Minor actinide separation in the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuels: recent advances in the United States

Essential for realizing the goal of a fully closed nuclear fuel cycle, separations of minor actinides are being pursued in the United States at the level of fundamental research through demonstration of process concepts. Research entails developing a concept for achieving a separation of americium and curium from fission products (FPs) using a single solvent system for the combined extraction of trivalent actinides and lanthanides together with selective complexants for stripping americium and curium. An alternative line of research addresses the question concerning the possibility of exploiting the higher oxidation states of americium to achieve its selective separation from FPs and curium. (author)