SPENT FUEL-REPROCESSING BASED ON ELECTROCHEMICAL EXTRACTION PROCESS (SREEP)

A new concept of the electrochemical process for the reprocessing of n uclear spent fuel, SREEP, has been developed on the basis of fundament al studies of the electrochemical reactions of actinide elements and f ission products. SREEP consists of unit processes for (1) spent fuel d issolution by electrolytic oxidation, (2) recovery of platinum group m etals by electrodeposition, (3) TBP extraction of U, Pu and Np after t he successive electrolytic preparation of U(VI), Pu(IV) and Np(VI), (4 ) recovery of Cs and Sr by electrolytic ion transfer extraction and (5 ) separation of transplutonium and lanthanide elements by electrodepos ition in the molten salt.