DAWNMANTLE - Decontamination and waste minimisation strategies for and using advanced molten salt nuclear technologies

熔盐反应堆和高温处理技术很可能是未来核燃料循环中的关键部件。可以说，这些技术的吸引力主要是基于使用熔盐介质所赋予的固有安全性(例如，降低了允许工厂占地面积较小的临界风险；与氧化物燃料反应堆相比，降低了挥发性放射性物质形成的可能性；工厂在大气压下运行；熔盐介质的辐射降解可以忽略不计)。这些技术还有可能应用于当前和近期的退役方案，如清除材料污染和尽量减少需要管理处置的废物量。受污染的金属作为部件(如管道、船只和结构梁等)在废物库存中占很大比例。在核操作过程中受到污染。2016年，核退役管理局报告称，仅英国就有大约3.2万吨受污染的中级废料(ILW)不锈钢。按照目前预计的约70,000 GB/立方米的废物处理速度，这一数量的废物加起来相当大的成本责任。该项目旨在评估材料需求，以便能够在当前退役方案和未来核燃料循环中的各种作业中部署先进的熔盐技术，并确定这些技术是否能为核能部门带来好处。这将通过从摇篮到坟墓的方法来实现，方法是评估与这些方法接触的所有放射性材料的性质，并试图为所有废物流提供安全和有效的废物管理办法。

Molten salt reactors and pyroprocessing technologies are likely to be key components in future nuclear fuel cycles. The attraction of these technologies can be argued is predominantly based upon the inherent safety imparted by the use of molten salt media (e.g. reduced criticality risk allowing small plant footprints; reduced likelihood of volatile radioactive species formation compared to oxide fuel reactors; plant operation at atmospheric pressures; negligible radiation degradation of molten salt media). These technologies also have the potential to be applied to current and near future decommissioning programmes such as decontaminating materials and minimizing waste volumes requiring managed disposal. Contaminated metals make up a significant proportion of the waste inventory as components (such as pipework, vessels and structural beams etc.) become contaminated during nuclear operations. In 2016, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority reported that there is approximately 32,000 tonnes of contaminated intermediate level waste (ILW) stainless steel in the UK alone. At a current predicted rate of ~£70,000/m3 to dispose of ILW, this volume of waste adds up to a considerable cost liability.This project aims to assess materials requirements that will allow the deployment of advanced molten salt technologies in current decommissioning programmes and across various operations in future nuclear fuel cycles, and determine whether these technologies can provide benefit the nuclear energy sector. This will be achieved by a cradle-to-grave approach by assessing the nature of all materials that come in contact with radioactive material with these approaches and attempting to provide safe and effective waste management options for all waste streams.