Reprocessing - doe-hdbk-1113-98_reaffirm_2005

DOE-HDBK-1113-98

Radiological Safety Training for Uranium Facilities

Module 102 The Nuclear Fuel Cycle

counter weights.

Depleted uranium typically is cast into ingots or billets, and then shipped to

production facilities for appropriate reshaping.

Reprocessing

Reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel is no longer performed in this country. This

information is provided for the purpose of describing how the process worked at

applicable facilities.

Uranium was used in plutonium production reactors. Uranium fuel and targets were

coated with aluminum or zirconium metal and placed in the reactor. As they were

irradiated with neutrons, a small fraction of the uranium was converted to

plutonium.

The irradiated fuel was then removed from the reactor, but the plutonium and

uranium had to be separated from the fission products created during irradiation.

PUREX, a chemical process for plutonium and uranium extraction from irradiated

nuclear fuel, was developed to accomplish this separation. This reprocessing was

accomplished as follows:

a. Excess metal was mechanically removed to expose the fuel material.

b. The fuel was leached with acid to remove it from the cladding.

c. The uranium and other elements were separated by solvent extraction (chemical

separation).

d. The uranium was converted back to UF6 for enrichment.