Economic analysis of thorium extraction from monazite

Salehuddin, Ahmad Hayaton Jamely Mohd; Ismail, Aznan Fazli; Bahri, Che Nor Aniza Che Zainul; Aziman, Eli Syafiqah

doi:10.1016/j.net.2018.11.005

Cited by 36 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…In addition, thorium is also more abundant than uranium and can thus satisfy the world energy demands for a longer time. According to worldwide statistics, the total confirmed uranium reserves were estimated at 7 million tons, while the projected thorium reserves were approximately 10 million tons 1‐4 . As such, thorium is generally accepted as a technically viable alternative to uranium in light of a potentially severe uranium resource shortage in the event of nuclear power renaissance 1,2,5 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A neutronic investigation of tristructural isotropic‐duplex fuel in a high‐temperature reactor prismatic seed‐and‐blanket fuel block configuration with reduced power peaking

2021

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Summary This paper presents the neutronic analysis of a tristructural isotropic (TRISO)‐duplex fuel loaded into the high‐temperature reactor (HTR) prismatic fuel block designs for a seed‐and‐blanket (S&B) reactor model. The selected fuel block design is the simplified model of a representative fuel configuration for the gas turbine–module helium reactor (GT‐MHR) and high‐temperature engineering test reactor (HTTR). The duplex fuel pellet comprises of UO2 as the seed and ThO2 as the blanket and uses the TRISO fuels. Monte Carlo N‐particle extended (MCNPX) simulations were conducted to analyze the power and neutron flux distributions of the reference fuel block and that of the TRIOS‐loaded duplex fuel designs. Standard neutronic parameters were computed, such as burnup‐dependent infinite multiplication factors (kinf), average block spectrum, and fissile inventory. It was discovered that while the S&B model could attain the highest burnup and the longest cycle duration, its power peaking was more than threefolds than that of the reference model at the beginning of the cycle (BOC). The results also show that the “Duplex‐2” model could reduce its power peaking by 24% through the integration of S&B arrangement with the duplex rods. It is noted that spatial distribution of the UO2 seed and 235U enrichment are the chief determining factors in the power optimization of the heterogeneous HTR prismatic fuel blocks loaded with thorium.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A neutronic investigation of tristructural isotropic‐duplex fuel in a high‐temperature reactor prismatic seed‐and‐blanket fuel block configuration with reduced power peaking

2021

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“…Consequently, the monazite processing consumes more energy and chemicals than other REE minerals because of the requirement of additional separation of radioactive thorium. This processing generates significant amounts of hazardous wastes, leading to radioecological issues [36]. Consequently, the bioleaching of REE while thorium is adsorbed on the fungus would represent an important advantage for the development of the bioprocess.…”

Section: Monazite Bioleachingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bioleaching of Phosphate Minerals Using Aspergillus niger: Recovery of Copper and Rare Earth Elements

Castro

Blázquez

González

et al. 2020

Metals

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Rare earth elements (REE) are essential in high-technology and environmental applications, where their importance and demand have grown enormously over the past decades. Many lanthanide and actinide minerals in nature are phosphates. Minerals like monazite occur in small concentrations in common rocks that resist weathering. Turquoise is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminum scarcely studied as copper ore. Phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms are able to transform insoluble phosphate into a more soluble form which directly and/or indirectly contributes to their metabolism. In this study, bioleaching of heavy metals from phosphate minerals by using the fungus Aspergillus niger was investigated. Bioleaching experiments were examined in batch cultures with different mineral phosphates: aluminum phosphate (commercial), turquoise, and monazite (natural minerals). The experiments were performed at 1% pulp density and the phosphorous leaching yield was aluminum phosphate > turquoise > monazite. Bioleaching experiments with turquoise showed that A. niger was able to reach 8.81 mg/l of copper in the aqueous phase. Furthermore, the fungus dissolved the aluminum cerium phosphate hydroxide in monazite, reaching up to 1.37 mg/L of REE when the fungus was grown with the mineral as the sole phosphorous source. Furthermore, A. niger is involved in the formation of secondary minerals, such as copper and REE oxalates.

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“…Therefore, there should be sufficient thorium available to meet the increasing demand for energy worldwide 27,28 . In addition, uranium supply was expected to be depleted within 80 years unless new sources of uranium, such as seawater uranium, could economically be extractable 29,30 . As a matter of fact, uranium reserves in seawater were, estimated in theory, one thousand times larger than conventional uranium reserve 31 …”

Section: Thorium‐fueled Reactormentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thorium is a fertile element that, after absorbing neutrons, produces fissile material 233 U in a chain of nuclear transmutations via two beta decays as represented in the following equation 29,32‐34 :

{Th}^{232} \vec{false} {Th}^{233} \vec{false} {Pa}^{233} \vec{false} U^{233}

…”

Section: Thorium‐fueled Reactormentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At the present time, cost of 1 kg UO 2 (front end fuel cycle fuel costs) is US$1390 38 . As uranium is still needed as a seed in the thorium reactor, the use of thorium may thereby add to the overall cost of the nuclear fuels with the price of 1 kg ThO ranges between US$501.18 and US$553.17 (thorium extraction from monazite) 29 . However, the costs are expected to decline in the long term as the frequency of uranium fuel refueling can be gradually reduced.…”

Section: Thorium‐fueled Reactormentioning

confidence: 99%

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Review of the microheterogeneous thoria‐urania fuel for micro‐sized high temperature reactors

2020

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Summary This paper presents a systematic review of the micro‐modular thorium‐fueled high temperature reactors (HTR) loaded with duplex fuel pellet design. Specifically, each unique criterion of the design is discussed separately in an attempt to understand the combined advantages of the proposed reactor. Micro modular HTRs have great potential as a source of electricity or industrial heat in the future. The use of thorium not only improves its economic performance and safety, but also prolongs its operation. Nevertheless, the traditional seed‐and‐blanket configuration would not be able to maximize the thorium fuel burnup. As such, a new tristructural‐isotopic (TRISO) fuel based on duplex pellet designs were proposed instead. It should be noted that these duplex pellets were not practical for pressurized water reactor (PWR) technology due to its uneven power distribution which possibly leads to a very high local pellet temperature. However, this unorthodox inherent characteristics of the duplex pellets may actually suit the HTR burnup profile better due to its substantially higher thermal margin ‐ thus possibly enabling a relatively long operation of the HTR. The paper shall thereby provide a reasonably sound justification for the detailed technical investigations of the proposed reactor design.

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Economic analysis of thorium extraction from monazite

Cited by 36 publications

References 5 publications

A neutronic investigation of tristructural isotropic‐duplex fuel in a high‐temperature reactor prismatic seed‐and‐blanket fuel block configuration with reduced power peaking

A neutronic investigation of tristructural isotropic‐duplex fuel in a high‐temperature reactor prismatic seed‐and‐blanket fuel block configuration with reduced power peaking

Bioleaching of Phosphate Minerals Using Aspergillus niger: Recovery of Copper and Rare Earth Elements

Review of the microheterogeneous thoria‐urania fuel for micro‐sized high temperature reactors

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