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In the pyroprocess integrated inactive demonstration (PRIDE) facility at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), UO2porous pellets were fabricated as a feed material for electrolytic reduction on an engineering scale of 30 kg-U/batch. To increase the batch size, we designed and modified the corresponding equipment for unit processes based on ceramic processing. In the course of pellet fabrication, the correlation between the green density and sintered density was investigated within a compaction pressure range of 106–206 MPa, in terms of the optimization of processing parameters. Analysis of the microstructures of the produced UO2porous pellets suggested that the pellets were suitable for feed material in the subsequent electrolytic reduction process in pyroprocessing. This research puts forth modifications to the process and equipment to allow the safe mass production of UO2porous pellets; we believe these results will have immense practical interest.

This report summarizes treatment and waste form options being evaluated for waste streams resulting from the electrochemical/pyrometallurgical (pyro ) processing of used oxide nuclear fuel. The technologies that are described are South Korean (Republic of Korea – ROK) and United States of America (US) ‘centric’ in the approach to treating pyroprocessing wastes and are based on the decade long collaborations between US and ROK researchers. Some of the general and advanced technologies described in this report will be demonstrated during the Integrated Recycle Test (IRT) to be conducted as a part of the Joint Fuel Cycle Study (JFCS) collaboration between US Department of Energy (DOE) and ROK national laboratories. The JFCS means to specifically address and evaluated the technological, economic, and safe guard issues associated with the treatment of used nuclear fuel by pyroprocessing. The IRT will involve the processing of commercial, used oxide fuel to recover uranium and transuranics. The recovered transuranics will then be fabricated into metallic fuel and irradiated to transmutate, or burn the transuranic elements to shorter lived radionuclides. In addition, the various process streams will be evaluated and tested for fission product removal, electrolytic salt recycle, minimization of actinide loss to waste streams and wastemore » form fabrication and characterization. This report specifically addresses the production and testing of those waste forms to demonstrate their compatibility with treatment options and suitability for disposal.« less

Co-precipitation experiments of lanthanides were carried out using this lab-scale apparatus (4kg-salt/batch). As lanthanides, 8 lanthanide elements (Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu and Gd) were used. By reaction with oxygen, these 8 lanthanide chlorides were converted their oxide (REO2 , RE2 O3 ) or oxychloride form. Since these lanthanide oxides or oxychlorides are nearly molten salt insoluble, they all were precipitated by free settling in the bottom of molten salt bed, where about 7–8 hrs precipitation time was requested. It was found that in the conditions of 700 °C - 12 hours sparging time and 5 L/min, all the used lanthanide elements showed over 99.5% oxidation efficiency. But in case of 800 °C molten salt temperature only after 7 hours they showed over 99% oxidation efficiency.Copyright © 2009 by ASME

Distillation and condensation characteristics of LiCl-KCl eutectic salts containing rare earth precipitates were investigated to separate the rare earth precipitates from the salts effectively. The distillation flux of the salts was increased by about 1,000 times by reducing the ambient pressure from 760 Torr to 0.5 Torr. The salt vapors were almost changed into salt lumps during a salt distillation at the ambient pressure of 0.5 Torr and they were collected in the condensed salt storage. However, fine salt particles were formed when the salt distillation was processed at 10 Torr and it is difficult for them to be recovered. Therefore, it is thought that a salt vacuum distillation and condensation should be processed to recover almost all of the vaporized salts at a pressure below 0.5 Torr.Copyright © 2009 by ASME

In this study, a vacuum distillation of a mixture of LiCl-KCl eutectic salt and rare-earth oxidative precipitates was performed to separate a pure LiCl-KCl eutectic salt from the mixture. Also, a dechlorination and oxidation of the rare-earth oxychlorides was carried out to stabilize a final waste form. The mixture was distilled under a range of 710-759.5Torr of a reduced pressure at a fixed heating rate of 4 degrees C/min and the LiCl-KCl eutectic salt was completely separated from the mixture. The required time for the salt distillation and the starting temperature for the salt vaporization were lowered with a reduction in the pressure. Dechlorination and oxidation of the rare-earth oxychlorides was completed at a temperature below 1300 degrees C and this was dependent on the partial pressure of O2. The rare-earth oxychlorides (NdOCl/PrOCl) were transformed to oxides (Nd2O3/PrO2) during the dechlorination and oxidation process. These results will be utilized to design a concept for a process for recycling the waste salt from an electrorefining process.

Separation of some alkaline-earth chlorides (Sr, Ba) was investigated by using carbonate injection method in LiCl-KCl eutectic and LiCl molten salts. The effects of the injected molar ratio of carbonate ([K2 (or Li2 )CO3 /Sr (or Ba)Cl2 ]) and the temperature (450–750 °C) on the conversion ratio of the Sr or Ba carbonate were determined. In addition, the form of the Sr and Ba carbonate resulting from the carbonation reaction with carbonates was identified via XRD and SEM-EDS analysis. In these experiments, the carbonate injection method can remove Sr and Ba chlorides effectively over 99% in both LiCl-KCl eutectic and LiCl molten salt conditions. When Sr and Ba were co-presented in the eutectic molten salt, they were carbonated in a form of Ba0.5 Sr0.3 CO3 . And when Sr was present in LiCl molten salt, it was carbonated in the form of SrCO3 . Carbonation ratio increased with a decreasing temperature and it was more favorable in the case of a K2 CO3 injection than that of Li2 CO3 . Based on this experiment, it is postulated that carbonate precipitation method has the potential for removing alkali-earth chlorides from LiCl-KCl eutectic and LiCl molten salts.Copyright © 2007 by ASME