METHOD OF PROCESSING SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL NITRIDE IN SALT MELTS Russian patent published in 2020 - IPC G21C19/42 

FIELD: physics.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to nuclear power engineering, in particular to methods of processing spent nuclear fuel, and can be used in technology of processing spent nuclear fuel in closed nuclear fuel cycle circuit, extracted from fuel elements. Method of processing spent nitride nuclear fuel in salt melt includes its chlorination in melt of mixture of chlorides of alkali and/or alkali-earth metals containing cadmium dichloride. Chlorination is carried out in an apparatus for processing spent nitride nuclear fuel using an inert gas atmosphere. Apparatus has a heated zone in which there is a reactor with a chloride melt and a spent nitride nuclear fuel immersed therein, as well as a cold zone located under the reactor. During chlorination zone of apparatus with reactor is heated to temperature higher than 700 °C, nitride spent nuclear fuel is held in the melt until complete chlorination, wherein the apparatus cold zone is used for crystallisation of metal cadmium formed during chlorination.

EFFECT: invention increases degree of conversion of spent nitride nuclear fuel in molten chloride to 100 %.

1 cl, 3 dwg, 1 tbl