Year
2010
Abstract
There are many philosophies about nuclear fuel reprocessing with reference to safeguards and nuclear materials management. One camp believes that nuclear fuel reprocessing opens the proliferation floodgates, while others believe that reprocessing is needed to close the nuclear fuel cycle. Dr. Moniz’s thesis was that an international management instrument based on leased fuel contracts help reduce the potential for proliferation and allow the international nuclear fuel cycle to be closed. Molten salt-based electrometallurgical reduction of the metals in used nuclear fuel is an excellent materials management strategy that is well-suited for closing the fuel cycle. The fact is that electrochemistry is the most sensitive technique for separating electro-active species in solutions. Molten salt-based separation has advantages over aqueous separation methods. It is more proliferation-resistant since radiologically-hotter fuel assemblies may be processed sooner and at larger margins to inadvertent criticality since no water is used. In addition, the total waste volumes produced by molten salt electroreduction are substantially less than those produced by aqueous methods. More experience is needed to support refinement of this molten-salt technology especially in promoting best-practices in materials- accounting as well as radiological safety. The University of Missouri and Missouri University Research Reactor Center (MURR) were involved in actinide separation research using a molten- salt electrochemical investigation during the 1990’s through the TRansUranic Management by Pyro-partioning-Separation (TRUMP-S) program. This program is being rebuilt to focus on fundamental chemistry of 5f-electron bearing elements, i.e., the actinides (An) in molten salt solutions. Presently baseline studies are being conducted using lanthanide and transition metal analogs. This paper reviews the practical issues encountered during the TRUMP-S program and outlines future priorities. Particularly important are the proposed radiological control (RADCON) procedures which provide maximum safety and full regulatory compliance.