VOLATILIZATION OF URANIUM FROM URANIUM-IMPREGNATED GRAPHITE

摘要

The rate of loss of uranium from uranium impregnated graphite places heated in helium (containing <0.01% o2) at high temperatures has been determined and found to be quite low. Extrapolation of these laboratory experiments to full scale pile conditions entails numerous assumptions. However, it is estimated that the overall uranium losses from a full scales pile operating at temperature as high as 1400ºC would be loss than 100 grams per year. The presence of a high concentration (ca. 0.1%) of oxygen impurity in the helium may have a deleterious effect.