On October 18th the Seminar devoted to the complicated technology of pyrochemical recycling of the spent nuclear fuel was held in the IHTE UB RAS.
It was attended by scientists from the Institute of High-Temperature Electrochemistry and experts from specialized organizations. There were delegates from the Siberian Chemical Combine (Seversk), the Innovative-Technology Centre of the project “Breakthrough” (Moscow), the Leading Research Institute of the State Corporation “Rosatom” on Chemical Engineering (Moscow), the Institute of Reactor Metals (Zarechnyi), the Research and Development Company “Sosny” (Dimitrovgrad) and the Ural Federal University.
Professor Yuri P. Zaykov DSc (Chemistry) and Chief Technologist of the “Breakthrough” Project Yuri S. Mochalov opened the Seminar. During the meeting participants discussed the progress inthe work done and the prospects of the further work within the “Breakthrough” Project.
To improve the economic feasibility of the nuclear fuel cycle the spent nuclear fuel is dissolvedin the molten saltduring the pyrochemical recycling, which is followed by electrolysis used to deposit and collect uranium or plutonium oxides in the form of granules. After that the oxides of radioactive elements are suitable for secondary use inthe nuclear fuel cycle.
The following topics were covered by reports of IHTE UB RAS researchers: thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of the processes at modernized pyrochemical recycling; experimental results of the uranium oxide electrochemical reduction in the chloride melts andunavoidable high-temperature corrosion of construction materials.
The guest reports were also very informative. Dmitry A. Goncharov, one of the Chief Constructors of the Research and Development Company “Sosny” talked about the importance of cooperation between constructors and technologists to provide the reliable equipment. Delegate from the Institute of Reactor Metals Leonid P. Sinelnikov described the capabilities of his Institute to deal with mixed uranium-plutonium-nitride spent nuclear fuel of fast neutron reactors. The Head of the Laboratory of High-Temperature Chemistry and Electrochemistry of “VNIIHT” Ivan V. Kuznetsov reported about the development of model nitride-uranium nuclear fuel synthesis method and investigation of electrochemical behavior of intermetallic compounds obtained in melts. 
