High-Temperature Oxidation of Plutonium Surrogate Metals and Alloys
- Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)
The Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement (PMDA) is a nuclear non-proliferation agreement designed to remove 34 tons of weapons-grade plutonium from Russia and the United States. While several removal options have been proposed since the agreement was first signed in 2000, processing the weapons-grade plutonium to mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel has remained the leading candidate for achieving the goals of the PMDA. However, the MOX program has received its share of criticisms, which causes its future to be uncertain. One alternative pathway for plutonium disposition would involve oxidizing the metal followed by impurity down blending and burial in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico. This pathway was investigated by use of a hybrid microwave and a muffle furnace with Fe and Al as surrogate materials. Oxidation occurred similarly in the microwave and muffle furnace; however, the microwave process time was significantly faster.
- Research Organization:
- Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-08SR22470
- OSTI ID:
- 1281778
- Report Number(s):
- SRNL-STI-2016-00425; TRN: US1601670
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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