Pyroprocess for processing spent nuclear fuel
Abstract
This is a pyroprocess for processing spent nuclear fuel. The spent nuclear fuel is chopped into pieces and placed in a basket which is lowered in to a liquid salt solution. The salt is rich in ZrF.sub.4 and containing alkali or alkaline earth fluorides, and in particular, the salt chosen was LiF-50 mol % ZrF.sub.4 with a eutectic melting point of 500.degree. C. Prior to lowering the basket, the salt is heated to a temperature of between 550.degree. C. and 700.degree. C. in order to obtain a molten solution. After dissolution the oxides of U, Th, rare earth and other like oxides, the salt bath solution is subject to hydro-fluorination to remove the oxygen and then to a fluorination step to remove U as gaseous UF.sub.6. In addition, after dissolution, the basket contains PuO.sub.2 and undissolved parts of the fuel rods, and the basket and its contents are processed to remove the Pu.
- Inventors:
-
- Naperville, IL
- Lockport, IL
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 874793
- Patent Number(s):
- 6461576
- Assignee:
- The United States of America as represented by the United States Department (Washington, DC)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
C - CHEMISTRY C01 - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY C01G - COMPOUNDS CONTAINING METALS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C01D OR C01F
C - CHEMISTRY C22 - METALLURGY C22B - PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- pyroprocess; processing; spent; nuclear; fuel; chopped; pieces; placed; basket; lowered; liquid; salt; solution; rich; zrfsub4; containing; alkali; alkaline; earth; fluorides; chosen; lif-50; mol; eutectic; melting; 500degree; prior; lowering; heated; temperature; 550degree; 700degree; obtain; molten; dissolution; oxides; rare; bath; subject; hydro-fluorination; remove; oxygen; fluorination; step; gaseous; ufsub6; addition; contains; puosub2; undissolved; rods; contents; processed; nuclear fuel; rare earth; alkaline earth; fuel rod; spent nuclear; salt solution; /423/
Citation Formats
Miller, William E, and Tomczuk, Zygmunt. Pyroprocess for processing spent nuclear fuel. United States: N. p., 2002.
Web.
Miller, William E, & Tomczuk, Zygmunt. Pyroprocess for processing spent nuclear fuel. United States.
Miller, William E, and Tomczuk, Zygmunt. Tue .
"Pyroprocess for processing spent nuclear fuel". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/874793.
@article{osti_874793,
title = {Pyroprocess for processing spent nuclear fuel},
author = {Miller, William E and Tomczuk, Zygmunt},
abstractNote = {This is a pyroprocess for processing spent nuclear fuel. The spent nuclear fuel is chopped into pieces and placed in a basket which is lowered in to a liquid salt solution. The salt is rich in ZrF.sub.4 and containing alkali or alkaline earth fluorides, and in particular, the salt chosen was LiF-50 mol % ZrF.sub.4 with a eutectic melting point of 500.degree. C. Prior to lowering the basket, the salt is heated to a temperature of between 550.degree. C. and 700.degree. C. in order to obtain a molten solution. After dissolution the oxides of U, Th, rare earth and other like oxides, the salt bath solution is subject to hydro-fluorination to remove the oxygen and then to a fluorination step to remove U as gaseous UF.sub.6. In addition, after dissolution, the basket contains PuO.sub.2 and undissolved parts of the fuel rods, and the basket and its contents are processed to remove the Pu.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2002},
month = {Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2002}
}