LAUSR

Abstract The work presented here is based off the concept that the rare earth chloride (RECl 3 ) fission products within the used electrorefiner (ER) salt can be selectively removed as RECl 3 (not yet demonstrated) or precipitated out as a mixture of REOCl and REO x through oxygen sparging (has been demonstrated). This paper presents data showing the feasibility of immobilizing a mixture of RECl 3 s at 10 mass% into a 78%TeO 2 -22%PbO glass while also showing that this same mixture of RECl 3 s can be oxidized to REOCl at 300 °C and then to REO x by 1200 °C, evolving Cl 2(g) . When the REO x mixture is heated at temperatures >1200 °C, the ratios of REO x s change. The mixture of REO x was then immobilized in a lanthanide borosilicate (LABS) glass at a high loading of 60 mass%. Both the 78%TeO 2 -22%PbO glass and LABS glass systems show good chemical durability. The advantages and disadvantages of tellurite and LABS glasses are compared.