Outlook of research and development on reprocessing of fast reactor fuel

The research and development of the reprocessing of fast reactor fuel has been forwarded by the Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corp., asking the advice of the Committee on the Reprocessing of Fast Breeder Reactor Fuel. The contents of the researches have been studied by the Research Planning Subcommittee. The works of the research and development have been executed by the cooperation of many manufacturers, universities and the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. Also the informations on the state of development in foreign countries have been obtained for reference. The PNC is planning to construct the test facility and to develop the processes and the equipment system required for reprocessing fast reactor fuel, aiming at establishing the independent technologies. In this test facility, the Purex wet reprocessing method was adopted, and the spent fuel from Joyo and Monju is to be reprocessed. In the applied test building, the chemical engineering test using uranium and RIs and the mechanical engineering test centering around remote operation and remote maintenance are carried out. In the CPF, a series of the processes to reprocess fast reactor fuel by the wet method can be carried out on a small scale. The progress and present state of the research and development are described. (Kako, I.)