Minor actinides extraction

For mixed uranium-plutonium fuel - MOX fuel with weapon-grade plutonium (MOX-W) MOX fuel with reactor-grade plutonium (MOX-R), either extracted in chemical reprocessing of LWR spent fuel or self-generated TRUOX fuel (MOX fuel with the addition of minor actinides extracted from LWR spent fuel) and mixed uranium-plutonium nitride fuel. 

Madic, C., Testard, F., Hudson, M J. et al. 2004. PARTNEW - New solvent extraction processes for minor actinides-final report. CEA-R-6066. 

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. 

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. 

Madic, C., Testard, F., Hudson, M.J., Liljenzin, J.O., Christiansen, B., Ferrando, M., Facchini, A., Geist, A., Modolo, G., Gonzales-Espartero, A., De Mendoza, J. 2004. New solvent extraction processes for minor actinides (PARTNEW FIKW-CT-2000-00087), CEA-R-6066, France. 

G. 2004. Selective extraction of minor actinides from high activity liquid waste by organised matrices (CALIXPART FIKW-CT2000-00088). 

Courson, O., Lebrun, M., Malmbeck, R., Pagliosa, G., Romer, K., Satmark, B., Glatz, J.P. 2000. Partitioning of minor actinides from HLLW using the DIAMEX process. Part 1 - Demonstration of extraction performances and hydraulic behaviour of the solvent in a continuous process. Radiochimica Acta 88 857-863. 

Serrano-Purroy, D., Baron, P., Christiansen, B., Glatz, J.P., Madic, C., Malmbeck, R., Modolo, G. 2005. First demonstration of a centrifugal solvent extraction process for minor actinides from a concentrated spent fuel solution. Separation Science and Technology 45 157-162. 

System 1 is based on MC8 (0.065 M) but needs the addition of TBP (1.5 M) in the organic phase and the introduction of oxalic acid in the liquid waste to prevent the extraction of zirconium by TBP. It has been pointed out that the addition of oxalic acid is necessary for the PALADIN process, previously implemented for the extraction of minor actinides. The addition of TBP which extracts several cations, leads to a lesser selectivity of the solvent. 

K. Liger, J.-F. Dozol, F. Arnaud-Neu, V. Bohmer, B. Casensky, A. Casnati, J.-F. Desreux, B. Gruner, C. Griittner, J. De Mendoza, G. Pina, P. Selucky, W. Verboom and G. Wipff, Selective extraction of minor actinides from high activity liquid waste by organised matrices, Final Report FIKW-CT-2000-00088, CEC, 2004. 

After a few years of storage, the main radioactive heat emitters in HLW are 90Sr and 137Cs. In addition, extremely long-lived actinides—neptunium, plutonium, americium, and curium—should be collected for transmutation in the future. Therefore, different flowsheets can be proposed for waste processing. It is possible to extract each radionuclide in the special extraction (sorption) cycle, for example, uranium and plutonium in the PUREX process, and after that, minor actinides (MAs) by the TRUEX process,4 strontium by the SREX process,5,6 and cesium by sorption7 or extraction.8... 

C. Madic, F. Testard, M. J. Hudson, J. O. Liljenzin, B. Christianson, M. Ferrando, A. Facchini, A. Geist, G. Modolo, A. Gonzalez Espartero, and J. de Mendoza. Nuclear science and technology partitioning New solvent extraction processes for minor actinides (partnew) contract no fikw-ct2000-00087. Technical report, 2003. 

This review groups the information published on degradation of the main families of extractants studied in the frame of long-lived minor-actinide and fission-product recovery (1-4) (see Chapter 1) alkyl-phosphorus compounds (phosphates, phosphonic acids, bifunctional compounds like CMPO), amide compounds (dialkyl-amides, malonamides, and diglycolamides), N-donor compounds, and macrocycles like crown ethers and calixarenes (Table 8.1). The multicomponent systems based on the chlorinated cobalt dicarbollide process have not been considered. 

A,A, A, A -tetraoctyl-3-oxapentane-l,5-diamide (TODGA) was studied as an extractant for minor actinides such as Am(III) and Cm(III) from a PUREX raffinate or for actinides(III) and (IV) from spent nuclear fuel, in the context of the ARTIST process (219-228). Therefore, some stability studies were undertaken recently. 

Geist, A., Weigh M., and Gompper, K., Minor actinide partitioning hy hquid-hquid extraction using a synergistic mixture of his (chlorophenyl)dithiophosphinic acid and TOPO in a hollow fibre module for americium(III) and lanthanide(ni) separation. Sep. Sci. Tech., 2002, 37 3369-3390. 

Nuclear fuel reprocessing and partitioning allow recycling of useful fissionable materials such as uranium and plutonium, and remove harmful long-lived minor actinides (americium and curium). It is necessary also for safety storage of high-level liquid wastes(l). In order to improve efficiency of mutual separation between lanthanide and actinide elements, design of useful extractants are requisite. 

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