Advanced pyrochemical technologies for minimizing nuclear waste
The Department of Energy (DOE) is seeking to reduce the size of the current nuclear weapons complex and consequently minimize operating costs. To meet this DOE objective, the national laboratories have been asked to develop advanced technologies that take uranium and plutonium, from retired weapons and prepare it for new weapons, long-term storage, and/or final disposition. Current pyrochemical processes generate residue salts and ceramic wastes that require aqueous processing to remove and recover the actinides. However, the aqueous treatment of these residues generates an estimated 100 liters of acidic transuranic (TRU) waste per kilogram of plutonium in the residue. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is developing pyrochemical techniques to eliminate, minimize, or more efficiently treat these residue streams. This paper will present technologies being developed at LLNL on advanced materials for actinide containment, reactors that minimize residues, and pyrochemical processes that remove actinides from waste salts.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 10192378
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-JC-116202; CONF-940602-21; ON: DE95002266; TRN: 94:022805
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 35. annual meeting of the American Nuclear Society,New Orleans, LA (United States),11-16 Jun 1994; Other Information: PBD: 1 Jun 1994
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
NUCLEAR WEAPONS DISMANTLEMENT
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
URANIUM
PYROCHEMICAL REPROCESSING
PLUTONIUM
MINIMIZATION
ALPHA-BEARING WASTES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
CHEMICAL REACTORS
MATERIALS
052000
450200
WASTE MANAGEMENT
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS AND EXPLOSIVES