Dispersion of Aluminum Hydroxide with Uranium Fission Products as a Possible Cause of Accelerated Release of Aluminum into the Primary Circuit of a Research Nuclear Reactor

Abstract

The problem of an increase in the Al concentration in the primary coolant of a research nuclear reactor is considered. The dispersion of aluminum hydroxide by fission products of uranium sorbed on the reactor core surfaces is suggested as a possible cause of this phenomenon. The correlation between the Al concentration and the reactor core contamination with uranium was considered with the IVV-2M research nuclear reactor as an example. Contamination of the reactor core with uranium was accompanied by a considerable increase in the activity concentrations of ²⁴Na, ²⁷Mg, and ²³⁹Np washed out from oxide deposits on the reactor core surfaces, which confirms the hypothesis put forward.