Recovery of Strategic High-Value Fission Products from Spent Nuclear Fuel during Reprocessing

This presentation will highlight the potential FP (fission products) resources present in SNF (spent nuclear fuel) and their value, the likely separation, recovery, and purification routes needed for quantitative recovery with the challenges involved in this. The probable effects on the NFC (nuclear fuel cycle) should this concept be implemented will be discussed in the context of current and likely future NFC implementations in which advanced hydrometallurgical reprocessing is an essential component. The necessity for decay storage and the end-use applications for these materials are also examined. Focus will be paid to the REEs (rare earth elements), targeted to be recovered from SANEX (selective actinide extraction) or GANEX (group actinide extraction) raffinates in advanced reprocessing, and the far more challenging targeted recovery of the REEs, which requires a more comprehensive and complex approach for quantitative recovery. The recycling of additional resources to increase fuel cycle sustainability, such as high-purity Zr cladding, will is also highlighted. Advanced separations to facilitate segregation of high-heat radionuclides (HHRs - e.g. ⁹⁰Sr, ¹³⁴Cs, and ¹³⁷Cs) for decay storage is also compatible with this concept