Development of advanced reprocessing system using high selective and controllable precipitants, 2; Precipitation behavior of Pu by novel pyrrolidone derivatives

Kim, S.-Y.; Kawata, Yoshihisa; Morita, Yasuji  ; Nogami, Masanobu*; Harada, Masayuki*; Ikeda, Yasuhisa*; Kikuchi, Toshiaki*; Nishimura, Kenji*

A reprocessing system for spent FBR fuels based on the two precipitation processes has been proposed. In this system, first only U(VI) species are precipitated using pyrrolidone derivatives (NRP) with low hydrophobicity and donicity, and secondly residual U(VI) and Pu(IV, VI) are precipitated simultaneously using pyrrolidone derivative with high precipitation ability. It is important to control precipitation of Pu(IV), and recent advances on precipitation behavior of Pu(IV, VI) by using novel pyrrolidone derivatives will be introduced in this presentation. Precipitation tests using mixed solutions of U(VI) and Pu(IV) showed that N-n-butyl-2-pyrrolidone (NBP) is the most appropriate precipitant for the first precipitation step and N-neopenthyl-2-pyrrolidone (NNpP) is the most appropriate precipitant for the second step.