Airborne Release of Uranium During the Burning of Process Solvent

DOE-HDBK-3010-94

3.0 Liquids; Organic, Combustible Liquids

capacity for the aqueous phase resulting in a more violent eruption upon boiling. Violent

eruption of the aqueous phase could cause the generation and entrainment of organic

droplets. Based on the results of this experiment, it is considered appropriate to make

distinctions between fires that burn to a completely dried residue and fires where, for

example, the presence of a large amount of aqueous solution precludes such an outcome.

3.3.4

A irb orn e R elease of U ran iu m D u rin g th e B urn in g of P rocess S olven t

Jordan and Lindner (October 1983) performed small-scale burning experiments using TBP-

kerosine mixtures without an aqueous phase. The experimental apparatus is shown in Figure

A.13 and the uranium release as a function of the uranium concentration in the solvent is

reproduced as Figure A.14 in Appendix A. The decomposition of nitric acid or nitrates

extracted into the solvent resulted in additional surface disturbance during burning. The

ARF for uranium dissolved in the combustible liquid increased with uranium concentration

and appears to range from 2E-3 to 2E-2. A bounding value of 1.5E-2 was selected by the

authors and is generally consistent with the range of uranium releases reported above in the

previous section.

3.3.5

A irb orn e R elease D u rin g C om b u stion of T B P-K erosin e

The airborne release of cesium, thorium and cerium was measured in tests using both small

(78.5 cm2) and large (0.4 to 5 m2) surface areas for combustion of TBP-kerosine process

solvent (Malet et al. April 1983). The experimental apparatus is shown in Figures A.11 and

A.12 in Appendix A. In both cases, the solvent traced with materials to represent the

behavior of heavy metal and fission product elements was held in metal trays and heated by

electric heaters. Air was drawn through the test vessel to exhaust systems that collected the

airborne materials. The transfer coefficient in air was determined by:

[initial mass element] - [final mass element]/initial mass element.

The decontamination factor was determined by:

[initial concentration element] x [volume]/mass collected on filter.

The pertinent results taken from the referenced documents (original data tables reproduced as

Tables A.20 and A.21 in Appendix A) are presented in Table 3-14.

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