Physical Measurements for Online Determination of Free Acid and Uranium Concentrations

摘要

Online analyzers for Separations Area process control should be as simple as possible. We have demonstrated that in some instances nonintrusive physical measurements can be used to determine chemical concentrations. For example, free acid concentration can be derived from conductivity and temperature. We plan to extend the use of physical measurements for online chemical determinations to process solutions in which uranium, as well as acid, is a major component. Physical measurements in addition to conductivity can be used: namely, optical absorbance, density, and gamma activity. By combining these measurements, determination of both uranium and acid concentrations is possible. This memorandum describes results of statistically designed experiments to determine the applicability of this approach for three acid-uranium combinations typical of Separations Area process solutions. These comprehensive results are to be used as guidelines for evaluation and implementation of this technology for specific applications. 3 refs., 34 figs., 9 tabs. (ERA citation 12:009613)