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US 9,793,019 B1Granted
Low temperature chemical processing of graphite-clad nuclear fuels
AssigneeSavannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC
InventorRobert A. Pierce
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A reduced-temperature method for treatment of a fuel element is described. The method includes molten salt treatment of a fuel element with a nitrate salt. The nitrate salt can oxidize the outer graphite matrix of a fuel element. The method can also include reduced temperature degradation of the carbide layer of a fuel element and low temperature solubilization of the fuel in a kernel of a fuel element.
Claims19
A method for processing a graphite-encapsulated nuclear fuel element comprising:
- contacting a nuclear fuel element with a first nitrate salt at a temperature of from about 400° C. to about 700° C., the nuclear fuel element including a fuel particle and a graphite matrix external to the fuel particle, the fuel particle comprising a fuel kernel that includes a fissile or a fertile material, the first nitrate salt reacting with the graphite of the graphite matrix to oxidize the graphite to carbon dioxide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.