From waste to resource; Nuclear rare metals as a dream of modern alchemists

小山 真一; 鈴木 達也*; 小澤 正基

Energy Conversion and Management, 51(9), p.1799 - 1805, 2010/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2009.11.013

Fission reaction of U will create more than 40 elements and 400 nuclides. Among them, Ru, Rh, Pd (light Pt-G), Tc, Mo, Cs, Sr and Lns etc. are truly rare metals but rich in the FBR spent fuel as Nuclear Rare Metals (NRM). Different missions assigned due to the different radioisotopic properties to each NRM. In modern utilization of the NRM, the first step is the separation of them from high level liquid wastes, where catalytic electrolytic extraction (CEE) method would be applicable. The paper suggests the reality on the recycle of NRM, with a recommendation to use light Pt-G and Tc as hydrogen production catalysts after proper stockpile.