Analysis of undissolved anode materials of Mark-IV electrorefiner

Yoo, Tae-Sic; Vaden, DeeEarl; Fredrickson, Guy L.; Westphal, Brian R.

doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2018.08.022

Title: Analysis of undissolved anode materials of Mark-IV electrorefiner

Abstract

The Mark-IV electrorefiner contains a molten-salt/molten-cadmium system for electrorefining uranium. The anode basket is loaded with chopped sodium-bonded metallic driver fuel. For the present investigation, the bulk of the fuel was U-10Zr binary alloy. The undissolved anode materials after electrorefining are sampled for chemical analysis. The estimation of the undissolved anode materials based on individual chemical analysis results are challenging due to inherently high sampling errors associated with heterogeneous undissolved material compositions. Investigation of chemical analysis data as a whole reveals noticeable trends in the compositions of the primary phases and materials. Based upon this observation, we propose a methodology for accounting the primary phases relying on the measurement of the total anode mass only. Furthermore, the methodology is based on an empirical model explaining the mass of the undissolved anode materials constructed from historical anode material analysis data.

Authors:

^[1]; Vaden, DeeEarl ^[1];

^[1];

^[1]

Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Publication Date:: 2018-08-11

Research Org.:: Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)

OSTI Identifier:: 1561224

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1698080

Report Number(s):: INL/JOU-18-45044-Rev000
Journal ID: ISSN 0022-3115; TRN: US2000605

Grant/Contract Number:: AC07-05ID14517

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Journal of Nuclear Materials

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 510; 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; Pyroprocessing; Electrorefiner

Citation Formats


                    Yoo, Tae-Sic, Vaden, DeeEarl, Fredrickson, Guy L., and Westphal, Brian R.. Analysis of undissolved anode materials of Mark-IV electrorefiner.  United States: N. p., 2018. 
Web.  doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2018.08.022.

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                    Yoo, Tae-Sic, Vaden, DeeEarl, Fredrickson, Guy L., & Westphal, Brian R.. Analysis of undissolved anode materials of Mark-IV electrorefiner.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2018.08.022

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                    Yoo, Tae-Sic, Vaden, DeeEarl, Fredrickson, Guy L., and Westphal, Brian R.. Sat .  
"Analysis of undissolved anode materials of Mark-IV electrorefiner".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2018.08.022.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1561224.

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@article{osti_1561224,

  title        = {Analysis of undissolved anode materials of Mark-IV electrorefiner},

  author       = {Yoo, Tae-Sic and Vaden, DeeEarl and Fredrickson, Guy L. and Westphal, Brian R.},

  abstractNote = {The Mark-IV electrorefiner contains a molten-salt/molten-cadmium system for electrorefining uranium. The anode basket is loaded with chopped sodium-bonded metallic driver fuel. For the present investigation, the bulk of the fuel was U-10Zr binary alloy. The undissolved anode materials after electrorefining are sampled for chemical analysis. The estimation of the undissolved anode materials based on individual chemical analysis results are challenging due to inherently high sampling errors associated with heterogeneous undissolved material compositions. Investigation of chemical analysis data as a whole reveals noticeable trends in the compositions of the primary phases and materials. Based upon this observation, we propose a methodology for accounting the primary phases relying on the measurement of the total anode mass only. Furthermore, the methodology is based on an empirical model explaining the mass of the undissolved anode materials constructed from historical anode material analysis data.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.jnucmat.2018.08.022},

  journal      = {Journal of Nuclear Materials},

  number       = C,

  volume       = 510,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2018},

  month        = {8}

}

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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2018.08.022

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Figure 1: The Mk-IV electrorefiner schematic

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