Electrochemical uranium valence control in centrifugal solvent extraction contactors

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (USA)

OSTI ID:5566913

Schneider, A; Pschirer, D M

In the Purex process for the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, the partitioning of uranium and plutonium generally requires a reducing agent for the valence change of Pu(IV) to Pu(III). Modified mixer-settlers and pulsed columns with internal electrodes have been developed for the simultaneous electroreduction and solvent extraction, and the utility of this partitioning method has been demonstrated for the reprocessing of light water reactor and fast breeder reactor (FBR) fuels. Short-residence solvent extraction contractors are needed for the reprocessing of high-burnup fuels to reduce the radiation damage to the organic solvent. Centrifugal contactors, the currently preferred machines, have inherent spatial limitations for the incorporation of electrodes. External electrolytic reduction cells could be used, provided the chemical stability of the reduced species (U(IV) and Pu(III)) can be assured. The feasibility of in-tandem operation of a multistage centrifugal contactor and an electrolytic reduction cell was investigated, and the applicability of this method to the reprocessing of FBR fuel was tested by means of computer models developed from experimental results.

• OSTI ID: 5566913
• Report Number(s): CONF-880601--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (USA) Journal Volume: 56
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050800* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Spent Fuels Reprocessing
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210500 -- Power Reactors
Breeding
ACTINIDES
ANL
BREEDER REACTORS
BURNUP
CENTRIFUGES
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
CONCENTRATORS
ELEMENTS
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
EXTRACTION
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
FUEL ELEMENTS
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
MATERIALS
METALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
PLUTONIUM
PUREX PROCESS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
REPROCESSING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SIMULATION
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
URANIUM
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTES