Direct oxide reduction (DOR) solvent salt recycle in pyrochemical plutonium recovery operations

Technical Report · Sun Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6820703· OSTI ID:6820703

Fife, K W; Bowersox, D F; Davis, C C; McCormick, E D

One method used at Los Alamos for producing plutonium metal is to reduce the oxide with calcium metal in molten CaCl/sub 2/ at 850/sup 0/C. The solvent CaCl/sub 2/ from this reduction step is currently discarded as low-level radioactive waste because it is saturated with the reaction by-product, CaO. We have developed and demonstrated a molten salt technique for rechlorinating the CaO, thereby regenerating the CaCl/sub 2/ and incorporating solvent recycle into the batch PuO/sub 2/ reduction process. We discuss results from the process development experiments and present our plans for incorporating the technique into an advanced design for semicontinuous plutonium metal production.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6820703
• Report Number(s): LA-10891-MS; ON: DE87006314
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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052001* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Processing
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ACTINIDES
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM CHLORIDES
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM HALIDES
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ELEMENTS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
METALS
MOLTEN SALTS
NONAQUEOUS SOLVENTS
PLUTONIUM
PYROCHEMICAL REPROCESSING
RECOVERY
RECYCLING
REPROCESSING
SALTS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLVENTS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS