The Molten Salt Reactor option for beneficial use of fissile material from dismantled weapons
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
- Tennessee Univ., Knoxville, TN (USA)
The Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) option for burning fissile fuel from dismantled weapons is examined. It is concluded that MSRs are very suitable for beneficial utilization of the dismantled fuel. The MSRs can utilize any fissile fuel in continuous operation with no special modifications, as demonstrated in the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment. Thus MSRs are flexible while maintaining their economy. MSRs further require a minimum of special fuel preparation and can tolerate denaturing and dilution of the fuel. Fuel shipments can be arbitrarily small, all of which supports nonproliferation and averts diversion. MSRs have inherent safety features which make them acceptable and attractive. They can burn a fuel type completely and convert it to other fuels. MSRs also have the potential for burning the actinides and delivering the waste in an optimal form, thus contributing to the solution of one of the major remaining problems for deployment of nuclear power. 19 refs.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 5717860
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-910208-2; ON: DE91013512
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science: earth science, Washington, DC (USA), 15-19 Feb 1991
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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FISSILE MATERIALS
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MOLTEN SALT REACTORS
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
ACTINIDES
BERYLLIUM FLUORIDES
HEAD END PROCESSES
LITHIUM FLUORIDES
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ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BERYLLIUM COMPOUNDS
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ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
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FISSIONABLE MATERIALS
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NEON 24 DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEI
POWER REACTORS
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
SAFETY
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPONTANEOUS FISSION RADIOISOTOPES
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