process for treatment of irradiated fuels to reduce rejection of tritium in the environment

摘要

After a first extraction of an aqueous nitric acid solution of spent nuclear fuel by a suitable organic solvent and a first washing of the resulting organic phase by an aqueous solution to remove tritiated water, the organic phase is submitted to a second washing with a volume of dilute aqueous solution of nitric acid free from tritium, said volume being substantially smaller than that of the organic phase, whereby the organic phase is rendered substantially tritium-free and contamination by tritium in the following stages of the process is avoided.