DICTYONEMA SHALE AND URANIUM PROCESSING AT SILLAMÄE
1999; Estonian Academy Publishers; Volume: 16; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês
10.3176/oil.1999.4.02
ISSN1736-7492
Autores Tópico(s)Radioactive contamination and transfer
ResumoThe present paper deals with the foundation and operation of the Sillamdie Metallurgical Plant in 1946-1989.It presents data on uranium production from the local Dictyonema shale as well as from the imported ore.Data on the processing of enriched uranium are also given.The article describes the work of the Narva pilot plant and construction of the waste depository in Sillamde, which is an environmental hazard.The pre-investment planning 0] the initial remedial measures is presented.The Estonian town of Sillamie is situated on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland at the mouth of River Sotke, 172 km east of Tallinn and 25 km from the Russian border.Processing of uraniferous black Dictyonema shale in Sillaméde was started after the World War 11.The earlier Swedish oil shale processing plant in Sillamde was totally destroyed during WW 11.The plant was rebuilt as a uranium extraction and processing facility (also called Industrial Combine No. 7; Facility No. 7; Oil Shale Processing Plant; enterprise P.0.8.P-6685; Sillaméie Metallurgical Plant; now Silmet).The purpose of the plant was to produce uranium from the local Dictyonema shale.The first batch of Estonian uranium was produced in the town of Narva at the pilot plant (later known as the Cloth Dyeing Factory)during the winter of 1944/45.Construction of the Sillaméde plant began in 1946 and uranium production started at the end of 1948.Everything that went on there was a strictly kept military secret.The word 'uranium' was a taboo and different names were used instead, such as product A-9, metal, tar, silicon, tin, lead, aluminum, etc.The names of the technological processes were changed as well (for example, uranium ore was named sand, filtration -separation, enrichment -moistening, etc.) and
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