The evolution of voloxidation in nuclear fuel recycling: a technical perspective.

Authors

Kathryn M Lawson, Katherine R Johnson, Jarom L Chamberlain, Rebecca M Chamberlin, Richard T Mayes, Leigh R Martin

Published in

Dalton transactions (Cambridge, England : 2003). Sep 14, 2026. Epub Sep 14, 2026.

Abstract

Voloxidation has long been investigated as a front-end treatment for used nuclear fuel recycling. The primary objectives of this treatment include fuel decladding, oxidation-induced pulverization, and consolidated volatile fission product management. First developed during early aqueous reprocessing programs, this process converts uranium dioxide fuel to higher oxides through controlled solid-gas oxidation. Over decades of laboratory-scale, pilot-scale, and engineering-scale studies, the performance of voloxidation has been demonstrated for preparing fuel for integration with classical recycling flowsheets (PUREX and pyroprocessing). Recent interest in advanced fuel cycles as well as renewed attention to off-gas treatment and regulatory constraints prompt a reassessment of the usefulness of voloxidation within contemporary recycling strategies. This perspective reviews the historical development of voloxidation research and development, summarizes the current state of the art, and discusses lessons learned from past demonstrations.

PMID:
42734082
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 14 Sep 2026.

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