Development of salt-free technology for FBR fuel reprocessing

Kaji, Naoya; Nomura, Kazunori  ; Sano, Yuichi   ; Koizumi, Tsutomu

Advanced aqueous reprocessing is the technology that JAEA is developing as a part of Fast Reactor Cycle Technology Development Project (FaCT). Radioactive liquid waste polarization is one of the concepts introduced to the advanced aqueous reprocessing. In this concept, waste solutions are to be concentrated enough to just be divided to two categories of high level and very low level. It will be achieved by decreasing amount of sodium salt waste drastically and decomposing excess nitric acid. One of the main sources of sodium salt waste in the conventional PUREX is the solvent washing process with sodium carbonate. Salt-free technology brings alternative solvent washing method that does not produce the sodium salt waste. The outline and the current status of the development of this technology will be reported.