Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A method for stabilizing corium to produce a stable waste form, the method comprising:loading the corium into an electroreducer, the electroreducer including a first molten salt electrolyte and a reducer cathode assembly configured to hold the corium;reducing the corium in the first molten salt electrolyte of the electroreducer to produce a reduced material in the reducer cathode assembly;accumulating a reducer waste in the first molten salt electrolyte;loading the reduced material into an electrorefiner, the electrorefiner including a second molten salt electrolyte, a refiner cathode assembly, and a refiner anode assembly configured to hold the reduced material;electrolytically dissolving the reduced material in the second molten salt electrolyte of the electrorefiner to produce a purified metal product on the refiner cathode assembly; andaccumulating a first refiner waste in the second molten salt electrolyte and a second refiner waste in the refiner anode assembly. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the loading the corium into the electroreducer includes placing the corium into the reducer cathode assembly while the corium and the reducer cathode assembly are underwater. 3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:dewatering the reducer cathode assembly prior to reducing the corium in the first molten salt electrolyte of the electroreducer. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the loading the corium into the electroreducer includes placing the corium into the reducer cathode assembly while the corium and the reducer cathode assembly are submerged in an existing pool of a nuclear reactor. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the reducing the corium in the first molten salt electrolyte includes immersing the corium in a molten salt bath of lithium chloride. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the accumulating a reducer waste involves accumulating halides including at least one of a Group 1 element and a Group 2 element. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrolytically dissolving the reduced material in the second molten salt electrolyte includes immersing the reduced material in a molten salt bath of lithium chloride or a LiCl—KCl eutectic. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the accumulating a first refiner waste involves accumulating halides including a transuranic element in the second molten salt electrolyte. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the accumulating a second refiner waste involves accumulating zirconium and a noble metal in the refiner anode assembly. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:dividing the corium into a plurality of pieces prior to loading the corium into the electroreducer. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the dividing the corium is performed underwater. 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the dividing the corium is performed while the corium is submerged in an existing pool of a nuclear reactor. 13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:converting the reducer waste from the electroreducer and the first refiner waste from the electrorefiner into a ceramic waste form. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the converting into a ceramic waste form includes producing a glass-bonded sodalite. 15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:converting the second refiner waste from the electrorefiner into a metallic waste form. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the converting into a metallic waste form includes producing metal ingots. 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the corium is produced during a nuclear meltdown of a reactor, and sea water is injected to cool the reactor. 18. The method of claim 1, wherein corium includes sea salts.