title: Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) in a Novel Molten Salt Aerosol System.
abstract: In the pyrochemical separation of used nuclear fuel (UNF), fission product, rare earth, and actinide chlorides accumulate in the molten salt electrolyte over time. Measuring this salt composition in near real-time is advantageous for operational efficiency, material accountability, and nuclear safeguards. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been proposed and demonstrated as a potential analytical approach for molten LiCl-KCl salts. However, all the studies conducted to date have used a static surface approach which can lead to issues with splashing, low repeatability, and poor sample homogeneity. In this initial study, a novel molten salt aerosol approach has been developed and explored to measure the composition of the salt via LIBS. The functionality of the system has been demonstrated as well as a basic optimization of the laser energy and nebulizer gas pressure used. Initial results have shown that this molten salt aerosol-LIBS system has a great potential as an analytical technique for measuring the molten salt electrolyte used in this UNF reprocessing technology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Ammon N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Supathorn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Phongikaroon
keywords: Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy; molten salts; nuclear safeguards; pyroprocessing