The use of solvent extraction in the nuclear fuel cycle, forty years of progress

The high degree of purity required for the fissile and fertile elements used as fuels in nuclear reactors has made solvent extraction the choice as the purification method in the different steps of the fuel cycle. This technique, owing to its specificity, and its adaptability both to continuous multistage processes and to remote control, has served to achieve the requisite purities with safe, reliable operation. A review of the different steps of the cycle including uranium and thorium production, uranium enrichment, reprocessing, and the recovery of transuranics, highlights the diversity of the solvents used and the improvements made to the processes and the equipment. According to the different authors, this technique is capable of meeting future needs, aimed to reduce the harmful effects associated with the nuclear fuel cycle to the lowest possible levels