Abstract:
The invention relates to a process for reprocessing spent nuclear fuel which, among other advantages, does not require a plutonium-reducing stripping operation.This process finds particular application in the processing of uranium oxide fuels and uranium and plutonium mixed oxide fuels.
Abstract:
The invention relates to the use of butyraldehyde oxime as an anti-nitrous agent in a plutonium stripping operation based on a reduction of this element from oxidation state (IV) to oxidation state (III). Applications: any nuclear fuel reprocessing process in which employing a compound that has the twofold property of being extractable into an organic phase and of being capable of destroying the nitrous acid therein may be useful and especially any process including one or more operations for the reductive stripping of plutonium.
Abstract:
A method for treating spent nuclear fuel, which includes first decontaminating the uranium, plutonium and neptunium found in a nitric aqueous phase resulting from dissolving the nuclear fuel in HNO3. The uranium, plutonium and neptunium found in the solvent phase is then split in a first aqueous phase and a second aqueous phase. Next, the first aqueous phase is stored. Following, the plutonium or other mixtures found in the first aqueous phase is purified relative to the fission products still found in said phase, in order to obtain, at the end of said purification, an aqueous solution containing a mixture of Pu and U or Pu, U and Np. Finally the resulting mixture of Pu and U or the mixture of Pu, U and Np is co-converted into a mixed oxide.
Abstract:
A process for reprocessing a spent nuclear fuel and for preparing a mixed uranium-plutonium oxide. The process: a) separates the uranium and plutonium from fission products, americium, and curium that are present in an aqueous nitric solution resulting from dissolution of the fuel in nitric acid, the separating including at least one operation of coextracting the uranium and plutonium from the solution by a solvent phase; b) partitions the coextracted uranium and plutonium to a first aqueous phase containing plutonium and uranium, and a second aqueous phase containing uranium but no plutonium; c) purifies the plutonium and uranium that are present in the first aqueous phase; and d) coconverts the plutonium and uranium to a mixed uranium/plutonium oxide.
Abstract:
The invention concerns a cyclic method for separating at least one chemical element E1 from at least one chemical element E2 from an aqueous solution containing said elements, which employs a mixture of two extractants operating in non-overlapping chemical fields.Each cycle of said method comprises: a) co-extracting elements E1 and E2 by means of an organic phase containing a first extractant suited to causing the migration of said elements into said organic phase; b) adding to the organic phase a second extractant suited to selectively retaining the element(s) E2 in said organic phase during step c): c) selectively stripping the element(s) E1 from the organic phase; d) selectively stripping the element(s) E2 from the organic phase; e) separating the first and second extractants present in said organic phase at the end of step d).
Abstract:
A hub for cycle wheel including a shaft, a hub body rotatably mounted around the shaft. The hub body has, at least at one of its ends, merlons that are provided for fastening the spokes. Each of the merlons has a radial housing that opens out at its top, as well as two slots, each of the slots extending through the wall thickness between the radial housing and a distinct frontal surface of the merlon. The invention also relates to a cycle wheel having such a hub.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method for separating uranium(VI) from one or more actinides selected from actinides(IV) and actinides(VI) other than uranium(VI), characterized in that it comprises the following steps: a) bringing an organic phase, which is immiscible with water and contains the said uranium and the said actinide or actinides, in contact with an aqueous acidic solution containing at least one lacunary heteropolyanion and, if the said actinide or at least one of the said actinides is an actinide(VI), a reducing agent capable of selectively reducing this actinide(VI); and b) separating the said organic phase from the said aqueous solution. Applications: reprocessing irradiated nuclear fuels, processing rare-earth, thorium and/or uranium ores.
Abstract:
A method with which americium may be selectively recovered from a nitric aqueous phase containing americium, curium and fission products including lanthanides and yttrium, but which is free of uranium, plutonium and neptunium or which only contains these three last elements in trace amounts. The method is applicable for treatment and recycling of irradiated nuclear fuels, in particular for removing americium from raffinates stemming from methods for extracting and purifying uranium and plutonium such as the PUREX and COEX™ methods.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a process which makes it possible to separate together all the actinide(III), (IV), (V) and (VI) entities present in a highly acidic aqueous phase from fission products, in particular lanthanides, also present in this phase by using a solvating extractant in a salting-out medium.Applications: reprocessing of irradiated nuclear fuels, in particular for recovering plutonium, neptunium, americium, curium and possibly uranium, present in the form of traces, in a pooled but selective fashion with regard to lanthanides, from a solution for the dissolution of an irradiated nuclear fuel, downstream of a cycle for the extraction of uranium.