Method for corium and used nuclear fuel stabilization processing

摘要

A method for stabilizing a nuclear material may include electrolytically reducing the nuclear material in a first molten salt electrolyte of an electroreducer to produce a reduced material. A reducer waste may accumulate in the first molten salt electrolyte as a byproduct of the electroreduction. After the electroreduction, the reduced material may be electrolytically dissolved in a second molten salt electrolyte of an electrorefiner to produce a purified metal product on a refiner cathode assembly of the electrorefiner. As a result of the electrorefining, a first refiner waste may accumulate in the second molten salt electrolyte and a second refiner waste may accumulate in a refiner anode assembly of the electrorefiner. The reducer waste from the electroreducer and the first refiner waste from the electrorefiner may be converted into a ceramic waste form, while the second refiner waste from the electrorefiner may be converted into a metallic waste form.

主权项

1. A method for stabilizing corium to produce a stable waste form, the method comprising:
loading the corium into an electroreducer, the electroreducer including a first molten salt electrolyte and a reducer cathode assembly configured to hold the corium; reducing the corium in the first molten salt electrolyte of the electroreducer to produce a reduced material in the reducer cathode assembly; accumulating a reducer waste in the first molten salt electrolyte; loading the reduced material into an electrorefiner, the electrorefiner including a second molten salt electrolyte, a refiner cathode assembly, and a refiner anode assembly configured to hold the reduced material; electrolytically dissolving the reduced material in the second molten salt electrolyte of the electrorefiner to produce a purified metal product on the refiner cathode assembly; and accumulating a first refiner waste in the second molten salt electrolyte and a second refiner waste in the refiner anode assembly.