Document Type
Article
Original Publication Date
2017
Journal/Book/Conference Title
Applied Spectroscopy
Volume
71
Issue
4
First Page
744
Last Page
749
DOI of Original Publication
10.1177/0003702816648965
Date of Submission
June 2017
Abstract
In the pyrochemical separation of used nuclear fuel (UNF), fission product, rare earth, and actinide chlorides accumulate in the molten salt electrolyte over time. Measuring this salt composition in near real-time is advantageous for operational efficiency, material accountability, and nuclear safeguards. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been proposed and demonstrated as a potential analytical approach for molten LiCl–KCl salts. However, all the studies conducted to date have used a static surface approach which can lead to issues with splashing, low repeatability, and poor sample homogeneity. In this initial study, a novel molten salt aerosol approach has been developed and explored to measure the composition of the salt via LIBS. The functionality of the system has been demonstrated as well as a basic optimization of the laser energy and nebulizer gas pressure used. Initial results have shown that this molten salt aerosol–LIBS system has a great potential as an analytical technique for measuring the molten salt electrolyte used in this UNF reprocessing technology.
Rights
© The Author(s) 2016 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav
Is Part Of
VCU Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Publications
Comments
Originally published at https://doi.org/10.1177/0003702816648965