Sequential process test for metal pyro-processing using U, Pu, and Am

The Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI) and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) are continuing a collaboration study for metal pyro-processing, in which sequential process tests have been performed under practical conditions using ∼1 kg of molten salt baths. Recent results on two kinds of sequential process test are reported. The former is the electro-chemical reduction test of MOX pellet in order to form U-Pu alloy ingots. The latter is the electrolysis test using a combination of U-Pu alloy anode and solid or liquid cadmium cathode to recover U-product or U-Pu-Am alloy product, respectively. Variation in electrode potentials, current efficiency, molten salt composition, Pu- or Am-impurity in the U-product, U/Pu or Am/Pu separation factor in the U-Pu alloy product, and etc. were measured. These tests reproduced practical operating conditions at a scale of ∼1/1000 that of the actual process. (author)