Nuclear energy holds immense potential to meet growing energy demands, and researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory are working on a breakthrough technology that could revolutionize the recycling of nuclear fuel and other valuable materials.
Their research focuses on a smaller, more localized approach to recovering uranium, transuranic elements, and rare earth metals—an innovation that could benefit both the nuclear industry and U.S. manufacturing.
By applying their method to materials that would otherwise be discarded—such as mining waste, coal fly ash, and electronic waste—scientists hope to maximize resource extraction while minimizing environmental impact. This versatile system could reduce reliance on foreign sources for nuclear fuel and critical metals, boosting domestic energy and manufacturing capabilities.
“The stakes are high in the nuclear industry, and so is the potential for impactful innovation,” said Anna Servis, a radiochemist at Argonne, who spearheaded the research.
Compact, efficient recycling with RPB technology
The research revolves around rotating packed bed (RPB) contactors, a kind of chemical processing equipment that optimizes conventional metal separation techniques. RPB technology is small compared to large-scale processing plants, thus allowing the extraction of valuable elements within or close to their point of use.
This localized approach could cut back a lot on the safety risks and costs of handling nuclear fuel.
At present, spent nuclear fuel is being stored at reactor sites throughout the United States with few alternatives for reuse or disposal. On-site recycling can remove the need to transport large containers full of fuels through highways and protect against public safety issues posed by them.
Moreover, reduced radiation shielding would be required in small-scale processing, thereby reducing costs and improving worker safety.
Approaches to resource recovery
These methods, being tested by Servis and her team, rely on RPB as the basis of their operations. The first one entails using gasses to separate valuable substances from those that are not needed, while using some special liquids to dissolve and extract essential metals is what liquid-liquid extraction means.
Lastly, solid-phase extraction allows easy recovery of metals captured on solid surfaces. All these methods employ different physical states like gas, liquid, or solid in extracting target materials effectively while minimizing the wastes involved.
After the extraction of useful materials, they can be recycled and reused while leaving smaller volumes of waste to dispose of and harm.
The planned research is funded by DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy in cooperation with Case Western Reserve University. The team is trying to rework these techniques in order to startle the world with a new concept of nuclear fuel recycling plus metal recovery, opening up the possibility for a more sustainable and resilient supply chain for strategic materials.
“Our research is not just about refining technologies, it’s about redefining possibilities,” Servis said.