Development and Study on an Electroreduction Mixer-Settler for Separation of Plutonium during Reprocessing of Nuclear Fuels.

摘要

The history of reprocessing nuclear fuels began in the United States in the mid 1940s with the production of plutonium by precipitation according to the well-known bismuth phosphate process. Following that, other extraction methods, particularly by aqueous means, were developed that finally resulted in the Purex process that is used today worldwide. The largest facility in service reprocessing light water reactor fuel is at La Hague in France. This method is based on an extraction by tributyl phosphate (TBP) from nitric solutions. By diluting the TBP with approximately 30% volume of kerosene (essential component n-dodecane), a sufficiently great density difference is reached between the organic and aqueous media to obtain good separation of the phases in the extractors. For this separation, mixer-settlers, pulsed columns or centrifugal extractors can be used. Our research treats the use of mixer-settlers. 61 refs., 34 figs., 13 tabs. (ERA citation 14:000132)