PROCESS FOR SEPARATING THE TECHNETIUM PRESENT IN AN ORGANIC SOLVENT WITH ZIRCONIUM AND AT LEAST ONE OTHER METAL, SUCH AS URANIUM OR PLUTONIUM, USED IN PARTICULAR FOR THE RETREATMENT OF IRRADIATED NUCLEAR FUELS

摘要

THE SUBJECT OF THE INVENTION IS A PROCESS FOR SEPARATING THE TECHNETIUM PRESENT IN AN ORGANIC SOLVENT, AT THE FIRST STAGE OF TREATMENT OF IRRADIED NUCLEAR FUELS. /P P IN THE PROCESSING PLANT, THE SOLVENT EXIT FROM THE EXTRACTOR 1 CONTAINS URANIUM, PLUTONIUM, ZIRCONIUM AND TECHNETIUM; THE ZIRCONIUM IN EXTRACTOR 2 IS SEPARATED FROM THIS THEN THE TECHNETIUM IN EXTRACTOR 3 BY PLACING IN CONTACT WITH A NITRIC ACID AND OR NITRATES SOLUTION PREFERABLY INTRODUCED AT DIFFERENT CONCENTRATIONS IN 19 AND 21. THE SOLVENT COMING OUT OF EXTRACTOR 3 CONTAINS ONLY TRACES OF TECHNETIUM. THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION LEAVING THE EXTRACTOR 3 IS TREATED IN AN EXTRACTOR 4 BY MEANS OF AN ORGANIC SOLVENT TO RE-EXTRACT THEREIN THE URANIUM AND PLUTONIUM WHICH HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED TO AQUEOUS SOLUTION. /P P ON SUCCESSFULLY ELIMINATE THE TECHNETIUM BEFORE PERFORMING THE URANIUMPLUTONIUM PARTITION OPERATION, WITHOUT INTRODUCING NEW CHEMICAL REAGENTS AND WITHOUT SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASING THE VOLUME OF THE EFFLUENTS COMING OUT OF THE INSTALLATION.