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Ammonia and ammonium carbonate are frequently used as reagents in fuel production and processing of liquid radioactive wastes. In particular, liquid radioactive wastes that contain ammonium nitrate are generated during operations of metal precipitation [1]. In closed vessels at elevated temperature, for example in evaporators or deposits in tubing, ammonium nitrate may explode due to generation of gaseous nitrogen oxides [2]. In this connection, steps have to be taken to rule out conditions that result in explosion. To do that, ammonium nitrate should be removed even prior to the initial stage of its formation. This report gives results of development of a method of dissociating ammonium nitrate. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The report looks at basic ways of converting surplus weapons grade plutonium to MOX fuel for fast and light-water reactors. The authors give results of research under standard conditions on the physicochemical and technological characteristics of plutonium and uranium-plutonium dioxides produced by different process arrangements. A comparative analysis is made of the most advanced options for converting plutonium to MOX fuel. The paper gives a process scheme developed by the authors for conversion of weapons grade plutonium to MOX fuel for fast and light-water reactors. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An enormous scientific and technical potential, created by Russian scientists for a period of the previous twenty years, has not been realized in the commercial fabrication of mixed oxide fuel for nuclear power reactors. However, the activities on improving these methods of MOX fuel fabrication are in progress at experimental plants of Russian scientific centers. The production of granulated mixed oxides of uranium and plutonium by means of the hydrogranulation process (coprecipitation of uranium and plutonium hydroxides in the presence of high molecular compounds) is one of such methods. In order to check this method experimentally under continuous operation, a pilot plant called 'Granat-M,' was constructed (Figure 1) in SSC RF VNIINM, named after the academician A. A. Bochvar. Continuous processes are investigated at this plant by means of continuous equipment of nuclear safe geometry, created especially for this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the solution to the problem of a continuous pilot plant development for mixed oxide fuel powder production on the basis of the home “GRANAT” technology, which had been tested before on a small-scale pilot-commercial batch-operated plant of the same name and confirmed good results. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]