Minor actinides

Madic, C. Hudson, M. J. Liljenzin, J. O. Glatz, J. P. Nannicini, R. Facchini, A. Kolarik, Z. Odoj, R. Ne w Partitioning Techniques for Minor Actinides, European Commission, Nuclear Science and Technology, EUR19149 EN 2000 p. 286. 

Ewing, R. C., Weber, W. J. Lian, J. (2004) Pyrochlore (A2B2O7) A nuclear waste form for the immobilization of plutonium and minor actinides. Journal of Applied Physics, 95, 5949-5971. 

Typical heat production in the moderator-fuel blanket is 750- 1500 MW. The excess heat is used to generate electricity that helps to pay for the operation of the facility. The transmuted material will have 20% of the original plutonium and minor actinides of the input material and will contain significant fission product activities. This transmuted material can be put into geologic storage, reducing the long-term hazard of the repository material. The overall feasibility of this accelerator transmutation of waste (ATW) has not been established yet. 

Madic, C., Lecomte, M., Dozol, J.F., Boussier, H. 2004. Advanced chemical separations of minor actinides from high active nuclear wastes. EURADWASTE 04, Luxembourg, Belgium, March 24 to April 1. 

Mathur, J.N., Murali, M.S., Ruikar, RB. et al. 1998. Degradation, clean-up and reusability of octylphenyl-N,N-diisobutyl-carbamoylmethylphosphine oxide (CMPO) during partitioning of minor actinides from high level waste (HLW) solution. Sep. Sci. Technol. 33 (14) 2179-2196. 

Madic, C., Hudson, M.J., Liljenzin, J-O. et al. 2000. New partitioning techniques for minor actinides. EUR 19149. European Commission, Luxembourg. 

Malmbeck, R., Courson, O., Pagliosa, G. et al. 2000. Partitioning of minor actinides from HLLW using the DIAMEX process. Part 2 - Hot continuous counter-current experiment. Radiochim. Acta 88 865-871. 

Berthon, L., Morel, J.M., Zorz, N. et al. 2001. DIAMEX process for minor actinide partitioning Hydrolytic and radiolytic degradations of malonamide extractants. Sep. Sci. Technol. 36 (5 6) 709-728. 

Magnusson, D., Christiansen, B., Glatz, J.P. et al. 2007. Partitioning of minor actinides from PUREX raffinate by the TODGA process. GLOBAL 2007, Boise, ID, September 9-13, pp. 713-718. 

Due to the ease of formation of third phase with CMPO, many literature reports are based on the use of the mixture of 0.2 M CMPO + 1.2 M TBP as the solvent (63). This mixture has also been used in the TRUEX process recommended for the partitioning of minor actinides from HLW. Some applications of CMPO for the separation of Pu include its recovery from assorted laboratory wastes and oxalate supernatant (64, 65). 

Production of long-lived minor actinides Radiologically important radionuclide... 

Mathur, J.N. Murali, M.S. Iyer, R.H. Ramanujam, A. Dhami, P.S. Gopalkrishnan, V. Rao, M.K. Badheka, L.P. Baneiji, A. Extraction chromatographic separation of minor actinides from purex high-level wastes using CMPO, Nucl. Technol. 109 (1995) 216-225. 

Naik, P.W. Dhami, P.S. Misra, S.K. Jambunathan, U. Mathur, J.N. Use of organo-phosphorus extractants impregnated on silica gel for the extraction chromatographic separation of minor actinides from high level waste solutions, J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. 257 (2003) 327-332. 

As no technology can selectively transmute minor actinides to a degree meaningful for waste management while they are contained in the spent nuclear fuel, these elements must be separated from the neutron-absorbing elements before being properly transmuted. In the case of trivalent minor actinides, this preliminary step is further necessary because of the following reasons ... 

Minimize changes in the highly active feed composition to avoid forming precipitates, the occurrence of which could trap minor actinides and thus decrease their recovery yields... 

The raffinate of the NPEX process is fed, without acidity adjustment, to a TRUEX step, where the minor actinides and the REEs are recovered. 

Eventually, the TRUEX product is fed directly to a CYANEX 301 step, where the minor actinides are purified from the REEs. 

The BTP ligands immediately drew the curiosity of the European scientific community in its quest for potential candidates for the development of minor-actinide... 

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