Lithium actinide recycle process demonstration
- Argonne National Laboratory, IL (United States)
Several pyrochemical processes have been developed in the Chemical Technology Division of Argonne Laboratory for recovery of actinide elements from LWR spent fuel. The lithium process was selected as the reference process from among the options. In this process the LWR oxide spent fuel is reduced by lithium at 650{degrees}C in the presence of molten LiCl. The Li{sub 2}O formed during the reduction process is soluble in the salt. The spent salt and lithium are recycled after the Li{sub 2}O is electrochemically reduced. The oxygen is liberated as CO{sub 2} at a carbon anode or oxygen at an inert anode. The reduced metal components of the LWR spent fuel are separated from the LiCL salt phase and introduced into an electrorefiner. The electrorefining step separates the uranium and transuranium (TRU) elements into two product streams. The uranium product, which comprises about 96% of the LWR spent fuel mass, may be enriched for recycle into the LWR fuel cycle, stored for future use in breeder reactors, or converted to a suitable form for disposal as waste. The TRU product can be recycled as fast reactor fuel or can be alloyed with constituents of the LWR cladding material to produce a stable waste form.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 106919
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-95-1792; CONF-9407103-; ON: DE95014018; TRN: 95:006680-0056
- Resource Relation:
- Journal Volume: 346; Conference: International conference on accelerator-driven transmutation technologies and applications, Las Vegas, NV (United States), 25 Jul - 1 Aug 1994; Other Information: PBD: [1995]; Related Information: Is Part Of AIP conference on accelerator driven transmutation technologies and applications, Las Vegas, Nevada, July 25-29, 1994; Schriber, S.O.; Arthur, E.; Rodriguez, A.A.; PB: 958 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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