화학공학소재연구정보센터
Separation Science and Technology, Vol.48, No.16, 2494-2498, 2013
Optimization of Flowsheet for Scrubbing of Ruthenium during the Reprocessing of Fast Reactor Spent Fuels
The solvent extraction method using tri-n-butyl phosphate diluted with heavy normal paraffin is being used as an extractant for the recovery of plutonium and uranium present in spent fuel discharged from a nuclear reactor. The purification of uranium and plutonium from the fission product ruthenium is considered very important in the fast reactor fuel reprocessing process due to its complex chemistry. Systematic studies have been carried out in batch as well as countercurrent solvent extraction for optimization of parameters to get maximum decontamination factor for ruthenium. In dual scrubbing condition using 3M and 6M nitric acid with 60-70% uranium loading in organic phase, a decontamination factor of >10(3) for Ru is obtained in mixer-settler run.