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1. Introduction<br />

The study of the behaviour of some fission products such as 79 Se, 93 Zr, 107 Pd and 126 Sn about their<br />

possible liquid-liquid extraction, together with uranium and plutonium, by the tributhyl phosphate (TBP)<br />

in the main steps of the process for U and Pu separation and purification in the irradiated nuclear fuel<br />

reprocessing (PUREX process), is considered one of the main lines of the project Long-lived<br />

Radionuclides Separation by Hydrometallurgic Processes developed within the framework of<br />

CIEMAT-ENRESA agreement.<br />

The main steps of the PUREX process consist on a jointly separation of U and Pu from the<br />

dissolution of a spent fuel (Figure 1), which are separated in a later step, by consecutive re-extraction<br />

processes, being necessary to reduce the oxidation state of Pu(IV) to Pu(III) and to use a weak acidic<br />

medium for U re-extraction. Then, both elements are purified independently by liquid-liquid extraction<br />

processes.<br />

The aim of this paper is to show the studies carried out about the behaviour of 79 Se and 93 Zr, in<br />

order to identify the PUREX process streams in which these radionuclides remain. In this way, in<br />

further investigations, other specific separation techniques could be applied in order to get targets pure<br />

enough for their possible transmutation.<br />

Figure 1. Simplified flow diagram of PUREX process<br />

Solvent Feed Scrub<br />

TBP 30%<br />

n-Dodecano<br />

U - Pu<br />

HNO 3<br />

3M<br />

HNO 3<br />

3 M<br />

HNO 3<br />

0.2 M<br />

+ Reducing<br />

Pu Strip<br />

U Strip<br />

HNO 3<br />

0.01 M<br />

Raffinate<br />

Pu Product<br />

U- Product Used Solvent<br />

Co-decontamination Pu Re-extraction U Re-extraction<br />

2. Experimental<br />

2.1 Reagents<br />

• Analytical grade TBP, n-dodecane, nitric acid, Na 2 SeO 3·5H 2 O and ZrOCl 2·8H 2 O.<br />

• Uranium of nuclear purity prepared from nitric digestion of UO 3 .<br />

• Beta-gamma tracers of 75 Se and 95 Zr (Amersham UK).<br />

616

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