Nuclear Chemical Engineering
Pyroprocess Development
This multidisciplinary group employs its expertise in chemistry, chemical engineering, and materials science to understand, develop, and engineer innovative, commercially viable electrochemical processes for the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle. This work covers the full scope of the nuclear fuel cycle for metal, oxide, carbide and nitride fuels with the development of novel processes for the efficient recovery and recycling of actinides into fresh fuel as well as the stabilization of fission products in robust waste forms. Recent inventions include the development of highly scalable designs for uranium electrorefining and electrolytic oxide reduction systems. In concert with our process development activities, we are also developing and evaluating electroanalytical techniques for use in safeguards systems.
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Related Information
- Pyroprocessing Technologies
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Pyroprocessing Technologies — Recycling Used Nuclear Fuel for a Sustainable Energy Future [ 5.2MB]
Related Multimedia
Video: Nuclear Recycling in 4 Minutes
Pyroprocessing
Interview
about Pyroprocessing (Audio Credits: Courtesy of WGN radio)
Hussein Khalil, director of Argonne’s Nuclear Energy and Security program,
talks to Bill Moller of WGN Radio about the revolutionary potential of pyroprocessing (interviewed dating July 2012, see also Argonne’s pyroprocessing and advanced reactor research featured on WGN radio)
Photo Galleries
Argonne’s Pyroprocessing - Flickr Gallery
In the Press
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Nuclear fuel recycling could offer plentiful energy
:: Read Argonne News Release» (Jun. 22, 2012)
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Putting the new in nuclear
:: Read Archived Argonne News Release -- Argonne Now magazine (Fall 2009)
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Integral Fast Reactor
Developed at Argonne National Laboratory, the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) is a revolutionary nuclear reactor concept where metal alloy is used as fuel and liquid sodium as coolant and the fuel recycling is done on site…
:: Read more about this reactor
Related Resources
FACT SHEETS
- Pyroprocessing Technologies: Recycling Used Nuclear Fuel for a Sustainable Energy Future
[5.2MB] - Argonne's Low-Energy Accelerator Facility (LEAF) [5.9MB]
OTHER RESOURCES
For more information:
Nuclear Chemical Engineering Dept.
Pyroprocess Development Section
Sect. Manager: James L. Willit