Treatment of molten fluoride salt-exposed graphite: Cleaning made simple

IF 1.9 3区工程技术 Q1 NUCLEAR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Annals of Nuclear Energy Pub Date : 2025-03-26 DOI:10.1016/j.anucene.2025.111386

Y. Huang , G. Zheng , D.J. Sprouster , L.L. Snead

引用次数: 0

Abstract

To ensure chemical stability in storage and transportation containers, graphite waste from Fluoride-cooled High-temperature Reactors (FHRs) requires treatment to remove residual fluorides and beryllium before disposal. This study demonstrates a simple, effective cleaning method for modern fine-grained nuclear graphite exposed to molten FLiBe salt under neutron irradiation. A straightforward soaking in deionized water successfully removed near-surface salt, confirmed through cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy mapping, and X-ray diffraction. Additional in situ electrochemical monitoring and ex situ fluorometer assays validated this approach. Post-cleaning analyses confirm the process effectively decontaminates graphite surfaces exposed to FLiBe during irradiation, offering a practical solution for FHR graphite waste management.

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来源期刊

Annals of Nuclear Energy 工程技术-核科学技术

CiteScore

4.30

自引率

21.10%

发文量

632

审稿时长

7.3 months

期刊介绍： Annals of Nuclear Energy provides an international medium for the communication of original research, ideas and developments in all areas of the field of nuclear energy science and technology. Its scope embraces nuclear fuel reserves, fuel cycles and cost, materials, processing, system and component technology (fission only), design and optimization, direct conversion of nuclear energy sources, environmental control, reactor physics, heat transfer and fluid dynamics, structural analysis, fuel management, future developments, nuclear fuel and safety, nuclear aerosol, neutron physics, computer technology (both software and hardware), risk assessment, radioactive waste disposal and reactor thermal hydraulics. Papers submitted to Annals need to demonstrate a clear link to nuclear power generation/nuclear engineering. Papers which deal with pure nuclear physics, pure health physics, imaging, or attenuation and shielding properties of concretes and various geological materials are not within the scope of the journal. Also, papers that deal with policy or economics are not within the scope of the journal.