Separations and Waste Forms Research and Development FY 2013 Accomplishments Report

Abstract

Cover Graphics: [background] This report briefly outlines campaign management and integration activities, but the intent of the report is to highlight the many technical accomplishments made during FY 2012. The campaign continued to maintain a balanced effort between scientific investigations to underpin advanced separations and waste forms technologies and engineering advancement to maintain relevance and focus on implementable technologies. There was an increased focus on development of new tools and methods to develop a better fundamental understanding of separation processes and waste form behavior and this effort is closely tied to modeling and simulation activities.The SWFC campaign management and integration activities included international coordination activities (France, China, Russia, Japan, and the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA] Advanced Aqueous TechnologiesWork performed within Advanced Aqueous Technologies was primarily the development of capabilities to support generic aqueous separation technologies (i.e., areas of development that will be needed and important for any aqueous technology). These included spectrophotometric monitoring of key process parameters (e.g., U, Pu, Np, nitrate, acid concentration) in near-real time. Additionally, the same techniques were applied to detecting and monitoring solvent degradation products and measuring metal concentrations in molten salt environments. A state-of-the-art micro-capillary sampling system was developed and designed for taking process samples, transporting them to an instrument and performing the analysis. A solvent degradation test loop, to allow hydrolysis and radiolysis (or both) of process solvents to be tested was used to test the Separations and Waste Forms Accomplishments Report vi FCRDͲSWFͲ12Ͳ000073 Revision 1, February 2013solvent degradation behavior of the TRUEX process. The test loop, which is one of only two in the world, gives the SWFC the ability to test the solvent degradation of any process solvent planned for future testing or implementation. Finally, additional testing of the Modified Direct Denitration process for conversion of uranium and actinide nitrates to oxides was performed. Electrochemical Separation TechnologiesWork performed under this area includes fission product and TRU drawdown from spent salt, process monitoring of metals in molten salt using volumetric and spectrophotometric techniques, , and salt-metal separations for U/TRU product. An additional project focused on limited recycle using molybdate melts was selected as part of an FY 2011 call for white papers and work was completed in FY 2012. These are areas that fall outside of the Joint Fuel Cycle Studies project and are focused on long term improvements for the electrochemical processing technology. Sigma Team for Minor Actinide SeparationsThis multi-lab, multidisciplinary Sigma Team is taking a number of approaches at trying to develop a simplified, economic and robust separation scheme for Am from Cm and lanthanides or Am and Cm from lanthanid...