Minor actinide separations in the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuels
2015; Elsevier BV; Linguagem: Inglês
10.1016/b978-1-78242-212-9.00010-1
AutoresGiuseppe Modolo, Andreas Geist, Manuel Miguirditchian,
Tópico(s)Chemical Synthesis and Characterization
ResumoThis chapter provides an overview of important process developments for minor actinide (MA) separations as achieved in Europe. The separation processes presented in this chapter have been developed by the French Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA) or/and within European collaborative projects performed in the third to the seventh EURATOM Framework Programmes. Significant scientific and technical progress has been made. This review is focused on the development of flow sheets for the recovery of MA from highly active waste solutions, either by heterogeneous or by homogenous MA recycling modes. For heterogeneous recycling a specific MA stream is needed, from which a fuel or target can be fabricated with a high content of MA. It assumes preseparation of a major U/Pu stream by a PUREX-type process (not the scope of this chapter) and the MA are then consecutively separated by multistep (DIAMEX-SANEX concept) or single-step processes (1-cycle-SANEX, innovative-SANEX, and EXAm). In the homogenous mode, all the actinides are recycled together by an actinide group separation process (GANEX). This review is focused on European process developments of the above-mentioned concepts and only extraction systems that have been developed up to the implementation of spiked or hot countercurrent tests at laboratory and pilot scale will be presented. The flow sheets were verified by demonstration processes using mixer-settlers, columns, or miniature centrifugal contactors. The feasibility of the processes is also discussed.
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