3 ms·
I don't understand the full implication of it. What exactly is the problem when a sealed used core starts to have some small quantities of UF6?
by xorfish 7y ago
I don't understand the full implication of it. What exactly is the problem when a sealed used core starts to have some small quantities of UF6?
- pfdietz 7y agoThere are two implications. First, the free fluorine will cause corrosion of the structure in which the spent salt is stored. Second, this UF6 will be enriched, possibly mostly 233U if this is a thorium cycle reactor. If that condenses out somewhere you can achieve a critical mass. Unintentional nuclear chain reactions in spent fuel are a total no-no.
- xorfish 7y agoI mean it happens very slowly and only if the spent fuel is kept below 80° C. The vast majority of the waste decays in the first few years. This seems to be such a non-issue. Furthermore the IMSR isn't a thorium cycle reactor.