Pt. 2: Non-active laboratory for demonstrating the ILONA process. Construction and operating results

The construction, operating results and Research and Development results achieved with or during the operation of the installation are described. The ILONA installation was designed in 1978 and from June to December 1979 was under trial operation. It is made up of the following principal components: reprocessing furnace, purifying of gas effluents and a liquid waste collector. Apart from simulated waste containing plutonium constituted of over 50% PVC, other wastes are also reprocessed in this installation. - The experimental installations set up proved to be valid. - The construction materials, glass, enamel and PTFE, showed no visible changes after six months operation at 2500C. - The separation yield of the gas purification plant is at its highest when the level of 7 moles/l of acid in column 1 is not exceeded in total and when the addition of oxidation air is around 2 cu.m/h. - In the active reagent in circulation only 17 or 5% of the residue or tantalum oxide employed for the plutonium oxide simulation remains in suspension, whilst the remainder settles on the reaction vessel and at the bottom of the acid tank