Small-scale irradiated fuel electrorefining

Conference · Wed Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1993

OSTI ID:10182108

Benedict, R W; Krsul, J R; Mariani, R D; Park, K; Teske, G M

In support of the metallic fuel cycle development for the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR), a small scale electrorefiner was built and operated in the Hot Fuel Examination Facility (HFEF) at Argonne National Laboratory-West. The initial purpose of this apparatus was to test the single segment dissolution of irradiated metallic fuel via either direct dissolution in cadmium or anodic dissolution. These tests showed that 99.95% of the uranium and 99.99% of the plutonium was dissolved and separated from the fuel cladding material. The fate of various fission products was also measured. After the dissolution experiments, the apparatus was upgraded to stady fission product behavior during uranium electrotransport. Preliminary decontamination factors were estimated for different fission products under different processing conditions. Later modifications have added the following capabilities: Dissolution of multiple fuel segments simultaneously, electrotransport to a solid cathode or liquid cathode and actinide recovery with a chemical reduction crucible. These capabilities have been tested with unirradiated uranium-zirconium fuel and will support the Fuel Cycle Demonstration program.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 10182108
• Report Number(s): ANL/FC/CP--78576; CONF-930913--37; ON: DE93040241
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050800
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210500
ACTINIDES
ANODES
CATHODES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS
DISSOLUTION
ELECTROREFINING
FISSION PRODUCTS
FUEL CANS
FUEL CYCLE
IFR REACTOR
POWER REACTORS
BREEDING
SAMPLING
SPENT FUELS
SPENT FUELS REPROCESSING