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[en] Recent progress in the development of a fluorocarbon adsorption process for the recovery of krypton from the off-gas of fuel reprocessing plants is reported. Three packed columns comprise the main working sections of the process. Each column is designed to exploit certain gas-liquid solubility differences that exist between the solvent and the various gas constituents that might be present. The main separation of noble gas is accomplished in the absorber. The other two columns, each fitted with a reboiler and an overhead condenser, comprise the intermediate and final stripper sections of the plant

[en] Since the Manhattan project days of World War II, the feed material for uranium isotope enrichment plants has been uranium hexafluoride (UF₆). The deployment of a uranium metal-based enrichment process would, of course, lead to different conversion requirements and possibly to cost impacts as well. We discuss some of the technical feature changes which may be employed in both the provision of feed metal and the conversion of product to fuel-grade uranium dioxide and then describe some of the business/economic issues as they appear to us now

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[en] AVLIS RD and D efforts are currently proceeding toward full-scale integrated enrichment demonstrations in the late 1980's and potential plant deployment in the mid 1990's. Since AVLIS requires a uranium metal feed and produces an enriched uranium metal product, some change in current uranium processing practices are necessitated. AVLIS could operate with a UF₆-in UF₆-out interface with little effect to the remainder of the fuel cycle. This path, however, does not allow electric utility customers to realize the full potential of low cost AVLIS enrichment. Several alternative processing methods have been identified and evaluated which appear to provide opportunities to make substantial cost savings in the overall fuel cycle. These alternatives involve varying levels of RD and D resources, calendar time, and technical risk to implement and provide these cost reduction opportunities. Both feed conversion contracts and fuel fabricator contracts are long-term entities. Because of these factors, it is not too early to start planning and making decisions on the most advantageous options so that AVLIS can be integrated cost effectively into the fuel cycle. This should offer economic opportunity to all parties involved including DOE, utilities, feed converters, and fuel fabricators. 10 refs., 11 figs., 2 tabs

[en] It was assumed that a water insoluble uranium compound essentially free of fluorides would be the desired form for the final storage of cascade tails. UO₂ produced in a two-step process in which the UF₆ is reduced to UF₄ with hydrogen in a tower reactor, followed by pyrohydrolysis to UO₂ with steam in a screw reactor, has been selected as a suitable compound for storage. The UO₂ would be stored in 55-gallon steel drums holding approximately 900 kg, and the drums would be warehoused until a permanent storage facility could be developed. Approximately one-third of the fluoride content of the UF₆ will be recovered as anhydrous HF with potential for industrial sale, while the remaining fluoride content will be reacted with limestone and disposed of in landfills. The magnitude of the conversion process is illustrated by considering a typical electrical generation rate of 50 GW(e) per year. At this level, two plants nominally sized at 10 metric tons of uranium per day will be required