2000Nuclear Engineering and DesignOpen access

Non-proliferation attributes of molten salt reactors

Uri Gat, J.R. Engel

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Abstract

Molten salt reactors (MSR) have many non-proliferation attributes. They can operate on the thorium-uranium fuel cycle which protects the fissile material by the daughter products of the inseparable U-232. MSRs can completely fission all plutonium and HEU, and as desired, ‘convert’ them to U-233. This also results in high, and efficient resource utilization, while diminishing the plutonium stock. On line processing, when applied, could free the waste from all fissile material. The fuel in the reactor stays protected by the intense radiation of the fission products. Fuel can also be protected in the reactor as well as outside the reactor by denaturing with natural uranium. A wide variety of MSRs are available, from ‘once through’ minimum processing reactors to ones with fuel processing which can breed fuel for converters. MSRs are extremely safe and simple reactors with good economic potential.

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What this paper is about

Molten salt reactors (MSR) have many non-proliferation attributes. They can operate on the thorium-uranium fuel cycle which protects the fissile material by the daughter products of the inseparable U-232. MSRs can completely fission all plutonium and HEU, and as desired, ‘convert’ them to U-233. This also results in high, and efficient resource utilization, while diminishing the plutonium stock. On line processing, when applied, could free the waste from all fissile material. The fuel in the reactor stays protected by the intense radiation of the fission products. Fuel can also be protected in the reactor as well as outside the reactor by denaturing with natural uranium. A wide variety of MSRs are available, from ‘once through’ minimum processing reactors to ones with fuel processing which can breed fuel for converters. MSRs are extremely safe and simple reactors with good economic potential.

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Available abstract

Molten salt reactors (MSR) have many non-proliferation attributes. They can operate on the thorium-uranium fuel cycle which protects the fissile material by the daughter products of the inseparable U-232. MSRs can completely fission all plutonium and HEU, and as desired, ‘convert’ them to U-233. This also results in high, and efficient resource utilization, while diminishing the plutonium stock. On line processing, when applied, could free the waste from all fissile material. The fuel in the reactor stays protected by the intense radiation of the fission products. Fuel can also be protected in the reactor as well as outside the reactor by denaturing with natural uranium. A wide variety of MSRs are available, from ‘once through’ minimum processing reactors to ones with fuel processing which can breed fuel for converters. MSRs are extremely safe and simple reactors with good economic potential.

Key concepts: Fissile material, Thorium fuel cycle, Plutonium, Uranium-233, MOX fuel, Liquid fluoride thorium reactor, Molten salt, Nuclear engineering

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