Development of a new aqueous process for nuclear fuel reprocessing: Hot tests on the recovery of U and Pu from a nitric acid solution of spent LWR fuel

Nuclear Technology

Volumn 149, Issue 2, 2005, Pages 217-231

  Wei, Yuezhou ^a   Arai, Tsuyoshi ^a   Hoshi, Harutaka ^a   Kumagai, Mikio ^a   Bruggeman, Aimé ^b   Goethals, Patrick ^b  

^a INSTITUTE OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION   (Japan)

^b BELGIAN NUCLEAR RESEARCH CENTRE   (Belgium)

Author keywords

Hot test; Ion exchange; Reprocessing

Indexed keywords

BOILING WATER REACTORS; CHROMATOGRAPHY; ELECTROLYSIS; ELECTROLYTIC REDUCTION; ION EXCHANGE; NITRIC ACID; PLUTONIUM; SPENT FUELS; URANIUM;

EXTRACTION CHROMATOGRAPHY; HOT TEST;

NUCLEAR FUEL REPROCESSING;

EID: 15444367205     PISSN: 00295450     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.13182/NT05-A3591     Document Type: Article

References (35)

1. F. ICHIKAWA, S. URUNO, and H. IMAI, "Distribution of Various Elements between Nitric Acid and Anion Exchange Resin," Bull. Chem. Soc. Jpn. 34, 952 (1961).
2. J. P. FARIS and R. F. BUCHANAN, "Anion Exchange Characteristics of Elements in Nitric Acid Medium," Anal. Chem., 36, 1157 (1964).
3. Y.-Z. WEI et al., "A Study on the Application of a Newly Developed Ion-Exchange Process to Spent-Nuclear-Fuel Reprocessing," Ion Exchange Developments and Applications, p. 174, J. A. GREIG, Ed., SCI, London (1996).
4. Y.-Z. WEI et al., "The Application of an Advanced Ion Exchange Process to Reprocessing Spent Nuclear Fuels (I)," J. Nucl. Sci. Technol., 35, 357 (1998).
5. A. M. AIKIN, "Ion Exchange Recovers Plutonium from Irradiated Fuels," Chem. Eng. Prog., 53, 82F (1957).
6. J. L. RYAN and E. J. WHEELWRIGHT, "Recovery and Purification of Plutonium by Anion Exchange," Ind. Eng. Chem., 51, 60 (1959).
7. F. M. MILES, "Ion-Exchange Resin System Failures in Processing Actinides," Nucl. Safety, 26, 394 (1968).
8. G. E. BOYD and J. SCHUBERT, "The First Use of Organic and Inorganic Separating Plutonium from Uranium and the Fission Products," Prog. Nucl. Energy III: Process Chem., 4, 319 (1970).
9. J. M. CLEVELAND, The Chemistry of Plutonium, p. 142, American Nuclear Socity, La Grange Park, IL (1979).
10. M. BENEDICT, T. H. PIGFORD, and H. W. LEVI, Nuclear Chemical Engineering, pp. 469, 478, McGraw-Hill, New York (1981).
11. W. W. SCHULZ et al., "Ion Exchange and Adsorption in Nuclear Chemical Engineering," DP-MS-83-109, Dupont Co, Savannah River Lab (1983).
12. I. L. JENKINS, "Ion Exchange in Atomic Energy Industry with Particular Reference to Actinide and Fission Product Separation," Solvent Ext. Ion Exch., 2, 1 (1984).
13. J. D. NAVRATIL, "Ion Exchange Technology in Spent Fuel Reprocessing," J. Nucl. Sci. Technol., 26, 735 (1989).
14. M. KUMAGAI et al., "Reprocessing of Spent Nuclear Fuels with a Newly Developed Ion Exchange Process," Proc. IMechE Management of Irradiated Nuclear Fuel Int. Conf., p. 113, Institution of Mechanical Engineers, London (1992).
15. J. D. NAVRATIL and Y.-Z. WEI, "Actinide Ion Exchange Technology in the Back End of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle," Nukleonika, 46, 75 (2001).
16. Y.-Z. WEI, M. KUMAGAI, Y. TAKASHIMA, T. SAWA, A. BRUGGEMAN, and M. GYSEMAN, "An Advanced Ion Exchange Process for Reprocessing Spent Nuclear Fuels - Separation of Real Spent Fuel Solutions and Conceptual Design of the Process," Proc. GLOBAL 2001, Paris, France, September 9-13, 2001, Paper-003 (2001) (CD-ROM).
17. Y.-Z. WEI, H. HOSHI, M. KUMAGAI, A. BRUGGEMAN, M. GYSEMAN, and T. SAWA, "An Advanced Aqueous Process for Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing," Proc. Int. Conf. NUCEF 2001, Tokai, Japan, October 31-November 2, 2001, p. 225, JAERI (2002).
18. Y.-Z. WEI, M. KUMAGAI, Y. TAKASHIMA, G. MODOLO, and R. ODOJ, "Studies on the Separation of Minor Actinides from High-Level Wastes by Extraction Chromatography Using Novel Silica-Based Extraction Resins," Nucl. Technol., 32, 413 (2000).
19. S. IWASA et al., "Studies on the Thermal and Radiolytic Resistance of an Anion Exchanger with Benzimidazole Functional Groups in Nitric Acid Solution," J. Ion Exchange, 12, 40 (1995) (in Japanese).
20. Y.-Z. WEI, Q.-M. FENG, T. ARAI, and M. KUMAGAI, "Adsorption and Separation Behavior of Cobalt, Nickel and Copper in Nitrite Medium by Anion Exchanger," Solvent Extr. Ion Exch., 20, 561 (2002).
21. H. HOSHI, Y.-Z. WEI, M. KUMAGAI, T. ASAKURA, and G. UCHIYAMA, "Elemental Groups Separation for High-Level Waste Partitioning Using a Novel Silica-Based CMPO Extraction-Resin," J. Nucl. Sci. Technol. Suppl. 3, 874 (2002).
22. Z. KOLARIK, U. MÜLLICH, and F. GASSNER, "Selective Extraction of Am(III) over Eu(III) by 2,6-Ditriazolyl- and 2,6-Ditriazinylpyridines," Solvent Extr. Ion Exch., 17, 23 (1999).
23. Y.-Z. WEI, K. N. SABHARWAL, M. KUMAGAI, T. ASAKURA, G. UCHIYAMA, and S. FUJINE, "Preparation of Novel Silica-Based Nitrogen Donor Extraction Resins and Their Adsorption Performance for Trivalent Americium and Lanthanides," J. Nucl. Sci. Technol., 37, 1107 (2000).
24. Y.-Z. WEI, H. HOSHI, M. KUMAGAI, T. ASAKURA, and Y. MORITA, "Separation of Am(III) and Cm(III) from Trivalent Lanthanides by 2,6-Bistriazinylpyridine Extraction Chromatography for Radioactive Waste Management," J. Alloys Comp., 374, 447 (2004).
25. T. ARAI, K. TAKEDA, Y.-Z. WEI, M. KUMAGAI, and Y. TAKASHIMA, "Ion Exchange with Chemical Reaction - Platinum Triad Group Elements on Anion Exchanger," J. Ion Exchange, 6, 90 (1995) (in Japanese).
26. S. F. MARSH, "The Effects of External Gamma Radiation and of In Situ Alpha Particles on Five Strong-Base Anion Exchange Resins," Proc. IEX '92: Ion Exchange Advances, p. 358, SCI, London (1992).
27. M. NOGAMI, Y. FUJII, and T. SUGO, "Radiation Resistance of Pyridine Type Anion Exchange Resins for Spent Fuel Treatment," J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., 203, 109 (1996).
28. Y.-Z. WEI, M. KUMAGAI, Y. TAKASHIMA, A. BRUGGEMAN, and M. GYSEMAN, "A Rapid Elution Method of Plutonium from Anion Exchanger," J. Nucl. Sci. Technol., 36, 304 (1999).
29. K. R. ASHELY, G. D. WHITENER, N. C. SCHROEDER, J. R. BALL, and S. D. RADZINSKI, "Sorption Behavior of Pertechnetate Ion on Reillex™-HpQ Anion Exchange Resin from Hanford and Melton Valley Tank Waste Simulants and Sodium Hydroxide/Sodium Nitrate Solutions," Solvent Extr. Ion Exch., 16, 843 (1998).
30. Y.-Z. WEI, M. YAMAGUCHI, M. KUMAGAI, Y. TAKASHIMA, T. HOSHIKAWA, and F. KAWAMURA, "Separation of Actinides from Simulated Spent-Fuel Solutions by an Advanced Ion-Exchange Process," J. Alloys Comp., 271-273 693 (1998).
31. T. ARAI, Y.-Z. WEI, M. KUMAGAI, and Y. TAKASHIMA, "An Advanced Ion Exchange Process for Reprocessing Spent Nuclear Fuels - Electrolytic Reduction of U(VI) to U(IV) and Separation Behavior of U(IV) from FPs," Proc. GLOBAL 2001, Paris, France, September 9-13, 2001, Paper-004 (2001) (CD-ROM).
32. T. ASAKURA, H. HOSHI, Y.-Z. WEI, M. KUMAGAI, and G. UCHIYAMA, "Fundamental Study on the Control of Minor Nuclides (Np, Tc) Behavior by Electrolytic Reduction," Proc. Int. Conf. NUCEF 2001, Tokai, Japan, October 31-November 2, 2001, p. 497, JAERI (2002).
33. J.-J. DIANA, "Behavior of Ruthenium During Reprocessing of Spent Reactor Fuel," Report CEA-R-4813, Fontenayaux-Roses Nuclear Research Center (1977).
34. J. M. FLETCHER, P. G. M. BROWN, E. R. GARDNER, C. J. HARDY, A.G. WAIN, and J. L. WOODHEAD, "Nitrosylruthenium Nitrato Complexes in Aqueous Nitric Acid," J. Inorg. Nucl. Chem., 12, 154 (1959).
35. P. G. M. BROWN, "Nitrato Complexes of Nitrosylruthenium," J. Inorg. Nucl. Chem., 13, 73 (1960).