Brief overview of the long-lived radionuclide separation processes developed in france in connection with the SPIN program
- CEA, Direction du Cycle du Combustible DRDD, CEN-FAR, B. P. No 6, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses (France)
To reduce the long-term potential hazards associated with the management of nuclear wastes generated by nuclear fuel reprocessing, one alternative is the transmutation of long-lived radionuclides into short-lived radionuclides by nuclear means (P and T strategy). In this context, according to the law passed by the French Parliament on 30 December 1991, the CEA launched the SPIN program for the design of long-lived radionuclide separation and nuclear incineration processes. The research in progress to define separation processes focused mainly on the minor actinides (neptunium, americium and curium) and some fission products, like cesium and technetium. To separate these long-lived radionuclides, two strategies were developed. The first involves research on new operating conditions for improving the PUREX fuel reprocessing technology. This approach concerns the elements neptunium and technetium (iodine and zirconium can also be considered). The second strategy involves the design of new processes; DIAMEX for the co-extraction of minor actinides from the high-level liquid waste leaving the PUREX process, An(III)/Ln(III) separation using tripyridyltriazine derivatives or picolinamide extracting agents; SESAME for the selective separation of americium after its oxidation to Am(IV) or Am(VI) in the presence of a heteropolytungstate ligand, and Cs extraction using a new class of extracting agents, calixarenes, which exhibit exceptional Cs separation properties, especially in the presence of sodium ion. This lecture focuses on the latest achievements in these research areas.
- OSTI ID:
- 21156143
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 346, Issue 1; Conference: International conference on accelerator-driven transmutation technologies and applications, Las Vegas, NV (United States), 25-29 Jul 1994; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.49144; (c) 1995 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ACCELERATOR DRIVEN TRANSMUTATION
AMERICIUM
CALIXARENES
CEA
CESIUM
CURIUM
DESIGN
FISSION PRODUCTS
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
IODINE
NEPTUNIUM
NUCLEAR FUELS
PUREX PROCESS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
SODIUM IONS
TECHNETIUM
ZIRCONIUM