Investigation of molybdate melts as an alternative method of reprocessing used nuclear fuel
Abstract
Here, an investigation of molybdate melts containing sodium molybdate (Na2MoO4) and molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) to achieve the separation of uranium from fission products by crystallization has been performed. The separation is based on the difference in solubility of the fission product metal oxides compared to the uranium oxide or molybdate in the molybdate melt. The molybdate melt dissolves uranium dioxide at high temperatures, and upon cooling, uranium precipitates as uranium dioxide or molybdate, whereas the fission product metals remain soluble in the melt. Small-scale experiments using gram quantities of uranium dioxide have been performed to investigate the feasibility of UO2 purification from the fission products. The composition of the uranium precipitate as well as data for partitioning of several fission product surrogates between the uranium precipitate and molybdate melt for various melt compositions are presented and discussed. The fission products Cs, Sr, Ru and Rh all displayed very large distribution ratios. The fission products Zr, Pd, and the lanthanides also displayed good distribution ratios (D > 10). A melt consisting of 20 wt% MoO3-50 wt% Na2MoO4-30 wt% UO2 heated to 1313 K and cooled to 1123 K for the physical separation of the UO2 product from the melt, and washedmore »
- Authors:
-
- Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States); Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE); USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Reactor Fleet and Advanced Reactor Development. Office of Nuclear Energy Technologies
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1363800
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1419390
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-06CH11357
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Nuclear Materials
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 486; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0022-3115
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; modified open fuel cycle; recrystallization; uranium behavior in molybdate melts; uranium separation; uysed nuclear fuel recycle
Citation Formats
Hames, Amber L., Tkac, Peter, Paulenova, Alena, Willit, James L., and Williamson, Mark A. Investigation of molybdate melts as an alternative method of reprocessing used nuclear fuel. United States: N. p., 2017.
Web. doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.01.027.
Hames, Amber L., Tkac, Peter, Paulenova, Alena, Willit, James L., & Williamson, Mark A. Investigation of molybdate melts as an alternative method of reprocessing used nuclear fuel. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.01.027
Hames, Amber L., Tkac, Peter, Paulenova, Alena, Willit, James L., and Williamson, Mark A. Tue .
"Investigation of molybdate melts as an alternative method of reprocessing used nuclear fuel". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.01.027. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1363800.
@article{osti_1363800,
title = {Investigation of molybdate melts as an alternative method of reprocessing used nuclear fuel},
author = {Hames, Amber L. and Tkac, Peter and Paulenova, Alena and Willit, James L. and Williamson, Mark A.},
abstractNote = {Here, an investigation of molybdate melts containing sodium molybdate (Na2MoO4) and molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) to achieve the separation of uranium from fission products by crystallization has been performed. The separation is based on the difference in solubility of the fission product metal oxides compared to the uranium oxide or molybdate in the molybdate melt. The molybdate melt dissolves uranium dioxide at high temperatures, and upon cooling, uranium precipitates as uranium dioxide or molybdate, whereas the fission product metals remain soluble in the melt. Small-scale experiments using gram quantities of uranium dioxide have been performed to investigate the feasibility of UO2 purification from the fission products. The composition of the uranium precipitate as well as data for partitioning of several fission product surrogates between the uranium precipitate and molybdate melt for various melt compositions are presented and discussed. The fission products Cs, Sr, Ru and Rh all displayed very large distribution ratios. The fission products Zr, Pd, and the lanthanides also displayed good distribution ratios (D > 10). A melt consisting of 20 wt% MoO3-50 wt% Na2MoO4-30 wt% UO2 heated to 1313 K and cooled to 1123 K for the physical separation of the UO2 product from the melt, and washed once with Na2MoO4 displays optimum conditions for separation of the UO2 from the fission products.},
doi = {10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.01.027},
journal = {Journal of Nuclear Materials},
number = C,
volume = 486,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jan 17 00:00:00 EST 2017},
month = {Tue Jan 17 00:00:00 EST 2017}
}
Web of Science