Dissolution of uranium and plutonium oxide using TBP-HNO complex

Miyahara, Sachiko; *; Shiba, Masanori*; *; ; *;

JNC TN8400 2002-014, 40 Pages, 2002/05

JNC-TN8400-2002-014.pdf:1.57MB

The current technology for the selective separation of plutonium and uranium from spent nuclear fuel (MOX) using TBP-HNO complex is being developed (Powdered fuel extraction process). It is promising to simplify the reprocessing process for the selective separation because of its potential to unite the chemical processes, dissolution process using nitric acid and co-extraction process using TBP solvent, and to operate under the ambient pressure and at relatively "mild" temperature. Plutonium oxide has reported to provide slower dissolution than uranium oxide in nitric acid. In this work dissolution behaviors of plutonium into TBP-HNO complex from powdered plutonium and uranium mixed oxide were examined. The powdered MOX fuel (average particles size 10m) was prepared from PuO-O pellets by heating for 4 hours at 400C. The prepared powder was dissolved into TBP-4.74mol/L HNO complex and was stirred for 300 minutes. In the test with 6 grams of powdered MOX fuel and 20 mL of the TBP-HNO complex, the concentration of plutonium reached 0.17 mol/L and about 90 percent of plutonium was dissolved. It is experimentally confirmed plutonium was dissolved into the TBP-HNO complex from plutonium and uranium mixed oxide. The early dissolution rate was almost the same as that obtained with nitric acid solution. It is likely to predict the dissolution rate from the rate for nitric acid solution. Americium that was contained in the MOX fuel was also dissolved into the TBP-HNO complex, but was slower than plutonium.

Development of simplified pelletizing process for fast reactor MOX fuels, 2; Plutonium examination about developments of improving fluidity of the powder for MOX fuels an annual report in fiscal 2009

Kato, Yoshiyuki; Kimura, Yuichi; Kawasaki, Satoshi*; Kurita, Tsutomu; Yoshimoto, Katsunobu

no journal, , 

The examination concerning the liquidity improvement of the MOX powder was done by using easy equipment on the scale of 300g/batch until 2006. 300g/batch scale equipment was destroyed, and the maintenance made the test equipment of 600g/Batch was done until 2008. Small-scale test equipment began in 2009 the trial run, and began the plutonium examination in the latter half. The best granulation condition that was able to be improved to the powder fluidity that met MOX powdery specification was able to be found from the result of these examinations.

Development of simplified pelletizing process for fast reactor MOX fuels, 1; Plutonium examination about developments of improving fluidity of the powder for MOX, 2

Nishimura, Kazuaki; Kato, Yoshiyuki; Kimura, Yuichi; Yoshimoto, Katsunobu; Komatsuzaki, Mai*; Kawasaki, Satoshi*

no journal, , 

no abstracts in English