Review

  • Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology
  • Volume 17(3); 2019
  • Article

Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology 2019;17(3):279-298. Published online: Sep, 30, 2019

Recent Progress in Waste Treatment Technology for Pyroprocessing at KAERI

  • Geun-Il Park ; Min Ku Jeon ; Jung-Hoon Choi ; Ki-Rak Lee ; Seung Youb Han ; In Tae Kim ; Yung-Zun Cho ; Hwan-Seo Park
Abstract

This study comprehensively addresses recent progress at KAERI in waste treatment technology to cope with waste produced by pyroprocessing, which is used to effectively manage spent fuel. The goal of pyroprocessing waste treatment is to reduce final waste volume, fabricate durable waste forms suitable for disposal, and ensure safe packaging and storage. KAERI employs grouping of fission products recovered from process streams and immobilizes them in separate waste forms, resulting in product recycling and waste volume minimization. Novel aspects of KAERI approach include high temperature treatment of spent oxide fuel for the fabrication of feed materials for the oxide reduction process, and fission product concentration or separation from LiCl or LiCl-KCl salt streams for salt recycling and higher fission-product loading in the final waste form. Based on laboratory-scale tests, an engineering-scale process test is in progress to obtain information on the performance of scale-up processes at KAERI.

Keywords

Spent PWR Fuel,Pyroprocessing,Filter waste,Salt waste,Metal waste