On the Feasibility of Plasma Separation of Spent Nuclear Fuel Components in a Nonuniform Magnetic Field

A new concept of plasma separation of spent nuclear fuel components in a variable-cross-section chamber with a nonuniform magnetic field is proposed. Numerical simulation performed in axisymmetric geometry in the single-particle approximation have shown that, in a nonuniform magnetic field of <1.6 kG, at voltages of up to 100 V, and for a chamber radius varying from 20 cm to 60 cm over a distance of up to 1 m, spent nuclear fuel components can be spatially separated into three mass groups: actinides with masses of m ~ 240 amu, used for subsequent recovery of the fuel; fission products with $$m = 70{-} 160$$ amu; and light elements with $$m < 60$$ amu, which primarily include the structural materials and associated gases (nitrogen, oxygen). Separation of the latter two groups is important for practical use, because it potentially reduces the cost of the further treatment of separated radioactive waste.