The Effect of Initial Composition on PuOCl Formation in the Direct Oxide Reduction of PuO sub 2

A thermodynamic model is developed on direct oxide reduction (DOR) of PuO sub 2 to PuOCl by Ca within a flux of molten CaCl sub 2 at 1148K. The model predicts that a deficit of Ca in the reactant mixture would lead to the appearance of PuOCl in the product. An excess of metallic Ca is normally provi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of nuclear materials 1992-04, Vol.187 (2), p.183-185
Main Authors: Axler, K M, Sheldon, R I
Format: Article
Language:English
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:A thermodynamic model is developed on direct oxide reduction (DOR) of PuO sub 2 to PuOCl by Ca within a flux of molten CaCl sub 2 at 1148K. The model predicts that a deficit of Ca in the reactant mixture would lead to the appearance of PuOCl in the product. An excess of metallic Ca is normally provided for a full-scale DOR process. The presence of oxide and other impurities in the PuO sub 2 feed and CaCl sub 2 flux may consume some Ca, making partial oxidation of the metal unavoidable. DOR process is useful for production of Pu.
ISSN:0022-3115