Linkage options between unit process to enhance proliferation resistance of pyroprocessing

Abstract Pyroprocessing technology has been actively developed at KAERI as one of the options to address the national spent fuel management issue. As much as the unit process development itself, the linkage method between each unit process is also of importance. There may be different linkage options between a set of two process units, or different options caused by different technologies for one of two unit processes connected to each other. The linkage method may affect the loss of nuclear materials and distribution of fission products, which are essential from the safeguards and proliferation resistance points of view. In this study, different technology options for some of the major process steps and possible linkage options were identified, and aspects of their proliferation resistance including the impact on the safeguards are discussed. Several options for decladding and feeding to electro-reduction, dross and the residual salt treatment of reduced materials as well as feeding to electro-refining, and salt transfer from electro-refining to electro-winning were identified and their technical and proliferation resistance aspects were analyzed. This study does not conclude any ranking of each option or suggest which option is the best. It is important to note that the objectives to review the process and linkage options are to give the basic characteristics and technical information related to safeguards measures and proliferation resistance and to suggest a conceptual idea for certain options to investigate further and enhance those aspects.