Article, 2022

Investigation of dissolution behavior of SrO in molten LiCl-KCl salts for heat reduction of used nuclear fuel

Journal of Nuclear Materials, ISSN 1873-4820, 0022-3115, Volume 562, Page 153615, 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2022.153615

Contributors

Kang, Dokyu 0000-0003-2243-1613 [1] Chae, Nakkue [1] Yang, Wonseok 0000-0001-9716-9459 [1] Yoon, Seokjoo 0000-0003-2416-4125 [1] Foster, Richard Ian 0000-0002-5807-6062 [2] Amphlett, James T M 0000-0002-0135-587X [3] Bae, Sang-Eun 0000-0003-2668-8950 [4] Choi, Eun-Young 0000-0002-6224-8664 (Corresponding author) [4] Choi, Sungyeol (Corresponding author) [2]

Affiliations

  1. [1] Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
    2. [NORA names: South Korea; Asia, East; OECD];
  2. [2] Seoul National University
    3. [NORA names: South Korea; Asia, East; OECD];
  3. [3] Seaborg Technologies, Titangade 11, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
    4. [NORA names: Denmark; Europe, EU; Nordic; OECD];
  4. [4] Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute
    5. [NORA names: South Korea; Asia, East; OECD]

Abstract

90Sr is one of the most heat-generating fission products in used nuclear fuel. Because of its chemical stability as an oxide, it is tricky to separate Sr from used nuclear fuel without separating nuclear materials. Here we report on thermodynamic behavior of one of the primary contributors of decay heat, SrO, by investigating the reactions in molten salt systems. We study the respective influences of the KCl molar fraction and temperature on the dissolution behavior of SrO in molten LiCl-KCl salts: a widely used-salt composition owing to its low melting point and wide electrochemical window. Our results reveal that the solubility of SrO is relatively low in the eutectic LiCl-KCl at 773 K, compared to the other temperatures (823 K to 923 K) and the solubility decreased with increasing molar fraction of KCl (0 to 0.6) in LiCl at 923 K. Sr4OCl6 is produced by the dissolution of SrO in LiCl-KCl, and was confirmed by applying X-ray analyses. The results can be utilized to design a molten salt leaching process to separate high heat-generating fission products without proliferation issues, thereby reducing the environmental footprint during final waste disposal.

Keywords

KCl, LiCl, LiCl-KCl, LiCl-KCl salt, Sr, SrO, X-ray, X-ray analysis, analysis, behavior, chemical, chemical stability, composition, contributors, decay, decay heat, disposal, dissolution, dissolution behavior, electrochemical window, environmental footprint, eutectic LiCl-KCl, fission products, footprint, fraction, fractions of KCl, fuel, heat, heat reduction, increasing molar fraction, influence, investigation, issues, leaching process, low melting point, materials, melting point, molar fraction, molten LiCl–KCl salt, molten salt system, nuclear fuel, nuclear materials, oxidation, point, primary contributor, process, production, proliferation, proliferation issues, reaction, reduction, results, salt, salt leaching process, salt systems, solubility, solubility of SrO, stability, system, temperature, thermodynamic behavior, waste, waste disposal, window

Funders

  • Ministry of Education
  • National Research Foundation of Korea
  • Ministry of Science and ICT

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