Review of thorium fuel reprocessing experience

Conference · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1978

OSTI ID:5080081

Brooksbank, R E; McDuffee, W T; Rainey, R H

The review reveals that experience in the reprocessing of irradiated thorium materials is limited. Plants that have processed thorium-based fuels were not optimized for the operations. Previous demonstrations of several viable flowsheets provide a sound technological base for the development of optimum reprocessing methods and facilities. In addition to the resource benefit by using thorium, recent nonproliferation thrusts have rejuvenated an interest in thorium reprocessing. Extensive radiation is generated as the result of /sup 232/U-contamination produced in the /sup 233/U, resulting in the remote operation and fabrication operations and increased fuel cycle costs. Development of the denatured thorium flowsheet, which is currently of interest because of nonproliferation concerns, represents a difficult technological challenge.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., Tenn. (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 5080081
• Report Number(s): CONF-780223-3; TRN: 78-010563
• Resource Relation: Conference: 84. AIChE national meeting, Atlanta, GA, USA, 24 Feb 1978; Other Information: Portions of document are illegible
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
NUCLEAR MATERIALS DIVERSION
SAFEGUARDS
SPENT FUELS
REPROCESSING
THOREX PROCESS
FLOWSHEETS
THORIUM CYCLE
REVIEWS
COST
DAUGHTER PRODUCTS
FABRICATION
FUEL CYCLE
FUEL ELEMENTS
GAMMA SOURCES
PROCESSING
RECOVERY
THALLIUM 208
THORIUM
URANIUM 232
URANIUM 233
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ACTINIDES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DIAGRAMS
DOCUMENT TYPES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FUELS
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
METALS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEAR FUELS
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR MATERIALS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
THALLIUM ISOTOPES
URANIUM ISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
050800* - Nuclear Fuels- Spent Fuels Reprocessing