Allison's Project Page

Who:  I was born and raised in the state of Utah. As such, I love hiking and going on adventures to obscure shops or ghost towns. I am notorious for my love of coffee, but I also enjoy writing, art, and learning new things.

My scientific/engineering interests:  I am a huge fan of chemistry. I find the math that is involved to be innately satisfying, and I enjoy how it has helped me push my boundaries for problem solving while providing me a deeper understanding of the world around me.

Academic goals:  I am a Chemistry major who intends on minoring in Nuclear Engineering. I am working on the BS/MS track for this degree and am considering a PhD. I intend to further develop my skills in effectively communicating science and research, and to come out of this experience as a more well-rounded individual.

Career goals:  I am actively keeping an open mind when approaching future career paths. I would enjoy anything in research or industry, but I am not at all opposed to other opportunities that may present themselves along the way.

Electrorefining is an essential step in electrochemical processing of spent nuclear fuel. It involves loading chopped metallic fuel segments into an anode basket, immersing the basket into molten salt, and electrochemically driving the uranium to a cathode. This electrolyte consists primarily of eutectic LiCl-KCl molten salt. This electrolyte facilitates the transfer of ions from anode to cathode, but over time becomes progressively concentrated with fission products. When this happens, the molten salt must either be purified or disposed of and replaced. The problem with disposal, is that the salt is hygroscopic, soluble in water, and forms corrosive water solutions. It is simply unsuitable for disposal without some level of treatment. This project explores absorption of this salt into zeolite-4A as an option for salt treatment. At high temperatures, the salt will melt and absorb into the zeolite’s molecular-scale pores. It is hypothesized that the salt’s attraction for water will be diminished upon being occluded into the zeolite. If absorption of eutectic waste salt into zeolite-4A successfully reduces the hygroscopic characteristic of  the LiCl-KCl, then disposal of electrorefiner salt becomes significantly safer and without risk of canister corrosion or product leaking into the environment (should there be an ingress of water). In this project, LiCl-KCl occluded into zeolite-4A will be prepared and subjected to controlled humidity conditions for up to several days. Water uptake as a function of time will be measured and compared to salt that has not been occluded by the zeolite.

Water Sorption Properties of Salt Occluded Zeolite-4A Download Water Sorption Properties of Salt Occluded Zeolite-4A