Modular Testing of Dinitrogen Oxide (Nitrogen Hemioxide) Catalytic Decomposition Technology for Off-Gas Cleanup Systems for Brest Spent Nuclear Nitride Fuel Reprocessing

• Published in: Atomic energy (New York, N.Y.) N.Y.), 2019-12, Vol.127 (2), p.99-104
• Main Authors: Kulyukhin, S. A., Bessonov, A. A., Rumer, I. A., Ustinov, O. A., Voskresenskaya, Yu. A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aluminum; Aluminum oxide; Atmospheric pressure; Catalysts; Composite materials; Composition; Decomposition; Energy industry; Evaporation; Flow velocity; Fuel reprocessing; Fuels; Gas flow; Gases; Hadrons; Heavy Ions; High temperature; Nitric acid; Nitrides; Nitrogen; Nitrous oxide; Nuclear Chemistry; Nuclear Energy; Nuclear Physics; Nuclear power plants; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Reactor fuel reprocessing; Reprocessing; Temperature; Vapor phases
• ISSN: 1063-4258; 1573-8205
• DOI: 10.1007/s10512-019-00592-4

Dinitrogen oxide N 2 O (nitrogen hemioxide) is one of the harmful components of the off-gases during the reprocessing of spent nitride fuel. It enters the gas phase during the dissolution of nitride fuel in nitric acid and denitration of high-activity raffinate or the bottom solution from the evaporation of intermediate-level wastes. The preferred method of neutralizing it is high-temperature catalytic decomposition. Compositions based on γ-aluminum oxide coated with catalysts were found previously. One of the compositions was checked on a semi-industrial setup. The efficiency of N 2 O decomposition was studied as a function of temperature. It was established that almost complete decomposition occurs at 465–480°C. The specific rate of N 2 O decomposition at 425–480°C was found as a function of the initial concentration. It is shown that for constant initial concentration of N 2 O the specific decomposition rate is almost the same in the investigated temperature interval.