Woodhead Publishing Advanced Separation Techniques for Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing and Radioactive Waste Treatment (Woodhead Publishing Series in Energy)

Advanced separation technology is key to closing the nuclear fuel cycle and relieving future generations from the burden of radioactive waste produced by the nuclear power industry. Nuclear fuel reprocessing allows for reuse of useful fuel components for further power generation, while the separation of actinides, lanthanides and other fission products means that residual radioactive waste can be minimised. The future of the nuclear industry relies on the advancement of this technology to ensure environmental protection, criticality-safety and non-proliferation. This book provides a comprehensive and timely reference on the fundamental issues of radioactive materials separations, with critical reviews of established and emerging techniques. Key Features: a comprehensive and timely reference on nuclear fuel reprocessing and radioactive waste treatment; details emerging and innovative treatment techniques, reviewing pyrochemical processes and engineering, as well as highly selective compounds for solvent extraction; discusses the development and application of separation and extraction processes for nuclear fuel reprocessing and radioactive waste treatment. Contents: Part 1 Fundamentals of radioactive materials separations processes: Chemistry, engineering and safeguards: Chemistry of radioactive materials in the nuclear fuel cycle; Physical and chemical properties of actinides in nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities; Chemical engineering for advanced aqueous radioactive material separations; Spectroscopic on-line monitoring for process control and safeguarding of radiochemical streams in nuclear fuel reprocessing; Safeguards technology for radioactive materials processing and nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities. Part 2 Separation and extraction processes for nuclear fuel reprocessing and radioactive waste treatment: Standard and advanced separation: PUREX processes for nuclear fuel reprocessing; Alternative separation and extraction: UREX+ processes for actinide and targeted fission product recovery; Advanced reprocessing for fission product separation and extraction; Combined processes for high level radioactive waste separations: UNEX and other extraction processes. Part 3 Emerging and innovative techniques in nuclear fuel reprocessing and radioactive waste treatment: Nuclear engineering for pyrochemical treatment of spent nuclear fuels; Development of highly selective compounds and processes for solvent extraction of long-lived radionuclides from spent nuclear fuels; Developments in the partitioning and transmutation of radioactive waste; Solid-phase extraction technology for actinide and lanthanide separations in nuclear fuel reprocessing; Emerging separation techniques: Supercritical fluid and ionic liquid extraction techniques for nuclear fuel reprocessing and radioactive waste treatment; Development of biological treatment processes for the separation and recovery of radioactive wastes.