About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
MS&T25: Materials Science & Technology
|
| Symposium
|
Advancements in Molten Salt/Metal Technology in Energy Applications: From Atoms to Plants
|
| Presentation Title |
Separation of fission products from high-level waste salt via melt-crystallization |
| Author(s) |
Rocio Rodriguez Laguna, Tae-Sic Yoo, Kevin R Tolman, Brian S Newell, Jacob A Yingling, Morgan T Kropp, Stephanie Castro Baldivieso |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Rocio Rodriguez Laguna |
| Abstract Scope |
Spent nuclear fuel contains both fissile material and fission by-products. Reprocessing techniques, such as pyroprocessing, enable the recovery of fissile materials for further use, while leaving the fission products in the pyroprocessing salt for disposal. This process generates a considerable volume of high-level waste. This study aims to use a melt-crystallization technique to separate fission products from pyroprocessing salt to reduce the volume, heat load, and radiotoxicity of nuclear waste. Among the challenging fission products, cesium-137 (Cs-137) stands out as a significant contributor to the radiotoxicity and decay heat of high-level nuclear waste. A dual-heater setup was successfully employed to separate cesium from both chloride-based pyroprocessing salts and fluoride-based salts. These types of salts are relevant to advanced nuclear fuel cycles, including molten salt reactors. The findings demonstrate that melt-crystallization is a suitable technique for nuclear waste management, potentially reducing the burden on long-term storage repositories. |