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Conference Article: Pyrometallurgical partitioning of transuranium elements and the transmutation in metallic fuel FBR

Abstract

High level radioactive waste (HLW) from reprocessing of LWR spent fuels contains a small amount of long-lived transuranium elements (TRU). A pyrometallurgical process for partitioning of TRU from HLW is being developed for their transmutation in a metallic fuel FBR. This process consists of (1) microwave heating denitration, (2) chlorination, (3) reductive extraction and (4) electrorefining. The wastes salts containing mainly alkali and alkaline metals are electrolyzed to obtain the stable form oxides for the disposal. The TRU recovered are mixed with the metallic fuel of U-Pu-Zr for fissioning in FBR. The characteristics were evaluated for alloys containing minor actinides (MA: Np, Am, Cm). The alloy fuel with MA is scheduled to irradiate in the Phenix Fast Reactor.

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Reference:

Safety and environmental aspects of partitioning and transmutation of actinides and fission products. Proceedings of a technical committee meeting, Vienna, 29 November - 2 December 1993

International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)

IAEA-TECDOC--783, pp:137-148