The Argentine reprocessing programme

The Argentine reprocessing programme has two main objectives: (1) to provide Argentina with the experience in all aspects of reprocessing technology which will enable it to make its own decisions if it decides to set up an industrial scale plant; and (2) to purify enough plutonium to implement a demonstration mixed oxide recycling programme at the Atucha I Nuclear Power Plant. A pilot reprocessing plant is in the final stage of construction. This plant is designed to treat the spent fuel elements of Argentine power reactors and will have a capacity of 20 kg of uranium per day. The spent fuel will be dissolved by the chop leach system, followed by a three cycle Purex process. The Pu will be separated in the second cycle using a reducing agent and will finally be purified with anion resins. Mixed oxide conversion will take place in another part of the plant. A pretreatment stage for liquid waste using cascade evaporators is also foreseen. The commissioning of the Radiochemical Processing Laboratory is in its initial stages and it is hoped that the first spent fuel element will be dissolved in 1990. (author). 2 figs