Chromatographic decontamination of concentrated intermediated level waste solutions

A method has been developed for decontaminating the carbonate washing liquid of the PUREX process stream for treatment of the extraction agent (tributylphosphate, dissolved in kerosine), and the limits of the method with regard to solutions very rich in salt. The chromatographic method makes use of the fact that the actinides and carbonates form very stable complexes which are retained by weakly basic, anionic exchangers that can take up to 300 g U/kg of resin. The goal is to achieve a separation of the concentrated, nitric MAW solution into a small quantity of HAW and a large one of LAW, aiming at the same time at minimizing the secondary LAW amounts which in most cases consist of exchanger materials. (DG)