BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ROVER FUEL PROCESSING AND MOLTEN SALT FLUORIDE VOLATILITY PROCESS DEVELOPMENT STUDIES AT OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY

A complete bibliography was assembled of Rover fuel processing and molten salt fluoride volatility processing research at, or sponsored by, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The bibliography contains open literature references, topical reports, status and progress reports, and technical memoranda. (auth

CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY DIVISION, UNIT OPERATIONS SECTION MONTHLY PROGRESS REPORT FOR APRIL 1959

A concentration cell electrode was installed in a fritted glass surface and was used to measure the surface KCl concentration while water was being transpired through the surface into a mixed tank of 0.1 M KCl. The results from the first Fluorox run made with crude UF/sub 4/ showed that 85.3% of the theoretical amount of UF/sub 6/ was accounted for, with 17.9% being collected in cold traps and the remainder being consumed in various side reactions. Installation was completed of apparatus to study the electrolytic removal of nickel on an engineering scale from concentrated HRT fuel solution. An extremely low yield stress of 0.02 lb/sq ft was measured for a thoria-urania slurry containing 2.5 wt.% Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ and spherical particles of 1.7 micron mean diameter. Preliminary data on the rate of uranium sorption on Dowex 21K from sulfate solutions were correlated with a simple spherical diffusion model. Laboratory scale studies to determine the effect of reflux time, HNO/sub 3/ concentration, and air sparge on chloride removal from APPR-type Darex dissolver product showed that an air sparge is definitely beneficial in chloride removal. Preliminary cyclic cleaning tests showed that boiling 25% caustic solution was adequate for cleaning type F (20 micron) porous metal filter elements fouled in the absence of filter aid with siliceous sludge from Darex solvent extraction feed solutions. Sections of unirradiated stainless steel-clad UO/sub 2/, sheared into lengths of 1/2 in., 1 in., 2 in., and 2 3/4 in., were leached free of UO/sub 2/ with 10 M HNO/sub 3/ in 30, 45, 60, and 75 min, respectively. The abrasive blade cost for the removal of inert end adapters from selected reactor assemblies ranges from 12 for the Gas-Cooled Reactor to 19 for Consolidated Edison. A zirconium dissolution was carried to completion at 600 ction prod- C in a NaF-LiF salt mixture containing initially 23 mol per cent ZrF/sub 4/ at an average rate of 1.3 mg/(cm/sup 2/)(min) with an HF feed rate of 2 lb/hr. The thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity at the center of an 8-in. diameter cake of Darex waste calcined at about 900 ction prod- C were determined as a function of temperature. (For preceding period see CF-59-3-61.) (auth

CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY DIVISION, UNIT OPERATIONS SECTION MONTHLY PROGRESS REPORT FOR JANUARY 1958

Absolute calibration of neutron yields from a polonium nitrate- fluorocarbon interface gave 8 neutrons/min, sq cm, mc/ml. In two Fluorox fluidized bed reactor runs UF/sub 6/ recoveries of 47 and 70% theoretical were attained. Washing and descaling operations for Loop P-1 have been completed. Preliminary studies of ThO/sub 2/ classification by hydroclones showed that particles as small as 0.5 micron could be classified. Continuous, self- sustaining operation of the Darex dissolver, stripper, and reflux condenser was maintained during a 48-hr period. Uranium losses to the sublimate were less than 0.1% in a 24 hr Zircex run. A 32 hr dissolution run was completed in which a fuel element fabricated of Zircaloy-3 was dissolved in a NaF-ZrF/sub 4/ fused salt. (auth

CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY DIVISION UNIT OPERATIONS SECTION MONTHLY PROGRESS REPORT, FEBRUARY 1958

The alpha activity for scintillation area measurement was estimated to be 10/sup -6/ of that for the ( alpha ,n) methcd. The UF/sub 6/ recovery during Run FBR-16 was 67.3% of the theoretical recovery for the Fluorox reaction. Hydroclones were used for collection of thoria loop slurries with recoveries exceeding 99%. Flame calcination studies were continued with thoria dispersed in methanol by oxalic acid, using graphite and zirconia reflected burners and acetyleneoxygen flame. Equations for complex ion formation in 4/-H/sub 2/O systems were solved for a few hypothetical solution compositions. A continuous Darex dissolution and stripping run was carried out for 32 hours with chloride removal in the product to 100 ppm. A nine pound section of a fuel element was completely hydrochlorinated in 24 hours with an HCI utilization of 70% and uranium losses to the ZrCl/sub 4/ sublimate of 0.07%. The specific dissolution rate for the fused salt dissolution of Zircaloy-3 was propcrtional to the logarithm of the HF feed rate. One percent of the initial ore resistant t activity and fourteen percent of the initial activity was leached by distilled water from a 900 tained C fired sinter of concentrated fission products in a mix of shale and limestone (Mix 15). (For preceding period see CF- 58-2-139.) (J.R.D.

Chemical Technology Division, Unit Operations Section Monthly Progress Report for June 1959

The addition of a surface active agent to an aqueousorganic interface produced a resistance to mass transfer equivalent to slightly more than 1 cm of water. Five semicontinuous Druhm runs were made with 1/2-in. thick MgO liners and terminated due to either failures of the UF/sub 6/ nozzle or a top gasket leak. In preliminary scale-up tests of the flame calcination equipment, a maximum feed rate equivalent to 720 g oxides/hr was achieved using a 3-in. i.d. magnesia reflector with an outside wall temperature of 1500 ction prod- C. In a test with a light water feed, 99% Cu, 25% Ni, and 0% Mn were removed from a UO/ sub 2/SO/sub 4/ solution by electrolysis with a mercury cathode in 7800 ampere hours. The effect of varying the total sulfate concentration on the kinetics of the absorption of uranyl sulfate on Dowex 21K at a uranium concentration of 0.005779 M and a sulfuric acid concentration of 0.020 M was studied in a series of runs using a stirred bath containing enriched uranium. Chloride was removed to 64 ppm in Yankee Atomic and to 70 ppm in APPR solvent extraction feeds using a reference Darex flowsheet with air sparging during a two hour reflux period in the 10-in. prototype titanium feed adjustment tank. Soluble uranium contained in a filter cake deposited onto a 20 micron porous metallic star shaped filter from approximately twenty-one liters of Darex solvent extraction feed solution was recovered to 99.9% by a single 5 liter water wash of the cake. An experimental Redox solvent extraction program was completed. Shear blade evaluation tests have begun at Birdsboro and Clearing under subcontract and will be completed by July 1. Tests were made on the separation of water associated with sheared material through porous bottom baskets as would be required in wet shearing concepts. Consolidated Edison prototype elements assembled with ductile Coast Metals 50 brazing metal could not be disassembled with the impact wedge previously successfully used to disassemble elements made up with brittle Nicrobraze 50. A reactor and condenser system designed to sublime ZrF/sub 4/ from the hydrofluorinator to a separate receiver at temperatures above 902 ction prod- C was operated at condensation rates between 150 and 500 g per hour of ZrF/sub 4/. The thermal conductivities of granular Darex, Purex, and TBP-25 calcined solids were in the range of 0.043 to 0.097 Btu/hr sq ft ( ction prod- F/ft) at room temperature. (For preceding period see CF-59-5-47.) (auth

CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY DIVISION, UNIT OPERATIONS SECTION MONTHLY PROGRESS REPORT FOR AUGUST 1959

The measured diffusivity of uranyl nitrate in water at 25 ction prod- C was 0.7 x 10/sup -6/ cm/sup 2//sec with about 40% average deviation. A program was started to develop nonnuclear uses for depleted uranium. Two continuous DRUHM reaction runs were terminated due to erratic operation of the sodium metering system. In the second Fluorox run with crude UF/sub 4/ which lasted for 29 hr, a total material balance of 94.8% was obtained and 17.9% of the theoretical amount of UF/sub 6/ was collected in cold traps and chemical traps. Room temperature flow rate-pressure drop calibrations of a multiclone (thirteen 0.60-in. diam hydroclones in parallel) for installation with the HRT replacement circulating pump were completed. Mixed oxides of U : Th = 0.08 : 1 and all have low yield stresses of 0.02 to 0.05 lb/sq ft compared to 0.2 to 1.0 lb/sq ft for normal Th-U or Th oxides of 1.5 to 2.5 micron mean diameter. The rates of uranium anion exchange from solutions containing between 0.025 and 0.20 M sulfate were measured and apparent uranium diffusion coefficients between 1.2 x 10/sup -7/ cm/sup 2//sec and 1.6 x 10/sup -7/ cm/sup 2//sec were calculated. In bench scale studies, the Darex reference flowsheet was successfully applied to stainless steel-clad UO/sub 2/ fuels (Yankee Atomic) and to aluminumuranium foreign reactor fuels. The corrosion of titanium A-55 was measured in the vapor and liquid phases of a modified boiling Thorex dissolvent (13 M HNO/sub 3/, 0.04 M F/sup -/, 0.1 M H/sub 3/BO/sub 3/) containing 0.0, 0.5, and 1.0 M thorium from dissolved Consolidated Edison pellets and the maximum corrosion rate was 0.6 mils/ month. Siliceous filter cakes resulting from the filtration of Darex solvent extraction feed solutions through porous metal filter elements were easily washed to a uranium loss of 0.1% in the discarded cake. A run with an acid-deficient Darex-Redox feed containing soluble silica resulted in uranium losses higher by a factor of 20 than those previously obtained in the same column with a standard Redox feed. Batch leaching of sheared pieces, 1/2 in. to 5 in. long, of PWR reject UO/sub 2/ pellets clad with stainless steel, 0.40 in. o.d. with 0.10 in. wall, in boiling 10 M HNO/sub 3/ (173% excess) was completed in 70 to 245 min. Dissolution test runs of Zr-2 in fused salt made at approximately 700 ction prod- C under identical conditions except for HF feed rate resulted in dissolution rates of 1.87 and 2.68 mg/min-sq cm for 2.5 and 6.0 lb/hr HF feed rate, respectively. Purex and TBP-25 evaporated wastes were calcined at 900 to 1000 ction prod- C resulting in solid wastes which had densities of 0.77 to 0.83 and 0.40 to 0.45 g/cc, respectively. (For preceding period see CF-59-4-47.) (auth

Random field sampling for a simplified model of melt-blowing considering turbulent velocity fluctuations

In melt-blowing very thin liquid fiber jets are spun due to high-velocity air streams. In literature there is a clear, unsolved discrepancy between the measured and computed jet attenuation. In this paper we will verify numerically that the turbulent velocity fluctuations causing a random aerodynamic drag on the fiber jets -- that has been neglected so far -- are the crucial effect to close this gap. For this purpose, we model the velocity fluctuations as vector Gaussian random fields on top of a k-epsilon turbulence description and develop an efficient sampling procedure. Taking advantage of the special covariance structure the effort of the sampling is linear in the discretization and makes the realization possible

Soluble Cytokine Receptors (sIL-2Rα, sIL-2Rβ) Induce Subunit-Specific Behavioral Responses and Accumulate in the Cerebral Cortex and Basal Forebrain

Soluble cytokine receptors are normal constituents of body fluids that regulate peripheral cytokine and lymphoid activity. Levels of soluble IL-2 receptors (sIL-2R) are elevated in psychiatric disorders linked with autoimmune processes, including ones in which repetitive stereotypic behaviors and motor disturbances are present. However, there is no evidence that sIL-2Rs (or any peripheral soluble receptor) induce such behavioral changes, or that they localize in relevant brain regions. Here, we determined in male Balb/c mice the effects of single peripheral injections of sIL-2Rα or sIL-2Rβ (0–2 µg/male Balb/c mouse; s.c.) on novelty-induced ambulatory activity and stereotypic motor behaviors. We discovered that sIL-2Rα increased the incidence of in-place stereotypic motor behaviors, including head up head bobbing, rearing/sniffing, turning, and grooming behavior. A wider spectrum of behavioral changes was evident in sIL-2Rβ-treated mice, including increases in vertical and horizontal ambulatory activity and stereotypic motor movements. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that soluble receptors induce such behavioral disturbances. In contrast, soluble IL-1 Type-1 receptors (0–4 µg, s.c.) didn't appreciably affect these behaviors. We further demonstrated that sIL-2Rα and sIL-2Rβ induced marked increases in c-Fos in caudate-putamen, nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex. Anatomical specificity was supported by the presence of increased activity in lateral caudate in sIL-2Rα treated mice, while sIL-2Rβ treated mice induced greater c-Fos activity in prepyriform cortex. Moreover, injected sIL-2Rs were widely distributed in regions that showed increased c-Fos expression. Thus, sIL-2Rα and sIL-2Rβ induce marked subunit- and soluble cytokine receptor-specific behavioral disturbances, which included increases in the expression of ambulatory activity and stereotypic motor behaviors, while inducing increased neuronal activity localized to cortex and striatum. These findings suggest that sIL-2Rs act as novel immune-to- brain messengers and raise the possibility that they contribute to the disease process in psychiatric disorders in which marked increases in these receptors have been reported

Gold nanoparticles to improve HIV drug delivery

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has improved lifespan and quality of life of patients infected with the HIV-1. However, ART has several potential limitations, including the development of drug resistance and suboptimal penetration to selected anatomic compartments. Improving the delivery of antiretroviral molecules could overcome several of the limitations of current ART