Fluoride volatility experiments on irradiated thoria fuel at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories

[Display omitted] •Uranium was removed from irradiated thoria fuel via the fluoride volatility technique.•Longer fluorination times resulting in greater uranium removal for tests up to 24 h.•Fission products with volatile fluorides were also removed, Zr, Mo, Ru, and Rh. Fluoride volatility experiments were completed on irradiated thoria fuel in a hot cell facility at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL). Uranium was removed from irradiated thoria fuel in significant quantities, with longer fluorination times resulting in greater uranium removal for tests up to 24 h. Some fission products were also removed via fluorination; fission products with fluorides having low boiling points (Mo and Ru) were removed in greater quantities than fission products with fluorides having higher boiling points (Zr and Rh).