Application of molten salt oxidation for the minimization and recovery of plutonium-238 contaminated wastes

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Molten salt oxidation (MSO) is proposed as a {sup 238}Pu waste treatment technology that should be developed for volume reduction and recovery of {sup 238}Pu and as an alternative to the transport and permanent disposal of {sup 238}Pu waste to the WIPP repository. In MSO technology, molten sodium carbonate salt at 800--900 C in a reaction vessel acts as a reaction media for wastes. The waste material is destroyed when injected into the molten salt, creating harmless carbon dioxide and steam and a small amount of ash in the spent salt. The spent salt can be treated using aqueous separation ... continued below

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46 p.

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Wishau, R. May 1, 1998.

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Molten salt oxidation (MSO) is proposed as a {sup 238}Pu waste treatment technology that should be developed for volume reduction and recovery of {sup 238}Pu and as an alternative to the transport and permanent disposal of {sup 238}Pu waste to the WIPP repository. In MSO technology, molten sodium carbonate salt at 800--900 C in a reaction vessel acts as a reaction media for wastes. The waste material is destroyed when injected into the molten salt, creating harmless carbon dioxide and steam and a small amount of ash in the spent salt. The spent salt can be treated using aqueous separation methods to reuse the salt and to recover 99.9% of the precious {sup 238}Pu that was in the waste. Tests of MSO technology have shown that the volume of combustible TRU waste can be reduced by a factor of at least twenty. Using this factor the present inventory of 574 TRU drums of {sup 238}Pu contaminated wastes is reduced to 30 drums. Further {sup 238}Pu waste costs of $22 million are avoided from not having to repackage 312 of the 574 drums to a drum total of more than 4,600 drums. MSO combined with aqueous processing of salts will recover approximately 1.7 kilograms of precious {sup 238}Pu valued at 4 million dollars (at $2,500/gram). Thus, installation and use of MSO technology at LANL will result in significant cost savings compared to present plans to transport and dispose {sup 238}Pu TRU waste to the WIPP site. Using a total net present value cost for the MSO project as $4.09 million over a five-year lifetime, the project can pay for itself after either recovery of 1.6 kg of Pu or through volume reduction of 818 drums or a combination of the two. These savings show a positive return on investment.

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46 p.

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INIS; OSTI as DE99000744

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  • 19. U.S. Department of Energy low-level radioactive waste management conference, Salt Lake City, UT (United States), 10-12 Nov 1998

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  • Other: DE99000744
  • Report No.: LA-UR--98-2020
  • Report No.: CONF-981121--
  • Grant Number: W-7405-ENG-36
  • Office of Scientific & Technical Information Report Number: 677042
  • Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metadc711243

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Office of Scientific & Technical Information Technical Reports

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  • May 1, 1998

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  • Sept. 12, 2015, 6:31 a.m.

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  • May 5, 2016, 6:18 p.m.

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Wishau, R. Application of molten salt oxidation for the minimization and recovery of plutonium-238 contaminated wastes, article, May 1, 1998; New Mexico. (digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc711243/: accessed December 12, 2018), University of North Texas Libraries, Digital Library, digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.