Development of a Multi-functional Reprocessing Process based on Ion-exchange Method by using Tertiary Pyridine-type Resin

A series of separation experiment was performed in order to study a multi-functional spent fuel reprocessing process based on ion-exchange technique. The tertiary pyridine-type anion-exchange resin was used in this experiment and the mixed oxide fuel highly irradiated in the experimental fast reactor “JOYO” was used as a reference spent fuel. As the result, 106Ru+125Sb, 137Cs+155Eu+144Ce, plutonium, americium and curium could be separated from the irradiated fuel by only three steps of ion-exchange. The decontamination factor of 137Cs and trivalent lanthanides (155Eu, 144Ce) in the final americium product exceeded 3.9x104 and 1.0x105, respectively. The decontamination factor for the mutual separation of 243Cm and 241Am was larger than 2.2x103 for the americium product and, moreover, the content of 137Cs, trivalent lanthanides and 243Cm included in 241Am product did not exceed 2 ppm. These results prove that the proposed simplified separation process has a reality as a candidate for future reprocessing process based on the partitioning and transmutation concept.