PROGRESS IN THE PYROCHEMICAL PROCESSING OF SPENT NUCLEAR-FUELS

Pyrochemical processes are being developed to recover actinides from spent fuels from light-water reactors and integral fast reactors. The transuranic elements from light-water reactors will be introduced into the integral fast reactor fuel cycle. To meet the requirements of that fuel cycle, transuranic elements are recovered as oxide-free metal containing some fission products. This article discusses pyrochemical processes for recovering actinides from light-water reactor and integral fast reactor fuels and for treating the high-level wastes from these processes. The development status of these processes and the plans to demonstrate them using facilities at Experimental Breeder Reactor II are also described.