Integrated experiments of electrometallurgical pyroprocessing with using plutonium oxide

Koyama, Tadafumi*; Hijikata, Takatoshi*; Usami, Tsuyoshi*; Inoue, Tadashi*; Kitawaki, Shinichi ; Shinozaki, Tadahiro; Fukushima, Mineo ; Myochin, Munetaka

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