Defining a metal-based waste form for IFR pyroprocessing wastes

Pyrochemical electrorefining to recover actinides from metal nuclear fuel is a key element of the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) fuel cycle. The process separates the radioactive fission products from the long-lived actinides in a molten LiCl-KCl salt, and it generates a lower waste volume with significantly less long-term toxicity as compared to spent nuclear fuel. The process waste forms include a mineral-based waste form that will contain fission products removed from an electrolyte salt and a metal-based waste form that will contain metallic fission products and the fuel cladding and process materials. Two concepts for the metal-based waste form are being investigated: (1) encapsulating the metal constituents in a Cu-Al alloy and (2) alloying the metal constituents into a uniform stainless steel-based waste form. Results are given from our recent studies of these two concepts.