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Argonne National Laboratory Chemical Engineering Division Summary Report: July, August, September 1960
9 : : 7 : 7 9 : 5 5 ? 5 9 G -- 8 ; 8 ; = -activity levels of the melt-refining process for EBR-II core fuel was completed. An experiment was also completed on the evolution of fission- product krypton and xenon from an irradiated fuel pim as it was heat to a temperature above the melting point. In tests of alternate materials for use in a meltrefining furnace, a fibrous potassium titanate grain retainer was found to be a very effective heat insulator, but to have less strength than nigid Fibenfrax retainers. The skull remaining in the zirconia crucible after a meltrefining operation must be processed to recover, as partially purified metal, the fissionable material for return to the fuel cycle. Several essentially quantitative reductions of uranium dioxide and skull oxides were achieved in times of less than 8 hr at 800 deg C in dilute magnesium-zinc solutions and in magnesium containing a small percentage (0.5 to 2) of sodium as a wetting agent. Data and equations for solubilities of other elements in liquid cadmium are included. The partition coefficients of a numbsr of representative fissile and fission product elements between the two immiscible liquids, lead and zinc, at about 735 deg C were measured. The free energy of formation of the uraniumthallium intermetallic compound UTl/sub 3/ was measured, using a galvanic cell method. Galvanic cell measurements with the cerium-zinc system at 443 to 742 deg C were also made. The determination of the heat of formation of zirconium tetrafluoride by combustions of zirconium in fluonine was completed. A valus of -372.44 kcal/mole was obtained for the heat of formation of molybdenum hexafluoride. Calorimetric oombustions of boron in fluorine are being continued. Exploratory combustions of magnesium, aluminum, zinc, and cadmium are being carried out. Fuel …
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