
Production and Handling Slide 43: The Uranium Fuel Cycle
Presentation Table of Contents The Uranium Fuel Cycle Refer to caption below for image description Enriched uranium hexafluoride, generally containing 3 to 5% uranium-235, is sent...
Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility | Y-12 National Security...
Highly Enriched Uranium ... Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility HEUMF The Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility is our nation's central repository for highly enriched...
Summary Production Statistics of the U.S. Uranium Industry ...
Domestic Uranium Production Report presents information Operating Status of U.S. Uranium Expenditures, 2003-2005. ... Mine Production of Uranium
Uranium Lease Tracts Location Map | Department of Energy
Centers Field Sites Power Marketing Administration Other Agencies You are here Home Uranium Lease Tracts Location Map Uranium Lease Tracts Location Map Uranium Lease Tracts...
FAQ 11-What are the properties of uranium hexafluoride?
properties of uranium hexafluoride? What are the properties of uranium hexafluoride? Uranium hexafluoride can be a solid, liquid, or gas, depending on its temperature and pressure....
Soubbaramayer, (1979) in "Uranium Enrichment", S. Villani,and Davies, E. (1973) "Uranium Enrichment by Gas Centrifuge"THE THEORY OF URANIUM ENRICHMENT BY THE GAS CENTRIFUGE
Olander, Donald R.
Soubbaramayer, (1979) in "Uranium Enrichment", S. Villani,and Davies, E. (1973) "Uranium Enrichment by Gas Centrifuge"Nuclear Energy THE THEORY OF URANIUM ENRICHMENT BY THE GAS
Proteogenomic monitoring of Geobacter physiology during stimulated uranium bioremediation
Phillips. �1992. �Bioremediation�of� uranium�contamination�with� enzymatic�uranium�reduction. �Environ. �Sci. �Microbial� reduction� of� uranium. �Nature�350:413?416. �
Wilkins, M.J.
Isotopes from Bombardment of Uranium with Carbon Ions A.ISOTOPES FROM BOMBARDMENT OF URANIUM WITH CARBON IONS A.the irradiations, the uranium was dissolved in dilute
Ghiorso, A.; Thompson, S.G.; Street, K. Jr.; Seaborg, G.T.
Products in Irradiated Uranium Dioxide," UKAEA Report AERE-OF METALLIC INCLUSIONS IN URANIUM DIOXIDE Rosa Lu Yang (Chemical State of Irradiated Uranium- Plutonium Oxide Fuel
Yang, Rosa Lu.
State of Irradiated Uranium- Plutonium Oxide Fuel Pins,"Ingots Formed in Uranium-Plutonium Oxide Irradiated in EBR-Roake, "Fission Products and Plutonium Migration in Uranium-
Recovery and Detection of Uranium (VI) From Building Materials
As a legacy of the United States' 50 year old nuclear weapons program, the Department of Energy is responsible for cleaning up and decommissioning contaminated sites that were used for the production of these weapons. The method presented here addresses the problem of detecting and quantifying uranium (VI) in concrete. Specifically, the uranium (VI) is removed from concrete surfaces using a low pH buffer rinse that dissolves the surface layer. The amount of uranium in the wash solution can be quite low, even with extraction efficiencies exceeding 50 %. Therefore, the uranium is complexed with an organic chelating agent (arsenazo III) and concentrated using C18 solid phase extraction. Because the absorbance maximum of arsenazo III shifts upon binding to uranium, the concentrated complex can be detected using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. Low part-per-billion levels of uranium (VI) in cement can be detected by this method. Results of work related to other building material s such as stainless steel and plexiglass will also be reported.
Greene, Philip A.; Copper, Christine L.; Berv, David; Ramsey, Jeremy D.; Collins, Greg E.
for for DUF 6 Conversion Project Environmental Impact Statement Scoping Meetings November/December 2001 Overview Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride (DUF 6 ) Management Program DUF 6 EIS Scoping Briefing 2 DUF 6 Management Program Organizational Chart DUF 6 Management Program Organizational Chart EM-10 Policy EM-40 Project Completion EM-20 Integration EM-50 Science and Technology EM-31 Ohio DUF6 Management Program EM-32 Oak Ridge EM-33 Rocky Flats EM-34 Small Sites EM-30 Office of Site Closure Office of Environmental Management EM-1 DUF 6 EIS Scoping Briefing 3 DUF 6 Management Program DUF 6 Management Program * Mission: Safely and efficiently manage the DOE inventory of DUF 6 in a way that protects the health and safety of workers and the public, and protects the environment DUF 6 EIS Scoping Briefing 4 DUF 6 Inventory Distribution
UF/sub 6//sup -/ production from surface reactions of uranium and fluorine
The production of UF/sub 6//sup -/ by reaction of a collimated stream of fluorine gas with a resistively heated uranium wire was studied at temperatures from 870 to 1020/sup 0/C and pressures less than 10/sup -3/ torr. At these temperatures below the uranium melting point, the formation of UF/sub 3/ intermediate on the uranium surface resulted in low UF/sub 6//sup -/ yields. The kinetic energy of the UF/sub 6//sup -/ ion was on the order of thermal energies. The work function of uranium was measured to be 4.20 +- 0.14 eV.
McLean, J.E.; Dillon, J.J.; Talbert, C.M.
Improved Uranium Recovery from the Process Streams in an Electroplating Facility
This report discusses results of testing to improve uranium recovery from the process streams in an electroplating facility. Cylindrical uranium slugs are used as irradiation targets in the production reactors at the Savannah River Plant. These slugs are first chemically etched, nickel plated, encased in aluminum, inspected, and individually pressure tested. An improved process was developed to recover the uranium from the acidic etching streams for controlling pH and the PO4 to U ratio so that the precipitation of the uranium as hydrogen uranyl phosphate was maximized.
Pickett, J.B.
Depleted Uranium (DU) Dioxide Fill
Fill Depleted Uranium (DU) Dioxide Fill DU dioxide in the form of sand may be used to fill the void spaces in the waste package after the package is loaded with SNF. This...
Domestic Uranium Domestic Uranium Production Report June 2013 Independent Statistics & Analysis www.eia.gov U.S. Department of Energy Washington, DC 20585 This report was prepared by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy. By law, EIA's data, analyses, and forecasts are independent of approval by any other officer or employee of the United States Government. The views in this report therefore should not be construed as representing those of the Department of Energy or other Federal agencies. U.S. Energy Information Administration | 2012 Domestic Uranium Production Report ii Contacts This report was prepared by the staff of the Renewables and Uranium Statistics Team, Office of Electricity,
2012 Uranium Marketing Annual Report
Uranium Marketing Annual Uranium Marketing Annual Report May 2013 Independent Statistics & Analysis www.eia.gov U.S. Department of Energy Washington, DC 20585 May 2013 U.S. Energy Information Administration | 2012 Uranium Marketing Annual Report i This report was prepared by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy. By law, EIA's data, analyses, and forecasts are independent of approval by any other officer or employee of the United States Government. The views in this report therefore should not be construed as representing those of the Department of Energy or other Federal agencies. May 2013 U.S. Energy Information Administration | 2012 Uranium Marketing Annual Report ii
Beneficial Uses of Depleted Uranium
Table 2 (ref. 1). The content of 235 U in DU is dependent on economics. If the cost of natural uranium feed is high relative to the cost of enrichment services, then a low 235 U...
Effect of twinning on texture evolution of depleted uranium using a viscoplastic self-consistent model
Ductility and fracture toughness is a major stumbling block in using depleted uranium as a structural material. The ability to correctly model deformation of uranium can be used to create process path methods to improve its structural design ability. The textural evolution of depleted uranium was simulated using a visco-plastic self consistent model and analyzed by comparing pole figures of the simulations and experimental samples. Depleted uranium has the same structure as alpha uranium, which is an orthorhombic phase of uranium. Both deformation slip and twin systems were compared. The VPSC model was chosen to simulate this material because the model encompasses both low-symmetry materials as well as twinning in materials. This is of particular interest since depleted uranium has a high propensity for twinning, which dominates deformation and texture evolution. Simulated results were compared to experimental results to measure the validity of the model. One specific twin system, the {l_brace}176{r_brace}[512] twin, was of specific notice. The VPSC model was used to simulate the influence of this twin on depleted uranium and was compared with a mechanically shocked depleted uranium sample. Under high strain rate shock deformation conditions, the {l_brace}176{r_brace}[512] twin system appears to be a dominant deformation system. By simulating a compression process using the VPSC model with the {l_brace}176{r_brace}[512] twin as the dominant deformation mode, a favorable comparison could be made between the experimental and simulated textures. (authors)
Ho, J.; Garmestani, H. [Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0245 (United States); Burrell, R.; Belvin, A. [Y-12 National Security Complex, Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Li, D. [Fundamental and Computational Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352 (United States); McDowell, D. [Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Atlanta, GA 30332-0245 (United States); Rollett, A. [Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (United States)
Research Reactor Preparations for the Air Shipment of Highly Enriched Uranium from Romania
In June 2009 two air shipments transported both unirradiated (fresh) and irradiated (spent) Russian-origin highly enriched uranium (HEU) nuclear fuel from two research reactors in Romania to the Russian Federation for conversion to low enriched uranium. The Institute for Nuclear Research at Pitesti (SCN Pitesti) shipped 30.1 kg of HEU fresh fuel pellets to Dimitrovgrad, Russia and the Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH) shipped 23.7 kilograms of HEU spent fuel assemblies from the VVR S research reactor at Magurele, Romania, to Chelyabinsk, Russia. Both HEU shipments were coordinated by the Russian Research Reactor Fuel Return Program (RRRFR) as part of the U.S. Department of Energy Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI), were managed in Romania by the National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control (CNCAN), and were conducted in cooperation with the Russian Federation State Corporation Rosatom and the International Atomic Energy Agency. Both shipments were transported by truck to and from respective commercial airports in Romania and the Russian Federation and stored at secure nuclear facilities in Russia until the material is converted into low enriched uranium. These shipments resulted in Romania becoming the 3rd country under the RRRFR program and the 14th country under the GTRI program to remove all HEU. This paper describes the research reactor preparations and license approvals that were necessary to safely and securely complete these air shipments of nuclear fuel.
K. J. Allen; I. Bolshinsky; L. L. Biro; M. E. Budu; N. V. Zamfir; M. Dragusin; C. Paunoiu; M. Ciocanescu
Drying and dehydration of aqueous-precipitated uranium tetrafluoride are described. The UF/sub 4/ which normally contains 3 to 4% water, is dispersed into the reaction zone of an operating reactor wherein uranium hexafluoride is being reduced to UF/sub 4/ with hydrogen. The water-containing UF/sub 4/ is dried and blended with the UF/sub 4/ produced in the reactor without interfering with the reduction reaction. (AEC)
Davis, J.O.; Fogel, C.C.; Palmer, W.E.
Liquid metal compositions containing a solid uranium compound dispersed therein is described. Uranium combines with tin to form the intermetallic compound USn/sub 3/. It has been found that this compound may be incorporated into a liquid bath containing bismuth and lead-bismuth components, if a relatively small percentage of tin is also included in the bath. The composition has a low thermal neutron cross section which makes it suitable for use in a liquid metal fueled nuclear reactor.
Teitel, R.J.
Geochemical exploration for uranium in the Red Desert, Wyoming
Geochemical exploration techniques for uranium were performed at a known deposit, the ENQ uranium deposit, which is in arkosic sandstones of the Battle Spring Formation in the Red Desert of Wyoming. Regional gross-gamma aerial data did not indicate the most favorable terrain for follow-up surveys, but instead the radionuclide distribution mapped radioactive mudstones. The /sup 234/U//sup 238/U activity ratio and total uranium concentration in ground water were successful downflow indicators of the ENQ deposit. Helium concentration increased downflow in the ground water flowing from the deposit, while Cu, Pb, and Ba decreased. Radon emanometric techniques generally produced data that coincided with the equivalent uranium concentrations at shallow depth. Helium content in soil was interpreted to reflect local lithology and gaseous migration. Multielement geochemical analyses on soils were effective in delineating the general vicinity of the orebody. Factor analysis was used to recognize three lithologic subgroups. Leachable uranium in soils was the best indicator of subsurface mineralization for the entire subregional area. Equivalent uranium, as determined from the gamma-spectral borehole logs, revealed a consistent dispersion pattern within the host sand of the Battle Spring Formation, whereas gross gamma logs could not detect the subtle gradients in radioelement content. Halo models developed to explain the distribution of helium, radon, radioelements, and trace elements demonstrate uranium itself as the most mobile indicator. Radon and helium appear to reflect local generation from radium accumulations. Vertical leakage due to hydraulic flow against an impermeable barrier is interpreted to be the major secondary redistribution process responsible for the measureable surface signals.
Pacer, J.C.; Bramlett, L.; Moll, S.
Surplus Highly Enriched Uranium Disposition Program plan
The purpose of this document is to provide upper level guidance for the program that will downblend surplus highly enriched uranium for use as commercial nuclear reactor fuel or low-level radioactive waste. The intent of this document is to outline the overall mission and program objectives. The document is also intended to provide a general basis for integration of disposition efforts among all applicable sites. This plan provides background information, establishes the scope of disposition activities, provides an approach to the mission and objectives, identifies programmatic assumptions, defines major roles, provides summary level schedules and milestones, and addresses budget requirements.
Rescuing a Treasure Uranium-233
Uranium-233 (233U) is a synthetic isotope of uranium formed under reactor conditions during neutron capture by natural thorium (232Th). At high purities, this synthetic isotope serves as a crucial reference for accurately quantifying and characterizing natural uranium isotopes for domestic and international safeguards. Separated 233U is stored in vaults at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. These materials represent a broad spectrum of 233U from the standpoint isotopic purity the purest being crucial for precise analyses in safeguarding uranium. All 233U at ORNL currently is scheduled to be down blended with depleted uranium beginning in 2015. Such down blending will permanently destroy the potential value of pure 233U samples as certified reference material for use in uranium analyses. Furthermore, no replacement 233U stocks are expected to be produced in the future due to a lack of operating production capability and the high cost of returning to operation this currently shut down capability. This paper will describe the efforts to rescue the purest of the 233U materials arguably national treasures from their destruction by down blending.
Krichinsky, Alan M [ORNL; Goldberg, Dr. Steven A. [DOE SC - Chicago Office; Hutcheon, Dr. Ian D. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)
A process for the production of uranium hexafluoride from the oxides of uranium is reported. In accordance with the method the higher oxides of uranium may be reduced to uranium dioxide (UO/sub 2/), the latter converted into uranium tetrafluoride by reaction with hydrogen fluoride, and the UF/sub 4/ convented to UF/sub 6/ by reaction with a fluorinating agent. The UO/sub 3/ or U/sub 3/O/sub 8/ is placed in a reaction chamber in a copper boat or tray enclosed in a copper oven, and heated to 500 to 650 deg C while hydrogen gas is passed through the oven. The oven is then swept clean of hydrogen and the water vapor formed by means of nitrogen and then while continuing to maintain the temperature between 400 and 600 deg C, anhydrous hydrogen fluoride is passed through. After completion of the conversion to uranium tetrafluoride, the temperature of the reaction chamber is lowered to ahout 400 deg C, and elemental fluorine is used as the fluorinating agent for the conversion of UF/sub 4/ into UF/sub 6/. The fluorine gas is passed into the chamber, and the UF/sub 6/ formed passes out and is delivered to a condenser.
Uranium Resources Inc URI | Open Energy Information
Open Energy Info (EERE)
Uranium Resources Inc URI Uranium Resources Inc URI Jump to: navigation, search Name Uranium Resources, Inc. (URI) Place Lewisville, Texas Zip 75067 Product Uranium Resources, Inc. (URI) is primarily engaged in the business of acquiring, exploring, developing and mining uranium properties using the in situ recovery (ISR) or solution mining process. References Uranium Resources, Inc. (URI)[1] LinkedIn Connections CrunchBase Profile No CrunchBase profile. Create one now! This article is a stub. You can help OpenEI by expanding it. Uranium Resources, Inc. (URI) is a company located in Lewisville, Texas . References ↑ "Uranium Resources, Inc. (URI)" Retrieved from "http://en.openei.org/w/index.php?title=Uranium_Resources_Inc_URI&oldid=352580" Categories: Clean Energy Organizations
Engineering assessment of inactive uranium mill tailings
The Grand Junction site has been reevaluated in order to revise the October 1977 engineering assessment of the problems resulting from the existence of radioactive uranium mill tailings at Grand Junction, Colorado. This engineering assessment has included the preparation of topographic maps, the performance of core drillings and radiometric measurements sufficient to determine areas and volumes of tailings and radiation exposures of individuals and nearby populations, the investigations of site hydrology and meteorology, and the evaluation and costing of alternative corrective actions. Radon gas released from the 1.9 million tons of tailings at the Grand Junction site constitutes the most significant environmental impact, although windblown tailings and external gamma radiation are also factors. The eight alternative actions presented herein range from millsite and off-site decontamination with the addition of 3 m of stabilization cover material (Option I), to removal of the tailings to remote disposal sites and decontamination of the tailings site (Options II through VIII). Cost estimates for the eight options range from about $10,200,000 for stabilization in-place to about $39,500,000 for disposal in the DeBeque area, at a distance of about 35 mi, using transportation by rail. If transportation to DeBeque were by truck, the cost estimated to be about $41,900,000. Three principal alternatives for the reprocessing of the Grand Junction tailings were examined: (a) heap leaching; (b) treatment at an existing mill; and (c) reprocessing at a new conventional mill constructed for tailings reprocessing. The cost of the uranium recovered would be about $200/lb by heap leach and $150/lb by conventional plant processes. The spot market price for uranium was $25/lb early in 1981. Therefore, reprocessing the tailings for uranium recovery appears not to be economically attractive.
Roadmap to the Project: Uranium Miners Resources
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY On October 15, 1990, Congress passed the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act of 1990 (RECA), which provided for compassionate payments to individuals who suffered from specified diseases presumably as a result of exposure to radiation in connection with the federal government's nuclear weapons testing program. Among those eligible for compensation under the Act are individuals who were employed in underground uranium mines in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah or Wyoming during the 1947 to 1971 time period, who were exposed to specified minimum levels of radon, and who contracted specified lung disorders. The Department of Justice administers the RECA through the Radiation Exposure Compensation Program (Program). The provisions of the RECA defining compensation for uranium miners have been characterized by critics as unfair and inconsistent with current scientific information. The regulations of the Department of Justice implementing the statute have also been criticized as being unnecessarily stringent and unreasonably burdensome. These criticisms were noted, and in some cases affirmed, by the President's Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments, charged by the President to investigate the history of human radiation experimentation conducted by the federal government during the Cold War period. In its Final Report, issued on October 3, 1995, the Advisory Committee recommended, among other things, that the Administration review the provisions of RECA governing compensation for uranium miners and the implementing regulations to ensure that they are fair, consistent with current scientific evidence, and compatible with the objectives of the Act.
United States Transuranium and Uranium Registries
The United States Transuranium and Uranium Registries are unique human tissue research programs studying the distribution, dose, and possible biological effects of the actinide elements in man, with the primary goal of assuring the adequacy of radiation protection standards for these radionuclides. The Registries research is based on radiochemical analysis of tissues collected at autopsy from voluntary donors who have documented occupational exposure to the actinides. To date, tissues, or in some cases radioanalytical results only, have been obtained from approximately 300 individuals; another 464 living individuals have volunteered to participate in the Registries research programs and have signed premortem informed consent and autopsy permissions. The Registries originated at the National Plutonium Registry which was started in 1968 as a then Atomic Energy Commission project under the aegis of a prime contractor at the Hanford site. In 1970, the name was changed to the United States Transuranium Registry to reflect a broader involvement with the higher actinides. In 1978, an administratively separate parallel registry, the United States Uranium Registry, was formed to carry out similar studies among uranium fuel cycle workers.
Kathren, R.
Profile of World Uranium Enrichment Programs-2009
It is generally agreed that the most difficult step in building a nuclear weapon is acquiring fissile material, either plutonium or highly enriched uranium (HEU). Plutonium is produced in a nuclear reactor, whereas HEU is produced using a uranium enrichment process. Enrichment is also an important step in the civil nuclear fuel cycle, in producing low enriched uranium (LEU) for use as fuel for nuclear reactors to generate electricity. However, the same equipment used to produce LEU for nuclear reactor fuel can also be used to produce HEU for weapons. Safeguards at an enrichment plant are the array of assurances and verification techniques that ensure uranium is not diverted or enriched to HEU. There are several techniques for enriching uranium. The two most prevalent are gaseous diffusion, which uses older technology and requires a lot of energy, and gas centrifuge separation, which uses more advanced technology and is more energy efficient. Gaseous diffusion plants (GDPs) provide about 40% of current world enrichment capacity but are being phased out as newer gas centrifuge enrichment plants (GCEPs) are constructed. Estimates of current and future enrichment capacity are always approximate, due to the constant upgrades, expansions, and shutdowns occurring at enrichment plants, largely determined by economic interests. Currently, the world enrichment capacity is approximately 56 million kilogram separative work units (SWU) per year, with 22.5 million in gaseous diffusion and more than 33 million in gas centrifuge plants. Another 34 million SWU/year of capacity is under construction or planned for the near future, almost entirely using gas centrifuge separation. Other less-efficient techniques have also been used in the past, including electromagnetic and aerodynamic separations, but these are considered obsolete, at least from a commercial perspective. Laser isotope separation shows promise as a possible enrichment technique of the future but has yet to be demonstrated commercially. In the early 1980s, six countries developing gas centrifuge technology (United States, United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, and Australia) along with the International Atomic Energy Agency and the European Atomic Energy Community began developing effective safeguards techniques for GCEPs. This effort was known as the Hexapartite Safeguards Project (HSP). The HSP had the goal of maximizing safeguards effectiveness while minimizing the cost to the operator and inspectorate, and adopted several recommendations, such as the acceptance of limited-frequency unannounced access inspections in cascade halls, and the use of nondestructive assay measurements and tamper-indicating seals. While only the HSP participants initially committed to implementing all the measures of the approach, it has been used as a model for the safeguards applied to GCEPs in additional states. Uranium enrichment capacity has continued to expand on all fronts in the last few years. GCEP capacity is expanding in anticipation of the eventual shutdown of the less-efficient GDPs, the termination of the U.S.-Russia HEU blend-down program slated for 2013, and the possible resurgence of nuclear reactor construction as part of an expected 'Nuclear Renaissance'. Overall, a clear trend in the world profile of uranium enrichment plant operation is the continued movement towards multinational projects driven by commercial and economic interests. Along this vein, the safeguards community is continuing to develop new safeguards techniques and technologies that are not overly burdensome to enrichment plant operators while delivering more effective and efficient results. This report provides a snapshot overview of world enrichment capacity in 2009, including profiles of the uranium enrichment programs of individual states. It is a revision of a 2007 report on the same topic; significant changes in world enrichment programs between the previous and current reports are emphasized. It is based entirely on open-source information, which is dependent on published sources and may theref
Laughter, Mark D [ORNL
Uranium Contamination in the 300 Area: Emergent Data and their Impact on the Source Term Conceptual Model
The primary objectives of this characterization activity were to: 1) determine the extent of uranium contamination in the sediments, 2) quantify the leachable (labile) concentration of uranium in the sediments, and 3) create a data set that could be used to correlate the present data to existing 300 Area data. In order to meet these objectives, sediments collected from wells 399-2-5 (C5708), 299-3-22 (C5706) and 299-4-14 (C5707) were analyzed for moisture content, 1:1 sediment:water extracts (which provide soil pH, electrical conductivity [EC], cation, and anion data), total carbon and inorganic carbon content, 8 M nitric acid extracts (which provide a measure of the total leachable sediment content of the contaminants), microwave-assisted digestion (which results in total digestion of the sediment), and carbonate leaches (which provide an assessment of the concentration of labile uranium present in the sediments). Additionally, pore waters present in select samples were extracted using ultracentrifugation. The mobility characteristics of uranium vary within the multiple subsurface zones that contain residual contaminant uranium. Principal subsurface zones include 1) the vadose zone, 2) a zone through which the water table rises and falls, 3) the aquifer, and 4) a zone where groundwater and river water interact beneath the river shoreline. Principal controls on mobilization include the form of the residual uranium (e.g., crystalline minerals, amorphous precipitates/coatings, sorbed onto sediment), the transporting medium (e.g., water infiltration from the land surface, groundwater), and the rate of exchange between the form and transporting medium. The bicarbonate content of aqueous media strongly influences the rate of exchange, with relatively higher content enhancing mobility. Groundwater has a higher bicarbonate content than river water or other freshwater sources, such as utility and potable water systems. The variety of processes affecting the mobility of uranium in the subsurface, along with the numerous potential compartments where residual contamination may be located, presents challenges for predicting uranium movement through environmental pathways. The processes responsible for the persistence of the plume may involve cycling of uranium between the aquifer and overlying zone through which the water table fluctuates. Contaminated groundwater is moved upward into the lower vadose zone, and when the water table subsequently falls, contaminated moisture is left behind. Some of the uranium in groundwater may become sorbed to sediment in that zone, to subsequently slowly release. Also, near the Columbia River in the zone of groundwater/river water interaction, where the bicarbonate content is lowered because of infiltrating river water, the tendency for uranium to adsorb onto sediment is enhanced, thus slowing dissipation via the groundwater pathway. Fluctuations in the Columbia River stage are the driving mechanism for the rise and fall of the water table beneath the 300 Area, and also for creating the dynamic hydraulic and geochemical environment found in the zone of interaction beneath the shoreline.
Brown, Christopher F.; Um, Wooyong; Serne, R. Jeffrey
United States Transuranium and Uranium Registries. Annual report February 1, 2001--January 31, 2002
This report documents the activities of the United States Transuranium and Uranium Registries (USTUR) from February 2001 through January 2002. Progress in continuing collaborations and several new collaborations is reviewed.
Ehrhart, Susan M. (ed.); Filipy, Ronald E. (ed)
Nuclear Isotopic Dilution of Highly-Enriched Uranium-235 and Uranium-233 by Dry Blending via the RM-2 Mill Technology
The United States Department of Energy has initiated numerous activities to identify strategies to disposition various excess fissile materials. Two such materials are the off-specification highly enriched uranium-235 oxide powder and the uranium-233 contained in unirradiated nuclear fuel both currently stored at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. This report describes the development of a technology that could dilute these materials to levels categorized as low-enriched uranium, or further dilute the materials to a level categorized as waste. This dilution technology opens additional pathways for the disposition of these excess fissile materials as existing processing infrastructure continues to be retired.
N. A. Chipman; R. N. Henry; R. K. Rajamani; S. Latchireddi; V. Devrani; H. Sethi; J. L. Malhotra
A process is described for extracting uranium from uranium ore, wherein the uranium is substantially free from molybdenum contamination. In a solvent extraction process for recovering uranium, uranium and molybdenum ions are extracted from the ore with ether under high acidity conditions. The ether phase is then stripped with water at a lower controiled acidity, resaturated with salting materials such as sodium nitrate, and reextracted with the separation of the molybdenum from the uranium without interference from other metals that have been previously extracted.
Clark, H.M.; Duffey, D.
Determination of uranium distribution in the evaporation of simulated Savannah River Site waste
The results of an experimental program addressing the distribution of uranium in saltcake and supernate for two Savannah River Site waste compositions are presented. Successive batch evaporations were performed on simulated H-Area Modified Purex low-heat and post-aluminum dissolution wastes spiked with depleted uranium. Waste compositions and physical data were obtained for supernate and saltcake samples. For the H-Area Modified Purex low-heat waste, the product saltcake contained 42% of the total uranium from the original evaporator feed solution. However, precipitated solids only accounted for 10% of the original uranium mass; the interstitial liquid within the saltcake matrix contained the remainder of the uranium. In the case of the simulated post-aluminum dissolution waste; the product saltcake contained 68% of the total uranium from the original evaporator feed solution. Precipitated solids accounted for 52% of the original uranium mass; again, the interstitial liquid within the saltcake matrix contained the remainder of the uranium. An understanding of the distribution of uranium between supernatant liquid, saltcake, and sludge is required to develop a material balance for waste processing operations. This information is necessary to address nuclear criticality safety concerns.
Barnes, M.J.; Chandler, G.T.
Influence of attrition scrubbing, ultrasonic treatment, and oxidant additions on uranium removal from contaminated soils
As part of the Uranium in Soils Integrated Demonstration Project being conducted by the US Department of Energy, bench-scale investigations of selective leaching of uranium from soils at the Fernald Environmental Management Project site in Ohio were conducted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Two soils (storage pad soil and incinerator soil), representing the major contaminant sources at the site, were extracted using carbonate- and citric acid-based lixiviants. Physical and chemical processes were used in combination with the two extractants to increase the rate of uranium release from these soils. Attrition scrubbing and ultrasonic dispersion were the two physical processes utilized. Potassium permanganate was used as an oxidizing agent to transform tetravalent uranium to the hexavalent state. Hexavalent uranium is easily complexed in solution by the carbonate radical. Attrition scrubbing increased the rate of uranium release from both soils when compared with rotary shaking. At equivalent extraction times and solids loadings, however, attrition scrubbing proved effective only on the incinerator soil. Ultrasonic treatments on the incinerator soil removed 71% of the uranium contamination in a single extraction. Multiple extractions of the same sample removed up to 90% of the uranium. Additions of potassium permanganate to the carbonate extractant resulted in significant changes in the extractability of uranium from the incinerator soil but had no effect on the storage pad soil.
Timpson, M.E.; Elless, M.P.; Francis, C.W.
Potassium, Uranium, Thorium Radiogenic Heat Contribution To Heat Flow In
Potassium, Uranium, Thorium Radiogenic Heat Contribution To Heat Flow In Potassium, Uranium, Thorium Radiogenic Heat Contribution To Heat Flow In The Precambrian And Younger Silicic Rocks Of The Zuni And Florida Mountains, New Mexico (Usa) Jump to: navigation, search GEOTHERMAL ENERGYGeothermal Home Journal Article: Potassium, Uranium, Thorium Radiogenic Heat Contribution To Heat Flow In The Precambrian And Younger Silicic Rocks Of The Zuni And Florida Mountains, New Mexico (Usa) Details Activities (4) Areas (2) Regions (0) Abstract: High heat flow in the Zuni Mountains, New Mexico, U.S.A., has been explained by the possible presence of a buried felsic pluton. Alternately, high K, U, Th abundances have been proposed to account for part of the high heat flow. The mean radiogenic heat contribution for 60 samples of Precambrian core rocks is 7.23 μcal/gm-yr, which is slightly
Available Technologies: Cost-effective Recovery of Uranium ...
Uranium contamination of groundwater is an environmental problem at many DOE facilities and at uranium mining/processing sites.
U.S. Uranium Expenditures, 2003-2010
Domestic Uranium Production Report presents information Operating Status of U.S. Uranium Expenditures, 2003-2005
U.S. mine production of uranium, 1993-2011
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Bugs boost Cold War clean-up: Bacteria could scrub uranium from sites contaminated decades ago. updated at midnight GMTtoday is friday, november 14
.7% (no enrichment) and around 20% · Large amount of depleted uranium results from enrichment Energy an integrated facility (Integral Fast Reactor), where only small amounts of natural uranium or waste depleted nuclear fuel cycles Ore · All fuel cycles begin with uranium and/or thorium which are the only naturally
JOURNAL DE PHYSIQUE Colloque C4, supplLment au no 4, Tome 40, avril 1979, page C4-22 Electronic structure of cubic uranium compounds
structure of cubic uranium compounds J. Keller (*) and M. Erbudak (**) Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule s, p, d et f de l'uranium dans la bande de valence et la bande de conduction. Les rBsultats th of UN and US. The main results refer to the mixing of the s, p, d and f-states of uranium into a valence
Paris-Sud XI, Université de
Elimination of phosphate and zirconium in the high-activity fraction resulting from TRUEX partitioning of ICPP zirconium calcines
Laboratory testing was undertaken with the aim of developing a TRUEX flowsheet that would efficiently remove actinides from solutions of dissolved zirconium calcine and minimize the glass volume produced from the ensuing high-activity fraction. A TRUEX flowsheet is recommended for testing in the 2-cm centrifugal contactor pilot-plant based on the results from this testing. These laboratory tests show that zirconium recovery in the high activity fraction is minimized by scrubbing with an optimized NHF concentration of 0.2 M. This NH4F concentration in the scrub allowed the HEDPA strip concentration to be reduced from 0.04 M to 0.004 M because HEDPA is not consumed by zirconium. Complete TRU stripping was also achieved in these laboratory tests with 0.004 M HEDPA. Data from the small-scale laboratory batch contact tests were used in the Generic TRUEX Model (GTM) to evaluate the proposed flowsheet under counter-current conditions. GTM results indicate the raffinate will meet the Class A non-TRU limit of < 10 nCi/g in six extraction stages (O/A = 1), and quantitative actinide recovery will be achieved with the 0.004 M HEDPA in six strip stages (O/A = 1). Only 6.6 % of the initial zirconium concentration is anticipated to be recovered with the actinides, indicating the four scrub stages (O/A = 3) efficiently removes zirconium from the TRUEX solvent. In addition to recommending an improved TRUEX flowsheet for testing in the 2-cm centrifugal contactor pilot-plant, this work has shown that small reductions in zirconium extraction drastically improves flowsheet performance. These small changes in zirconium extraction can be accomplished by modifying the calcine dissolution parameters. Therefore, further calcine dissolution testing followed by TRUEX testing with the resulting feed solutions is also recommended.
Brewer, K.N.; Tillotson, R.D.; Tullock, P.A. [and others
Uranium- and thorium-bearing pegmatites of the United States
This report is part of the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) Program designed to identify criteria favorable for the occurrence of the world's significant uranium deposits. This project deals specifically with uranium- and thorium-bearing pegmatites in the United States and, in particular, their distribution and origin. From an extensive literature survey and field examination of 44 pegmatite localities in the United States and Canada, the authors have compiled an index to about 300 uranium- and thorium-bearing pegmatites in the United States, maps giving location of these deposits, and an annotated bibliography to some of the most pertinent literature on the geology of pegmatites. Pegmatites form from late-state magma differentiates rich in volatile constituents with an attendant aqueous vapor phase. It is the presence of an aqueous phase which results in the development of the variable grain size which characterizes pegmatites. All pegmatites occur in areas of tectonic mobility involving crustal material usually along plate margins. Those pegmatites containing radioactive mineral species show, essentially, a similar distribution to those without radioactive minerals. Criteria such as tectonic setting, magma composition, host rock, and elemental indicators among others, all serve to help delineate areas more favorable for uranium- and thorium-bearing pegmatites. The most useful guide remains the radioactivity exhibited by uranium- and thorium-bearing pegmatites. Although pegmatites are frequently noted as favorable hosts for radioactive minerals, the general paucity and sporadic distribution of these minerals and inherent mining and milling difficulties negate the resource potential of pegmatites for uranium and thorium.
Adams, J.W.; Arengi, J.T.; Parrish, I.S.
Validation of the WATEQ4 geochemical model for uranium
As part of the Geochemical Modeling and Nuclide/Rock/Groundwater Interactions Studies Program, a study was conducted to partially validate the WATEQ4 aqueous speciation-solubility geochemical model for uranium. The solubility controls determined with the WATEQ4 geochemical model were in excellent agreement with those laboratory studies in which the solids schoepite (UO/sub 2/(OH)/sub 2/ . H/sub 2/O), UO/sub 2/(OH)/sub 2/, and rutherfordine ((UO/sub 2/CO/sub 3/) were identified as actual solubility controls for uranium. The results of modeling solution analyses from laboratory studies of uranyl phosphate solids, however, identified possible errors in the characterization of solids in the original solubility experiments. As part of this study, significant deficiencies in the WATEQ4 thermodynamic data base for uranium solutes and solids were corrected. Revisions included recalculation of selected uranium reactions. Additionally, thermodynamic data for the hydroxyl complexes of U(VI), including anionic (VI) species, were evaluated (to the extent permitted by the available data). Vanadium reactions were also added to the thermodynamic data base because uranium-vanadium solids can exist in natural ground-water systems. This study is only a partial validation of the WATEQ4 geochemical model because the available laboratory solubility studies do not cover the range of solid phases, alkaline pH values, and concentrations of inorganic complexing ligands needed to evaluate the potential solubility of uranium in ground waters associated with various proposed nuclear waste repositories. Further validation of this or other geochemical models for uranium will require careful determinations of uraninite solubility over the pH range of 7 to 10 under highly reducing conditions and of uranyl hydroxide and phosphate solubilities over the pH range of 7 to 10 under oxygenated conditions.
Krupka, K.M.; Jenne, E.A.; Deutsch, W.J.
Uranium Tris-aryloxide Derivatives Supported by Triazacyclononane: Engendering a Reactive Uranium(III)
Uranium Tris-aryloxide Derivatives Supported by Triazacyclononane: Engendering a Reactive Uranium-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com Abstract: The synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of the mononuclear uranium complex [((ArO)3tacn)UIII (NCCH3)] is reported. The uranium(III) complex reacts with organic azides
Evidence of uranium biomineralization in sandstone-hosted roll-front uranium deposits, northwestern China
Evidence of uranium biomineralization in sandstone-hosted roll-front uranium deposits, northwestern Available online 25 January 2005 Abstract We show evidence that the primary uranium minerals, uraninite-front uranium deposits, Xinjiang, northwestern China were biogenically precipitated and psuedomorphically
Fayek, Mostafa
Historic data from many countries demonstrate that on average no more than 50-70% of the uranium in a deposit could be mined. An analysis of more recent data from Canada and Australia leads to a mining model with an average deposit extraction lifetime of 10+- 2 years. This simple model provides an accurate description of the extractable amount of uranium for the recent mining operations. Using this model for all larger existing and planned uranium mines up to 2030, a global uranium mining peak of at most 58 +- 4 ktons around the year 2015 is obtained. Thereafter we predict that uranium mine production will decline to at most 54 +- 5 ktons by 2025 and, with the decline steepening, to at most 41 +- 5 ktons around 2030. This amount will not be sufficient to fuel the existing and planned nuclear power plants during the next 10-20 years. In fact, we find that it will be difficult to avoid supply shortages even under a slow 1%/year worldwide nuclear energy phase-out scenario up to 2025. We thus suggest that a world...
Dittmar, Michael
Domestic Uranium Production Report Domestic Uranium Production Report 2012 Domestic Uranium Production Report Release Date: June 6, 2013 Next Release Date: May 2014 State(s) 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Wyoming 134 139 181 195 245 301 308 348 424 512 Colorado and Texas 48 140 269 263 557 696 340 292 331 248 Nebraska and New Mexico 92 102 123 160 149 160 159 134 127 W Arizona, Utah, and Washington 47 40 75 120 245 360 273 281 W W Alaska, Michigan, Nevada, and South Dakota 0 0 0 16 25 30 W W W W California, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Virginia 0 0 0 0 9 17 W W W W Total 321 420 648 755 1,231 1,563 1,096 1,073 1,191 1,196 Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration: Form EIA-851A, "Domestic Uranium Production Report" (2003-2012). Table 7. Employment in the U.S. uranium production industry by state, 2003-2012 person-years
Use of the UNCLE Facility to Assess Integrated Online Monitoring Systems for Detection of Diversions at Uranium Conversion Facilities
Historically, the approach to safeguarding nuclear material in the front end of the fuel cycle was implemented only at the stage when UF6 was declared as feedstock for enrichment plants. Recent International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) circulars and policy papers have sought to implement safeguards when any purified aqueous uranium solution or uranium oxides suitable for isotopic enrichment or fuel fabrication exist. Oak Ridge National Laboratory has developed the Uranyl Nitrate Calibration Loop Equipment (UNCLE) facility to simulate the full-scale operating conditions for a purified uranium-bearing aqueous stream exiting the solvent extraction process conducted in a natural uranium conversion plant (NUCP) operating at 6000 MTU/year. Monitoring instruments, including the 3He passive neutron detector developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Endress+Hauser Promass 83F Coriolis meter, have been tested at UNCLE and field tested at Springfields. The field trials demonstrated the need to perform full-scale equipment testing under controlled conditions prior to field deployment of operations and safeguards monitoring at additional plants. Currently, UNCLE is testing neutron-based monitoring for detection of noncompliant activities; however, gamma-ray source term monitoring is currently being explored complementary to the neutron detector in order to detect undeclared activities in a more timely manner. The preliminary results of gamma-ray source term modeling and monitoring at UNCLE are being analyzed as part of a comprehensive source term and detector benchmarking effort. Based on neutron source term detection capabilities, alternative gamma-based detection and monitoring methods will be proposed to more effectively monitor NUCP operations in verifying or detecting deviations from declared conversion activities.
Dewji, Shaheen A [ORNL; Chapman, Jeffrey Allen [ORNL; Lee, Denise L [ORNL; Rauch, Eric [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); Hertel, Nolan [Georgia Institute of Technology
Uranium Metal: Potential for Discovering Commercial Uses
Uranium Metal Uranium Metal Potential for Discovering Commercial Uses Steven M. Baker, Ph.D. Knoxville Tn 5 August 1998 Summary Uranium Metal is a Valuable Resource 3 Large Inventory of "Depleted Uranium" 3 Need Commercial Uses for Inventory Avoid Disposal Cost Real Added Value to Society 3 Uranium Metal Has Valuable Properties Density Strength 3 Market will Come if Story is Told Background The Nature of Uranium Background 3 Natural Uranium: 99.3% U238; 0.7% U 235 3 U235 Fissile Nuclear Weapons Nuclear Reactors 3 U238 Fertile Neutron Irradiation of U238 Produces Pu239 Neutrons Come From U235 Fission Pu239 is Fissile (Weapons, Reactors, etc.) Post World War II Legacy Background 3 "Enriched" Uranium Product Weapons Program
Domestic Uranium Production Report - Annual Domestic Uranium Production Report - Annual With Data for 2012 | Release Date: June 06, 2013 | Next Release Date: May 2014 |full report Previous domestic uranium production reports Year: 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 Go Drilling Figure 1. U.S. Uranium drilling by number of holes, 2004-2012 U.S. uranium exploration drilling was 5,112 holes covering 3.4 million feet in 2012. Development drilling was 5,970 holes and 3.7 million feet. Combined, total uranium drilling was 11,082 holes covering 7.2 million feet, 5 percent more holes than in 2011. Expenditures for uranium drilling in the United States were $67 million in 2012, an increase of 24 percent compared with 2011. Mining, production, shipments, and sales U.S. uranium mines produced 4.3 million pounds U3O8 in 2012, 5 percent more
Uranium Management and Policy | Department of Energy
Uranium Management and Policy Uranium Management and Policy The Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant is located 3 miles south of the Ohio River and is 12 miles west of Paducah,...
A colorimetric method was developed for the determination of uranium(IV) in the presence of uranium(VI), nitric acid, hydroxylamine sulfate, and hydrazine. A coefficient of variation of 2.4% (n = 25) was obtained. (auth)
Dorsett, R.S.
Draft Uranium Leasing Program Programmatic Environmental Impact...
five times the uranium concentration; this ratio was selected on the basis of the mining production rate of vanadium versus that of uranium. The RfCs used in the calculation were...
Nuclear power and waste opportunities contact us at Mining operations Increased safety of uranium removal Environmentally friendly process
This patent relates to a process for the recovery of uranium from impure uranium tetrafluoride. The process consists essentially of the steps of dissolving the impure uranium tetrafluoride in excess dilute sulfuric acid in the presence of excess hydrogen peroxide, precipitating ammonium uranate from the solution so formed by adding an excess of aqueous ammonia, dissolving the precipitate in sulfuric acid and adding hydrogen peroxide to precipitate uranium peroxdde.
Morris, G.O.
Molecular Mechanisms of Uranium Reduction by Clostridia
The objective of this research is to elucidate systematically the molecular mechanisms involved in the reduction of uranium by Clostridia.
Francis, A.J.; Matin, A.C.; Gao, W.; Chidambaram, D.; Barak, Y.; Dodge, C.J.
Uranium Weapons Components Successfully Dismantled | National...
Uranium Weapons Components Successfully Dismantled | National Nuclear Security Administration Our Mission Managing the Stockpile Preventing Proliferation Powering the Nuclear Navy...
Uranium fuel, nuclear reactors, generation, spent fuel. Total Energy. ... Privacy/Security Copyright & Reuse Accessibility. Related Sites U.S. ...
Highly Enriched Uranium Transparency Program | National Nuclear...
Highly Enriched Uranium Transparency Program | National Nuclear Security Administration Our Mission Managing the Stockpile Preventing Proliferation Powering the Nuclear Navy...
A method is presented for coating uranium with a less active metal such as Cr, Ni, or Cu comprising immersing the U in a substantially anhydrous molten solution of a halide of these less active metals in a ternary chloride composition which consists of selected percentages of KCl, NaCl and another chloride such as LiCl or CaCl/sub 2/.
Eubank, L.D.
10. Uranium reserve estimates at the end of 2012" 10. Uranium reserve estimates at the end of 2012" "million pounds U3O8" "Uranium Reserve Estimates1 by Mine and Property Status, Mining Method, and State(s)","Forward Cost 2" ,"$0 to $30 per pound","$0 to $50 per pound","$0 to $100 per pound" "Properties with Exploration Completed, Exploration Continuing, and Only Assessment Work","W","W",101.956759 "Properties Under Development for Production","W","W","W" "Mines in Production","W",21.40601,"W" "Mines Closed Temporarily and Closed Permanently","W","W",133.139239 "In-Situ Leach Mining","W","W",128.576534
Domestic Uranium Production Report Domestic Uranium Production Report 2012 Domestic Uranium Production Report Release Date: June 6, 2013 Next Release Date: May 2014 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Cameco Crow Butte Operation Dawes, Nebraska 1,000,000 Operating Operating Operating Operating Operating Hydro Resources, Inc. Church Rock McKinley, New Mexico 1,000,000 Partially Permitted And Licensed Partially Permitted And Licensed Partially Permitted And Licensed Partially Permitted And Licensed Partially Permitted And Licensed Hydro Resources, Inc. Crownpoint McKinley, New Mexico 1,000,000 Partially Permitted And Licensed Partially Permitted And Licensed Partially Permitted And Licensed Partially Permitted And Licensed Partially Permitted And Licensed Lost Creek ISR LLC Lost Creek Project Sweetwater, Wyoming 2,000,000 Developing

subset: commoncrawl