Characteristics of MOX dissolution with silver mediated electrolytic oxidation method

Umeda, Miki ; Nakazaki, Masato; Kida, Takashi; Sato, Kenji; Kato, Tadahito; Kihara, Takehiro; Sugikawa, Susumu

MOX dissolution with silver mediated electrolytic oxidation method is planned for the preparation of plutonium nitrate solution to be used for criticality safety experiments at Nuclear Fuel Cycle Safety Engineering Research Facility (NUCEF). Silver mediated electrolytic oxidation method uses the strong oxidisation ability of Ag(II) ion. This method is thought to be effective for the dissolution of MOX, which is difficult to be dissolved with nitric acid.In this paper, the results of experiments on dissolution with 100 g of MOX are described. It was confirmed by the results that the MOX powder to be used at NUCEF was completely dissolved by silver mediated electrolytic oxidation method and that Pu(VI) ion in the obtained solution was reduced to tetravalent by means of NO purging.