EVALUATION OF CONTAINER MATERIALS FOR ZIRCEX AND DAREX NUCLEAR-FUEL-RECOVERY PROCESSES

摘要

The selection of a suitable material for the processing equipment is most important in fuel-recovery processes. The problem arises because of the aggressive nature of the reagents that must be used for disintegrating or dissolving some spent fuel elements. In this investigation, corrosion tests were made under conditions simulating those that may occur in several proposed processes in order that candidate materials of construction could be evaluated.nNo material has been found which would allow both the hydro chlorination and dissolution steps of the vapor-phase Zircon process to be carried out in a single vessel. For a two-vessel process, several materials, such as Inconel, Haynes 25, Type S-816 alloy, alliums R, and the Hastelloy B and C, appear promising for construction of a hydro chlorinator;the dry residue would then be transferred to another vessel, perhaps of titanium or tantalum, for dissolution.