Speaker
Description
Accelerator-Driven Advanced Nuclear Energy System (ADANES) is currently under development and construction at the Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The ADANES design aims to burn spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and utilize the uranium content for electricity generation. To achieve high-efficiency uranium utilization, fast neutron poisons must be removed from the SNF. Lanthanides, as one of the main groups of fast neutron poisons, significantly reduce uranium utilization efficiency. Therefore, lanthanides must be separated from the SNF prior to its introduction into the ADANES burner.
A pyrochemical process has been developed and tested for the group separation of lanthanides from SNF. In this method, a chlorinating agent is introduced into a mixture containing UO₂, Sm₂O₃, Nd₂O₃, Eu₂O₃, Gd₂O₃, among others. The lanthanides are first selectively converted into chlorides at 360°C and subsequently evaporated from UO₂ at 1100°C under an argon atmosphere. A removal efficiency exceeding 50% has been demonstrated. This pyrochemical process shows promising potential for the rapid and effective group separation of lanthanides from spent nuclear fuel.