1-cycle SANEX process development studies performed at Forschungszentrum Juelich

In the framework of our research activities related to the partitioning of spent nuclear fuel solutions, the direct selective extraction of trivalent actinides from a simulated PUREX raffinate solution (1-cycle SANEX) was studied using a mixture of CyMe₄BTBP and TODGA. The solvent showed a high selectivity for trivalent actinides with a high lanthanide separation factor. However the co-extraction of some fission products, such as Cu, Ni, Zr, Mo, Pd, Ag and Cd was observed. The extraction of Zr and Mo could be suppressed using oxalic acid but the use of the well-known Pd complexant HEDTA was unsuccessful. During screening experiments with different amino acids, the sulphur-bearing amino acid L-Cysteine showed good complexation of Pd and prevented its extraction into the organic phase without influencing the extraction of trivalent actinides. A strategy for a single-cycle process is proposed within this paper. (authors)