Abstract:
Some embodiments include a molten salt system comprising a reactor with a salt mixture. In some embodiments, the salt mixture includes uranium and a eutectic salt. The eutectic salt may include one or more of sodium fluoride, potassium fluoride, aluminum fluoride, zirconium fluoride, lithium fluoride, beryllium fluoride, rubidium fluoride, magnesium fluoride, calcium fluoride, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, aluminum chloride, zirconium chloride, lithium chloride, beryllium chloride, rubidium chloride, magnesium chloride, and calcium chloride. The eutectic salt may have a melting point less than about 800° C.
Abstract:
A salt composition for use as a fuel in a nuclear reactor is provided. The salt composition can include carrier salts having mixtures of one or more chloride salts or one or more chloride salts and one or more fluoride salts and fuel salts including one or more chloride salts. The carrier salts can include alkali and/or alkaline earth cations, while the fuel salts can include actinide cations. The salt composition has a lower melting temperature, less corrosive redox properties, and allows proliferation- safe retention of actinides and concurrent removal of some fission products, as compared to other salts employed in molten salt reactors. Optionally, the salt composition can include one or more metal halides for further decreasing the melting point and/or increasing the boiling point of the composition, thereby increasing the range of the liquid phase of the salt composition.
Abstract:
A method for producing uranium oxide includes combining uranium oxyfluoride and a solid oxidizing agent having a lower thermodynamic stability than the uranium oxide; heating the combination below the vapor point of the uranium oxyfluoride to sufficiently react the uranium oxyfluoride and the oxidizing agent to produce uranium oxide and a non-radioactive fluorine compound; and removing the fluorine compound.
Abstract:
A method of purifying a UF6 gas stream which comprises irradiating the UF6 gas stream with laser radiation in a vessel in order to selectively convert fluoride impurities in the gas stream to involatile products, removing the purified UF6 gas stream from the vessel and separately removing the impurities from the vessel.
Abstract:
본 발명은 기상반응을 통한 UF 6 heel의 처리방법 및 처리장치에 관한 것으로서, 구체적인 처리방법은 (1) UF 6 heel을 기화시키는 단계; (2) 상기 기화된 UF 6 가스를 이용하여 고상의 UO 2 F 2 를 생성하는 단계; (3) 상기 고상의 UO 2 F 2 와 부산(副産)가스를 분리하는 단계; 및 (4) 상기 부산가스 중 불화수소를 분리하는 단계;를 포함하고, 처리장치는 (1) UF 6 heel을 기화하기 위한 전용기화기, (2) 상기 기화기와 연결되어 기화기에서 생성된 UF 6 가스를 이용하여 UO 2 F 2 를 생성하는 반응기, (3) 상기 반응기와 연결되어 반응기에서 생성된 고상의 UO 2 F 2 를 부산가스와 분리하는 고ㆍ기상 분리기, (4) 상기 고ㆍ기상 분리기와 연결되어 고ㆍ기상 분리기에서 공급된 부산가스를 통과시켜 액체를 응축시키는 열교환기 및 (5) 상기 열교환기에서 응축된 불화수소 액체와 가스로 분리하는 액ㆍ기상 분리기;를 포함할 수 있다. 상기와 같은 본 발명에 따르면, UF 6 heel 처리를 통하여 UO 2 분말의 중간물질인 고상의 UO 2 F 2 를 제조함으로써 재변환 공정의 안정화와 UO 2 분말의 품질을 향상할 수 있으며, UF 6 heel을 0.5kg 미만으로 최소화하여 값비싼 방사성 폐기물의 처리비용도 줄이는 효과가 있다.
Abstract:
L'invention se rapporte à l'utilisation d'un composé de formule KMgF 3 pour piéger des métaux présents sous forme de fluorures et/ou d' oxyfluorures dans une phase gazeuse ou liquide. Elle se rapporte également à un composé de formule KMgF 3 qui présente une surface spécifique au moins égale à 30 m 2 /g et au plus égale à 150 m 2 /g ainsi qu'à ses procédés de préparation. L' invention trouve notamment application dans l'industrie nucléaire où elle peut avantageusement être mise à profit pour purifier l'hexafluorure d'uranium (UF 6 ) présent dans un flux gazeux ou liquide vis-à-vis des impuretés métalliques qui se trouvent également dans ce flux.
Abstract:
A process for treating a feedstock comprising tantalum- and/or niobium- containing compounds is provided. The process includes contacting the feedstock with a gaseous fluorinating agent, thereby to fluorinate tantalum and/or niobium present in the feedstock compounds. The resultant fluorinated tantalum and/or niobium compounds are recovered.
Abstract:
Processes for the removal of technetium from contaminated uranium hexafluoride containing technetium, typically as technetium-99 ( Tc) in nominal chemical forms are provided. The processes involve contacting the contaminated uranium hexafluoride in liquid form with a metal fluoride, typically magnesium fluoride (MgF2), for a period of time sufficient for the technetium to become adsorbed onto the metal fluoride thereby producing a purified uranium hexafluoride liquid; and removing the purified uranium hexafluoride liquid from the metal fluoride having adsorbed technetium.
Abstract:
The present disclosure provides systems and methods for fast molten salt reactor fuel-salt preparation. In one implementation, the method may comprise providing fuel assemblies having fuel pellets, removing the fuel pellets and spent fuel constituents from the fuel assemblies, granulating the removed fuel pellets or process feed to a chlorination process, processing the granular spent fuel salt into chloride salt by ultimate reduction and chlorination of the uranium and associated fuel constituents chloride salt solution, enriching the granular spent fuel salt, chlorinating the enriched granular spent fuel salt to yield molten chloride salt fuel, analyzing, adjusting, and certifying the molten chloride salt fuel for end use in a molten salt reactor, pumping the molten chloride salt fuel and cooling the molten chloride salt fuel, and milling the solidified molten chloride salt fuel to predetermined specifications.
Abstract:
Some embodiments include a method comprising: flowing a molten salt out of a molten salt reactor at a first temperature, heating the molten salt reactor to a second temperature above the melding point of the second salt mixture causing the second salt mixture to melt; flowing the second salt mixture out of the molten salt reactor; flowing a third salt mixture into the molten salt reactor; and cooling the molten salt reactor from the second temperature to a third temperature causing the third salt mixture to solidify on the interior surface of the housing. In some embodiments, the molten salt may include a first salt mixture comprising at least uranium. In some embodiments, the first temperature is a temperature above the melting point of the first salt mixture.