Reprocessing of Primary and Secondary Coolants During the BN-350 Reactor Decommissioning

9/25/2023 2023 - #03 Letters ti the editorial office

Smykov V.B. Zhurin A.V. Legkikh K.G. Alekseev V.V. Zhdanov V.P.

https://doi.org/10.26583/npe.2023.3.16

The BN-350 was the world’s first pilot production liquid metal cooled fast reactor. The reactor’s design thermal power was 1000 MW. The power startup of the reactor took place in July 16, 1973. The decision to decommission the BN-350 reactor was made in 1999 by the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Unfortunately, no RW reprocessing technologies were available at the time, including for spent alkali liquid metal coolants (primary sodium). An individual problem is reprocessing of spent cold filter trap oxides (CFTO) in the primary and secondary circuits. The most difficult task is to reprocess the accumulated liquid radioactive water concentrates (liquid waste, LW). The amount of aqueous LW will grow during the decommissioning activity.

References

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spent alkaline liquid metal coolant sodium sodium-potassium alloy BN-350 reactor BR-10 research reactor solid-phase oxidation slag gas-phase oxidation slag-like compound solid matrix liquid radioactive concentrates clinoptilolite

Link for citing the article: Smykov V.B., Zhurin A.V., Legkikh K.G., Alekseev V.V., Zhdanov V.P. Reprocessing of Primary and Secondary Coolants During the BN-350 Reactor Decommissioning. Izvestiya vuzov. Yadernaya Energetika. 2023, no. 3, pp. 164-169; DOI: https://doi.org/10.26583/npe.2023.3.16 (in Russian).