Molten salt extraction of transuranic and reactive fission products from used uranium oxide fuel

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United States of America Patent

PATENT NO 8734738
SERIAL NO

13666232

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Abstract

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Used uranium oxide fuel is detoxified by extracting transuranic and reactive fission products into molten salt. By contacting declad and crushed used uranium oxide fuel with a molten halide salt containing a minor fraction of the respective uranium trihalide, transuranic and reactive fission products partition from the fuel to the molten salt phase, while uranium oxide and non-reactive, or noble metal, fission products remain in an insoluble solid phase. The salt is then separated from the fuel via draining and distillation. By this method, the bulk of the decay heat, fission poisoning capacity, and radiotoxicity are removed from the used fuel. The remaining radioactivity from the noble metal fission products in the detoxified fuel is primarily limited to soft beta emitters. The extracted transuranic and reactive fission products are amenable to existing technologies for group uranium/transuranic product recovery and fission product immobilization in engineered waste forms.

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Patent Owner(s)

  • THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AS REPRESENTED BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

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Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Herrmann, Steven Douglas Idaho Falls, US 3 18

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