Behavior of the Cadmium Pool in the INL Mk-IV Electrorefiner

Guy L. Fredrickson; David C. Horvath; Tae-Sic Yoo; Ryan N. Searle; Michael N. Patterson; Deeearl Vaden; Michael R. Shaltry; Collin T. Andersen

doi:10.1149/1945-7111/ae26d5

Behavior of the Cadmium Pool in the INL Mk-IV Electrorefiner

Guy L. Fredrickson
, David C. Horvath
, Tae-Sic Yoo
, Ryan N. Searle
, Michael N. Patterson
, Deeearl Vaden
, Michael R. Shaltry
, Collin T. Andersen

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Mk-IV electrorefiner has been in service since 1996 recovering uranium from spent fuels from the Experimental Breeder Rector II and Fast Flux Test Facility sodium-cooled fast reactors. The electrorefiner vessel includes a cadmium pool beneath the salt. The voltage signal between the cadmium pool and reference electrode (Ag/AgCl type) provides information about the chemical condition of the cadmium pool with respect to uranium and zirconium saturation. This information is used to guide process control and sampling decisions. This paper describes how the voltage signal is related to chemistry by the analyses of data from Mk-IV operations and confirmatory experimentation.

Original language	English
Article number	123502
Pages (from-to)	123502
Number of pages	15
Journal	Journal of the Electrochemical Society
Volume	172
Issue number	12
Early online date	Dec 10 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1149/1945-7111/ae26d5
State	Published - Dec 10 2025

Keywords

nuclear fuel cycle
pyrochemical processing
pyrochemical reprocessing

INL Publication Number

INL/JOU-25-84699
199054

Access to Document

10.1149/1945-7111/ae26d5

Cite this

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title = "Behavior of the Cadmium Pool in the INL Mk-IV Electrorefiner",

abstract = "The Mk-IV electrorefiner has been in service since 1996 recovering uranium from spent fuels from the Experimental Breeder Rector II and Fast Flux Test Facility sodium-cooled fast reactors. The electrorefiner vessel includes a cadmium pool beneath the salt. The voltage signal between the cadmium pool and reference electrode (Ag/AgCl type) provides information about the chemical condition of the cadmium pool with respect to uranium and zirconium saturation. This information is used to guide process control and sampling decisions. This paper describes how the voltage signal is related to chemistry by the analyses of data from Mk-IV operations and confirmatory experimentation.",

keywords = "nuclear fuel cycle, pyrochemical processing, pyrochemical reprocessing",

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doi = "10.1149/1945-7111/ae26d5",

language = "English",

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AU - Fredrickson, Guy L.

AU - Horvath, David C.

AU - Yoo, Tae-Sic

AU - Searle, Ryan N.

AU - Patterson, Michael N.

AU - Vaden, Deeearl

AU - Shaltry, Michael R.

AU - Andersen, Collin T.

PY - 2025/12/10

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N2 - The Mk-IV electrorefiner has been in service since 1996 recovering uranium from spent fuels from the Experimental Breeder Rector II and Fast Flux Test Facility sodium-cooled fast reactors. The electrorefiner vessel includes a cadmium pool beneath the salt. The voltage signal between the cadmium pool and reference electrode (Ag/AgCl type) provides information about the chemical condition of the cadmium pool with respect to uranium and zirconium saturation. This information is used to guide process control and sampling decisions. This paper describes how the voltage signal is related to chemistry by the analyses of data from Mk-IV operations and confirmatory experimentation.

AB - The Mk-IV electrorefiner has been in service since 1996 recovering uranium from spent fuels from the Experimental Breeder Rector II and Fast Flux Test Facility sodium-cooled fast reactors. The electrorefiner vessel includes a cadmium pool beneath the salt. The voltage signal between the cadmium pool and reference electrode (Ag/AgCl type) provides information about the chemical condition of the cadmium pool with respect to uranium and zirconium saturation. This information is used to guide process control and sampling decisions. This paper describes how the voltage signal is related to chemistry by the analyses of data from Mk-IV operations and confirmatory experimentation.

KW - nuclear fuel cycle

KW - pyrochemical processing

KW - pyrochemical reprocessing

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ER -

Behavior of the Cadmium Pool in the INL Mk-IV Electrorefiner

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