Integrated Experiments of Electrometallurgical Pyroprocessing Using Plutonium Oxide

Abstract

Electrometallurgical pyroprocessing is a promising technology to realize actinide fuel cycle. Integrated experiments to demonstrate electrometallurgical pyroprocessing of PuO2 in continuous operation were carried out. In each test, 10–20 g of PuO2 was reacted with Li reductant to form metal product. The reduction products were charged in an anode basket of the electrorefiner with LiCl-KCl-UCl3 electrolyte. Using the anode, deposition of uranium on the solid cathode was carried out when PuCl3/UCl3 concentration ratio was low. After the Pu/U ratio in the salt electrolyte was increased enough, Pu and U were recovered simultaneously on a liquid cadmium cathode. By heating up the deposits for distillation of the salt and the cadmium, U metal or Pu-U alloyed metal was obtained as residues in the crucible. It was the first result to demonstrate the recovery of metal actinides in the continuous operation of pyroprocessing of oxide fuels.