Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology

This study was carried out to examine the stability of Na2CO3-H2O2 carbonate solution with aging time in the dissolving solution after oxidative dissolution of U by a carbonate solution, the Cs/Re filtrate after selective precipitation of Cs and Re (as a surrogate for Tc), and the acidification filtrate after precipitation of U by acidification, respectively. The compositions of dissolving solution were not changed with ageing time, and the selective precipitation of Re and Cs was also not affected without regard to the aging time of dissolving solution. The successive removal of Cs and Re from a carbonate dissolving solution was possible. However, the recovery yield of U by acidification was decreased with increasing the aging time of the dissolving solution and the Cs/Re-filtrate, respectively, because U was converted from the uranyl peroxocarbonato complex to the uranyltricarbonate in the solution aged for a long time. Accordingly, it is effective that a dissolving solution and a Cs/Re filtrate are treated within the aging of 7 days, respectively, in order to recover U more than 99%. On the other hand, the recovery of U was carried out in order of the oxidative dissolution of U selective precipitation of Re and Cs precipitation of U by acidification. Almost all of U and a part of FP were co-dissolved in oxidative dissolution step. Over 99% of Re and Cs from the FP co-dissolved with U could be removed by a TPPCl (tetraphenylphosphonium chloride) and a NaTPB (sodium tetraphenylborate), respectively. U was precipitated nearly 100% by acidification to pH 4. Therefore, it was confirmed that the validity of recovery of U by precipitation methods from a SF (spent fuel) in the Na2CO3-H2O2 solution.

Keywords

U,Cs,Tc,Carbonate solution,Oxidative dissolution,Selective precipitation,Acidification