Assessment of pyrochemical processes at CEA: Objectives and current results

Abstract

International audienceA RandD program has been launched in 1999 to assess the potentialities of the pyrochemical processes which could be an advantageous alternative to hydrometallurgy for two applications: (i) the reprocessing of targets as well as dedicated fuels for minor actinides transmutation if multiple recycling is necessary, (ii) the reprocessing of future nuclear fuels where all the actinides will have to be recycled together (long-term strategies). The period from 1999 to 2005 is mainly devoted to laboratory-scale research (investigations on actinide chemistry in molten halides and liquid metals, exploratory experiments on various separation techniques for actinide recovery)