Results of experimental testing of a hydrometallurgical technology for reprocessing spent nuclear fuel of fast neutron reactors

Abstract

Results of experiments to test the modes of plutonium and neptunium displacement re-extraction with a nitrate solution of uranium (VI) are presented. The developed method of plutonium displacement re-extraction was tested at the refining extraction and crystallization facility of JSC SChC as part of the comprehensive program “Development of equipment, technologies, and scientific research in the field of nuclear energy use in the Russian Federation”. Due to a high accumulation of plutonium in the fuel of fast reactors, the main task of plutonium re-extraction consists in ensuring the re-extract ratio of Pu / (Pu + U) specified by the manufacturers of oxide fuel. According to the results of the performed tests, the developed method of plutonium displacement re-extraction with a solution of uranyl (VI) nitrate allows uranium, plutonium, and neptunium to be re-extracted in the ratio specified by fuel manufacturers. In this case, the completeness of plutonium extraction into the re-extract and its purification according to the proposed method are comparable to the results obtained in the process of reductive plutonium re-extraction.