Study on reduction of oxide uranium in lithium process II

not registered; Fujita, Reiko*; Yahata, Hidetsugu*; not registered; Utsunomiya, Kazuhiro*

Pyrochemical reprocessing is one of a successful candidate of good economy for spent fuel reprocessing. Metallic fuel reprocessing process based on Argonne National Laboratory technology needs a reduction process from oxide fuel to metallic fuel to be applied to oxide fuel reprocessing. This study has examined the reduction process using metallic Li as a reducing agent for UO which is comparatively estimated with the results of UO examined last year after investigating the material of mesh basket with literature. The mesh basket made of Ti and W for oxide container, which are selected by investigating the material of mesh basket with literature, were both broken during reduction. However, the mesh basket made of several layers of stainless steel was not broken at the same reduction condition. The reduction ratio of UO was estimated to be about 80-100% by a gas bullet method or an acidic pretreatment method. The influence of simulated fission products (FPs) on the reduction ratio of UO was nothing, however the reduction products were mixed with the simulated FPs. A further study such as investigating the behavior of FPs in the Li reduction conditions and establishing the separation process of FPs from the reduction products of UO is necessary.