AQUEOUS PROCESSES FOR SEPARATION AND DECONTAMINATION OF IRRADIATED FUELS

Abstract

. A review of recent dcvelopments and improvements in aqueous processes for accomplishing separation and decontamination of irradiated fuels from power reactors is presented Research and development is currently being pursued in tbe United States on three distinct types of fuel processing methods; pyrometallurgical processes, fluoride volatility processes, and aqueous processes. Although the ultimate role of these processing methods in a nuclear power economy cannot be accurately assessed at the present time, it is felt that the proven reliabilita and versatility of aqueous processes guarantees them a prominent role in power reactor fuel reprocessing. Aqueous solvent extraction processes, for example, are ideally suited for installation in central processing plants which are designed to handle fuels from a number of power reactors generating a total of several thousand megawatts or more of power. Under these circumstances, nuclear fuels can be processed by continuous processes at high throughputs and at high on-stream efficiency and therefore at low unit cost. (auth)