ORNL-2106 - the Molten Salt Energy Technologies Web Site

ANP PROJECT PROGRESS REPORT
The use of copper-lined stainless steel reactors
in the 5-lb units has proved successful. Therefore,
when the nickel reactors now on hand wear out and
are discarded, they will be replaced with copper-
lined stainless steel vessels. The new copper-
lined vessels, in addition to showing promise of
having longer lives, are more versatile than the
nickel reactors in that they can be used in the
preparation of BeFp-containing mixtures.
Although the supply of 50-lb nickel reactor ves-
sels is at present sufficient, these will also be re-
placed with copper-lined stainless steel vessels
as they are discarded.
PRODUCTION-SCALE OPERATIONS
J. E. Eorgan J. P. Blakely
Seventeen batches total ing approximately 4230 Ib
of fluoride compositions were processed by the
production-scale facility. Two new capper-lined
stainless steel reactors were received about the
first of March and were put into production opera-
tion immediately. To date, nine batches have been
processed in one reactorand eight in the other with
no apparent difficulties. Recent external examina-
tion of these reactors show no deterioration or
faults, and it may be that the life service of these
reactors will be much better than expected.
In, spite of the temporary shutdown of this facil-
ity, the processed fluorides inventory has remained
high. Operations were slowed down during the last
three weeks of this quarter because of a shortage
of storage containers. A survey is now being made
to determine the anticipated requirements for proc-
essed fluorides during the next six months. A
recent communi cation from Pratt & Whitney Aircraft
122
TABLE 2.4.1. MATERIAL BALANCE
No F- Zr F &I F ,
(50-46-4 mole %)
gave fairly firm commitments for approximately 1700
Ib of processed fluorides per month for the remain-
der of the calendar year. The ORNL Aircraft Re-
actor Engineering Division has been using an av-
erage of about 1000 Ib of fluorides per month.
Although the new survey is not complete, indica-
tions are that Aircraft Reactor Engineering Divi-
sion usage will range around 1000 to 1500 Ib per
month for the remainder of 1956. The demands will
not reach the production capacity of the facility,
but at least they will make it economically fea-
sible to maintain continuous operation.
The remaining 7500 Ib of hafnium-bearing zirco-
nium fluoride ordered from an outside vendor was
received and all the material was accepted as
satisfactory.
BATCHING AND DISPENSING OPERATIONS
J. P. Blakely F. A. Doss
The botching and dispensing facility dispensed
148 batches totaling approximately 4900 Ib of proc-
essed fluorides in batch sizes ranging from 1 to
250 Ib. The total amount dispensed was about
1000 Ib less than was dispensed the previous quar-
ter. Therefore there was another gain in stock
inventory in spite of decreased production. A ma-
terial balance for the quarter is given in Table
2.4.1.
The production and use of special compositions
is decreasing steadily, but periodic increases can
be expected as new materials are developed for
testing and investigations. The use of NaF-ZrF,
(50-50 mole %) and NaF-ZrF,-UF, (50-46-4 mole %)
or closely related compositions is expected to in-
crease to about 3000 Ib per month during the first
Material (Ib)
NaF-ZrF,
(SO-SO mole %)
Special Total
On hand at beginning of quarter 6,235 1,875 59 1 8,701
Produced during quarter 3,543 198 1,789 5,530
Total 9,778 2,073 2,380 14,231
Dispensed during quarter 3,828 0 1,078 4,906
On hand at end of quarter 5,950 2,073 1,302 9,325
s