Current and Future State of Pyrochemical Reprocessing for Spent Nuclear Fuel

Year
2013
Author(s)
Matthew T. Cook - Institute for Nuclear Security and Department of Nuclear Engineering
Steven J. Jones - Institute for Nuclear Security and Department of Nuclear Engineering
Jeff E. Lux - Institute for Nuclear Security and Department of Nuclear Engineering
Matthew L. Baruzzini - Institute for Nuclear Security and Department of Nuclear Engineering
Steven E. Skutnik - Institute for Nuclear Security and Department of Nuclear Engineering
Howard L. Hall - Institute for Nuclear Security and Department of Nuclear Engineering
Abstract
Pyrochemical processing, also known as pyroprocessing, is an electrochemical method of treating spent nuclear fuel, metal as well as oxide, to recover actinides from fission products for further use in nuclear fuel. A potential application of pyroprocessing includes closing the nuclear fuel cycle while providing a means of reducing the quantity of waste at commercial power plants. Partitioning the waste into its constituents enables recycling of fissile material back into the fuel cycle while possibly reducing the volume of process waste. The purpose of this literature review is to assess the current state of pyrochemical reprocessing and its unique safeguards challenges and thus glean some understanding of its future direction. Currently, several nations – including the US, South Korea, Japan, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Russia – are investigating pyroprocessing technologies for their respective fuel cycles. In several countries there is growing support for, and work progressing in, deployment of alternative spent-fuel reprocessing operations. Several countries are currently assessing pyroprocessing as a complement to aqueous reprocessing methods because of its radiation robustness, a denser more compact waste form, and its ability to recover valuable fissile material without chemically separating plutonium from other transuranics (H. Lee et al. 2013). The majority of work in developing the technology required for commercialization has focused on the increasing throughput, development of a continuous process, methods for recovery of molten salt, and salt waste disposition. Most efforts are currently at the prototype scale with several proposals for full-scale facilities being fielded (Dey and Bansal 2006; Inoue, Koyama, and Arai 2011).