TECHNOLOGY LICENSING OPPORTUNITY Dual Chlorination-Fluorination System for Conversion of UO2 and PuO2 for Molten Salt Systems

TECHNOLOGY LICENSING OPPORTUNITY

Dual Chlorination-Fluorination System for Conversion of UO2 and PuO2 for Molten Salt Systems

Introduces an innovative, closed-loop halogenation process for the efficient conversion of used LWR fuel into molten salt reactor (MSR) fuels, adhering to non-proliferation treaty constraints and substantially reducing nuclear waste.

Opportunity:   Idaho National Laboratory (INL), managed and operated by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (BEA), offers the opportunity to explore a license and/or collaborative research agreement to commercialize this Dual Chlorination-Fluorination System. This technology transfer opportunity is part of a dedicated effort to convert government-funded research into job opportunities, businesses, and, ultimately, an improved way of life for the American people.

Overview:        Amidst a global nuclear renaissance, the industry faces pressing challenges in nuclear waste management and fuel supply for next-generation molten salt reactors (MSRs). Conventional technologies like PUREX, while functional, pose limitations in terms of cost, waste storage, and actinide recycling. This presents an exigent need for more efficient, safer, and proliferation-resistant fuel processing technologies.

Description:    The Dual Chlorination-Fluorination System addresses these challenges head-on by integrating a novel halogenation process into a closed-loop system. Utilizing used LWR fuel as the starting material, the technology employs both chloride and fluoride processes to produce (U/Pu)Cl3 and UF4/PuF3. The Co-Decontamination (CoDCon) or an alternative process like ROANEX serves as an upstream separation step, enabling the production of a mixed uranium (U) and plutonium (Pu) oxide product, ready for downstream halogenation. This system is strategically designed to adhere to non-proliferation treaty constraints, eliminate long-term high-level waste (HLW) storage needs, and provide a direct path to MSR fuel fabrication.

Benefits:          

• Streamlined closed-loop system for enhanced safety and efficiency.
• Complies with non-proliferation treaty constraints.
• Significantly reduces the need for long-term HLW storage.
• Utilizes hydroxyethyl hydrazine (HEH) to eliminate major hazard risks.
• Simplifies the overall process, requiring fewer contactor stages.
• Enables single-plant, end-to-end fuel fabrication from used LWR to MSR.

Applications:    

• Next-generation MSR fuel supply
• Waste management in current and future LWRs
• Upstream technology for fuel cycle R&D
• Non-proliferation strategy in the nuclear industry

Development Status: TRL 4, the system has been validated in a laboratory environment.  

IP Status:        Provisional Patent Application No. 63/578,086, “Methods of Chemically Halogenating Actinide Oxides,” BEA Docket No. BA-1402.  

INL seeks to license the above intellectual property to a company with a demonstrated ability to bring such inventions to the market. Exclusive rights in defined fields of use may be available. Added value is placed on relationships with small businesses, start-up companies, and general entrepreneurship opportunities.

Please visit Technology Deployment’s website at https://inl.gov/inl-initiatives/technology-deployment for more information on working with INL and the industrial partnering and technology transfer process.

Companies interested in learning more about this licensing opportunity should contact Andrew Rankin at td@inl.gov.