Decommissioning of the Rapsodie fast reactor: in-vessel operations and residual sodium treatments

The Rapsodie experimental fast neutron reactor at Cadarache (France) was operated from 1962 to 1982. The initial decommissioning operations began immediately, reaching IAEA stage 2 in 1994. Since 2004 studies are in progress to re-start the decommissioning work in accordance to the new dismantling decree expected in 2011. The project is divided into three different main operations, one consist of the in-vessel residual sodium treatment. The present status of the reactor block is described, the different sodium processes are considered, in more particularly the carbonation, and the first results of the experimental program are discussed. (authors)