Investigation of single-cycle separation process based on forward and backward extractions of actinides and fission products

Sasaki, Yuji  ; Tsubata, Yasuhiro   ; Shirasu, Noriko  ; Morita, Keisuke ; Suzuki, Tomoya

We have been developing the new partitioning method of high-level radioactive waste by single-cycle extraction process. This process is composed of extraction of actinides (An) and fission products (FP, e.g., Pd, Ru, Mo and Tc), and mutual separation by back-extraction. The extractant employed in this process is required to extract soft, hard acid metals and oxonium anions simultaneously. The NTAamide (hexaoctyl-nitrilotriacetamide) is one of the candidate extractants. After extraction of An and FP, the mutual separation by back-extraction should be set up. Pd and Ru extracted by NTAamide can be back-extracted by complexing agents such as thiourea, systeine, diethylenetriamine, and trisaminoethylamine, and the back-extraction of Mo can be performed by methylimino-diethylacetamide (MIDEA), NTAamide(C2) and iminodimethylphosphoric acid, and Re can be done by aqueous phase with high pH.