Spent fuel reprocessing based on electrochemical extraction process (SREEP)

Abstract A new concept of the electrochemical process for the reprocessing of nuclear spent fuel, SREEP, has been developed on the basis of fundamental studies of the electrochemical reactions of actinide elements and fission products. SREEP consists of unit processes for (1) spent fuel dissolution by electrolytic oxidation, (2) recovery of platinum group metals by electrodeposition, (3) TBP extraction of U, Pu and Np after the successive electrolytic preparation of U(VI), Pu(IV) and Np(VI), (4) recovery of Cs and Sr by electrolytic ion transfer extraction and (5) separation of transplutonium and lanthanide elements by electrodeposition in the molten salt.