Modular, integrated, automated, compact, and proliferation-hardened method to chemically recycle used nuclear fuel (unf) originating from nuclear reactors to recover a mixture of transuranic (tru) elements for advanced reactor fuel, and to recycle uranium and zirconium

Abstract

A single integrated system for recycling used nuclear fuel (UNF) emerging from a reactor has a decladding vessel separating fuel pellets from nuclear fuel rods via oxidation to produce a uranium compound. A fluorination vessel is coupled to the decladding vessel. A fluorinating agent is injected into the fluorination vessel and reacts with the uranium compound to convert the uranium compound to UF6. An electrowinning vessel is coupled to the fluorination vessel removing plutonium and actinides via electrowinning.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.