ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
Latest Magazine Issues
Apr 2026
Jan 2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
May 2026
Nuclear Technology
February 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
India’s PFBR attains criticality at last
Prime Minister Narendra Modi proclaimed it “a proud moment for India” when on April 6 the 500-MWe, sodium-cooled Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) achieved initial criticality. This milestone, which comes some 22 years after the continually delayed PFBR project began, marks India’s entrance into the second stage of its three-stage nuclear program, which has the ultimate goal of supporting the country’s nuclear power program with its significant thorium reserves.
Steven D. Herrmann, Brian R. Westphal, Shelly X. Li, Haiyan Zhao
Nuclear Technology | Volume 208 | Number 5 | May 2022 | Pages 871-891
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2021.1973180
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Prior work identified dissolution of used nuclear oxide fuel constituents from a uranium oxide matrix into molten LiCl-KCl-UCl3 at 500°C, prompting a subsequent series of three progressive studies (including an initial scoping study, an electrolytic dissolution study, and a chemical-seeded dissolution study) to further investigate associated parameters and mechanisms. Thermodynamic calculations were performed to identify possible reaction mechanisms and their propensities in used oxide fuel constituent dissolution. Used nuclear oxide fuels with varying preconditions from fast and thermal test reactors were separately immersed in the subject salt system to assess fuel constituent migration from the bulk fuel matrix to the salt phase in an initial scoping study. Dissolution of expected fuel constituents, including alkali, alkaline earth, lanthanide, and transuranium oxides, into the chloride salt phase varied widely, ranging from 12% to 99% in the initial study. Uranium isotope blending between the salt phase and bulk fuel matrix was also observed, which was attributed to reducing conditions in the fuel matrix. Electrolytic and chemical-seeded dissolution studies were subsequently performed to effect reducing conditions in the fuel. Other parameters, including temperature (at 500°C, 650°C, 725°C, and 800°C) and uranium trichloride concentrations (at 6, 9, and 19 wt% uranium), were investigated in the latter two studies, resulting in fuel constituent dissolution above 90%. Extents of dissolution were based on initial and final fuel constituent concentrations in the oxide fuels following operations in the salt and subsequent removal of the salt via distillation. In this series of progressive studies, oxide fuel preconditioning and in situ reducing conditions, along with elevated temperature and uranium trichloride concentrations, were the primary parameters promoting used nuclear oxide fuel constituent dissolution in accordance with identified reaction mechanisms.