| Abstract Scope |
Molten salts play a central role in advanced nuclear energy systems with applications in used nuclear fuel processing and Generation IV molten salt reactor systems. These systems benefit from molten salt properties such as high actinide and fission product solubility, a wide electrochemical potential window, excellent heat transfer characteristics, radiation stability, and criticality safety. Building from our legacy in pyrochemical technology, Argonne is developing and demonstrating next-generation used nuclear fuel processing technologies. Specifically, these technologies employ electrochemical processes to separate the actinides from the fission products in used nuclear fuel and yield a metallic actinide product that can be used in fueling fast spectrum Generation IV nuclear reactors. The presentation will provide an overview of a pyrochemical processing system based on molten salt electrochemical processes, advantages of the approach to fuel recycling, and status of technology development. |