Two-Step Chloride Volatility Process for Reprocessing Used Nuclear Fuel from Advanced Reactors

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Program:
ONWARDS
Award:
$926,800
Location:
Provo, Utah
Status:
ACTIVE
Project Term:
03/11/2022 - 03/10/2025
Website:

Technology Description:

Brigham Young University (BYU) will apply two-step chloride volatility (TSCV) to co-extract uranium (U) and transuranics (TRU) in a solventless, gas-solid separation scheme to reduce waste volumes and repository footprint by 10x. The BYU team will reduce risks and uncertainty of the TSCV process by quantifying the volatility of U/TRU chlorides in simulated UNF mixtures, optimizing process parameters for U/TRU extraction, and demonstrating TSCV up to a one-kilogram batch size. TSCV eliminates high-level liquid waste from reprocessing UNF in solvents, and recycles hydrogen chloride gas and chlorine gas within the process. BYU’s process is proliferation resistant because no pure fissile material streams are produced. Initial performance calculations indicate that waste streams will contain <0.1% by total weight of actinides.

Potential Impact:

By identifying and addressing challenges at the back end of the fuel cycle before the deployment of future AR technologies, ONWARDS will:

Security:

Support the growth of advanced nuclear energy with safe and sustainable domestic fuel stocks.

Environment:

Play a vital role in significantly reducing GHG emissions, proactively mitigate the disposal impact of AR UNF with integrated non-proliferation safeguards, and provide transformative solutions to improve the management and disposal of radioactive waste and UNF.

Economy:

Complement ARPA-E’s existing nuclear energy research portfolio, such as the MEITNER and GEMINA programs in AR R&D, further ensuring the commercial viability of innovative new ARs.

Contact

ARPA-E Program Director:
Dr. Robert Ledoux
Project Contact:
Dr. Devin Rappleye
Press and General Inquiries Email:
ARPA-E-Comms@hq.doe.gov
Project Contact Email:
drapp@byu.edu

Partners

Idaho National Laboratory

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Release Date:
05/19/2021