Chemical Engineering

In the Department of Chemical Engineering we investigate advanced separation technologies for the spent nuclear fuel reprocessing cycle and their effects on the whole process flowsheet. We provide expertise in fluidization on a major project with NNL and Sellafield Ltd to deliver reliable operational performance and increased throughput of the Magnox Uranium Finishing Line of the Reprocessing Plant at Sellafield. The research includes detailed experimental investigations of the different separation technologies, design and control, numerical and process modelling. Working with NNL, Sellafield and the NDA, we are also developing new methods to assess the impact of radionuclide releases through a life cycle approach.

The work is supported by state-of-the art laboratories for the study of the various processes.  Facilities include high speed imaging and high power pulsed X-Ray imaging for the study of the complex flow patterns, laser based flow diagnostics for velocity and concentration fields in the process units, dry preparation of molten salts, a number of molten salt molten furnaces with electrochemical interfaces and dry box containing a molten salt reactor. The facilities in the UCL/Zeiss Centre for Correlative X-ray Microscopy are extensively used for characterising products and in situ studies.

Current projects include

• Intensified liquid-liquid extraction technologies (impinging jets, small channels, countercurrent chromatography) and the application of novel solvents (ionic liquids)
• Electrochemical processing of spent nuclear fuel using molten salts
• Fluidization technologies for the processing of spent nuclear fuel
• Life Cycle Analysis of nuclear waste management and plant decommissioning
• Modelling, design and optimisation of the whole reprocessing cycle to inform decision making on processing routes, evaluating alternatives in the context of multiple criteria, including technoeconomic, environmental and safety

Academic staff

Research staff 

PhD students