Abstracts and Available Papers Presented at the
1998 International RERTR Meeting
NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE HEAD-END ENRICHED URANIUM
PURIFICATION
AND CONVERSION INTO METAL
Ing. Bonini, A. - Ing. Cabrejas, J. - Ing. De Lio, L. - Lic.
DellOcchio, L. - Sr. Devida, C. - Dr. Dupetit,
G. - Ing. Falcón, M. - Ing. Gauna, A. - Lic. Gil, D. - Sr. Guzmán,
G. - Sra. Neuringer, P.- Sr. Pascale, A. - Ing. Stankevicius, A.
UAMyCN - Gerencia Centro Atómico Ezeiza
Avda. del Libertador 8250 (1429) Capital Federal, Argentina.
ABSTRACT
The CNEA (Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica) operates two facilities at the Ezeiza Atomic Center which supply purified enriched uranium employed in the production of nuclear fuels.
At one of those facilities, the Triple Height Laboratory (LTA, Laboratorio Triple Altura), scraps from the production of MTR type fuel elements (mainly out of specification U3O8 plates or powder) are purified to nuclear grade. The purification is accomplished by a solvent extraction process.
The other facility, the Enriched Uranium Laboratory (LUE, Laboratorio de Uranio Enriquecido) produces 90% enriched uranium metal to be used in Mo 99 production (originally, the uranium was used for the manufacture of MTR fuel elements made of aluminum-uranium alloy). This laboratory also provided metallic uranium with a lower enrichment (20%) for a first uranium-silicon testing fuel element, and in the near future it is going to recommence 20% enriched uranium related activities in order to provide the metal for silicon-based fuel elements production (according to the policy of enrichment reduction for MTR reactors).
PDF version available
DOWNLOAD full paper in PDF format.
Contact:
Alberto Anselmo Bonini
Comisión Nacional de Energia Atómica
Av. del Libertador, 8250, CP 1429
Buenos Aires
Argentina
Phone: 54 1 379 8553
Fax: 54 1 379 8293
Email: [email protected]