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

U, Pu, Amを用いた金属電解法シーケンシャル試験

倉田 正輝* ; 矢作 昇*; 北脇 慎一 ; 仲吉 彬  ; 福嶋 峰夫 

Kurata, Masaki*; Yahagi, Noboru*; Kitawaki, Shinichi; Nakayoshi, Akira; Fukushima, Mineo

電力中央研究所と原子力機構は、1kg規模の溶融塩電解槽を用いたシーケンシャル試験により、実用運転条件を模擬した金属電解法乾式再処理技術開発を実施している。本報告は、U/Pu合金を得るためのMOXペレットの電解還元試験と得られたU/Pu合金を陽極に、固体陰極と液体Cd陰極によりU及びU-TRU電解精製試験の結果を報告する。電解電位等及び溶融塩中核物質濃度等の経時変化、分離係数、製品中不純物濃度などを測定した。本試験は、実機の千分の一規模に相当する。

CRIEPI and JAEA are continuing a collaboration study for metal pyro-processing, in which sequential process tests have been performed under practical conditions using 1kg 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.