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Recycling of isotopically modified molybdenum from irradiated CerMet nuclear fuel: part 1—concept design and assessment

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Abstract

This paper deals with concept design and assessment of a process for the recovery of isotopically modified molybdenum from irradiated nuclear CerMet fuels containing the transuranium element oxides in a metallic molybdenum matrix. The recovery of isotopically modified Mo should enable re-use of this valuable resource especially in the case of uranium-free fuels/targets for accelerator-driven transmuters. The process concept proposed is a modification of the standard hydrometallurgical way of molybdenum processing. Further, the most significant expected radionuclidic impurities in the molybdate raffinate were predicted. Separation of these impurities from the concentrated molybdate solution will be described in the following parts of this mini-series.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the ASGARD Project supported by EU within the 7th Framework Programme (EC-GA No. 295825), the Grant Agency of the Czech Technical University in Prague (Grant Nos. SGS12/199/OHK4/3T/14 and SGS15/216/OHK4/3T/14), and by the Centre for advanced applied science, Project No. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000778, supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic.

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  1. Department of Nuclear Chemistry, Czech Technical University in Prague, Břehová 7, 115 19, Prague 1, Czech Republic

    Kamil Vavřinec Mareš & Jan John

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  1. Kamil Vavřinec Mareš
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  2. Jan John
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Correspondence to Kamil Vavřinec Mareš.

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Mareš, K.V., John, J. Recycling of isotopically modified molybdenum from irradiated CerMet nuclear fuel: part 1—concept design and assessment. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 320, 227–233 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-019-06456-2

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