Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Experiences of reprocessing of plutonium-rich mixed carbide fuels

  • Published:
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Mixed carbide (70 % Pu, 30 % U) spent fuels up to a burn up of 155 GWd/Te and a cooling time of around 2 years discharged from the Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) were successfully reprocessed at COmpact Reprocessing of Advanced fuels in Lead shielded (CORAL) facility in India at Kalpakkam. The operational experience accumulated is translated to design of the future reprocessing plants such as Demonstration Fast Reactor Fuel Reprocessing Plant (DFRP) and Fast Reactor Fuel Reprocessing Plant (FRP). Concurrent R&D activities have been conducted to optimize process steps for reprocessing fast reactor fuels.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig: 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Natarajan R (1998) Challenges in fast reactor fuel reprocessing. IANCAS, Bulletin, p 27

    Google Scholar 

  2. Venkataraman M, Natarajan R, Baldev Raj (2007) CORAL: a stepping stone for establishing the Indian fast reactor fuel reprocessing technology. In: Proceedings of GLOBAL 2007 Idaho p 208

  3. Palamalai A et al (1991) Development of an electro-oxidative dissolution technique for fast reactor carbide fuels. Radiochim Acta 55:29

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Uriarte AL, Rainey RH (1965) USAEC Rep. ORNL-3695

  5. Geetha R, Ahmed MK, Natarajan R (2003) In-situ determination of uranium by fibre optic spectrophotometry by using dip tube probe. In: Proceedings nuclear chemistry and radiochemistry symposium (NUCAR-2003) BARC, Mumbai p 377

  6. Jebaraj Mahildoss D, Ravi TN, SubbaRao RV (2010) Spectrophotometric determination of plutonium III, IV, and VI in nitric acid solutions. Book of abstract of fourth international symposium on nuclear analytical chemistry (NAC-IV). BARC, Mumbai, p 165

    Google Scholar 

  7. Subba Rao RV, Venkataraman M, Natarajan R, Baldev Raj (2009) Operating experience of fast reactor spent fuel reprocessing facility CORAL. In: Proceedings of GLOBAL 2009 symposium, Paris pp 172–178

  8. Felix Lawrence D, Sundaramurthy S, Palanivel A, Sriramamurthy A, Vijayasekaran P, Mallika C, Kamachi Mudali U, Natarajan R (2009) Development of Polyetheretherketone Coating on the Rotors in the Motors of CEs.In: Procedings of 23rd International Conference on Surface Modification Technology (SMT-23), Chennai P 57

  9. Govindan P, Dhamodharan K, Vijayan KS, Subbarao RV, Venkataraman M, Natarajan R (2008) Wash solution suitable for use in continuous reprocessing of nuclear fuel and a system thereof.Patent No. 08875988.1-2208/2223305

  10. Tallent OK, Mailen JC (1982) Nucl Technol 59:52

    Google Scholar 

  11. Govindan P, Dhamodharan K, Vijayan KS, Subbarao RV, Venkataraman M, Natarajan R. Unpublished data

  12. Reshmi V, Pandey NK, Sivasubramanian R, Ganesh S, Ahmed MK, Kamachi Mudali U, Natarajan R (2012) Process modeling of in situ electrochemical partitioning of uranium and plutonium in purex process: benchmark results with uranium reduction. Desalin Water Treat 38:29–39

  13. Natarajan R, Dhamodharan K, Sharma PK, Pugazhendi S, Vijaya kumar V, Pandey NK, Subba Rao RV (2013) Optimization of flowsheet for scrubbing of ruthenium during the reprocessing of fast reactor spent fuels. Sep Sci Technol 48(16): 2494–2498. doi:10.1080/01496395.2013.807828

    Google Scholar 

  14. Natarajan R, Pandey NK, Vijayakumar V, Subbrao RV (2012) Modelling and simulation of extraction flowsheet for FBR fuel reprocessing. Procedia Chem 7:302

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Natarajan R (2011) Studies to improve the separation and purification of uranium and plutonium in the solvent extraction of fast reactor fuels. PhD Thesis, Sathyabama University

  16. Desigan N, Velavendan P, Pandey NK, Subba Rao RV, Vijayakumar V, Kamachi Mudali U, Natarajan R (2012) Solvent extraction studies of Gadolinium in tri-butyl phosphate. Procedia Chemistry 7:295

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Suresh A, Brahmmananda Rao CVS, Srinivasulu B, Sreenivasan NL, Subramaniam S, Sabharwal KN, Sivaraman N, Srinivasan TG, Natarajan R, Vasudeva Rao PR (2013) Development of alternate extractants for separation of actinides. Energy Procedia 39:120–126

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Sreenivasulu B, Suresh A, Datta A, Sreenivasan NL, Brahmmananda Rao CVS, Subramaniam S, Sabharwal KN, Sivaraman N, Nagarajan K, Srinivasan TG, Natarajan R, Vasudeva Rao PR. (2013) Separation of U(VI) and Pu(IV) from Am(III) and trivalent Lanthanides with TiAP as the extractant by using an ejector mixer-settler. In: Proceedings nuclear chemistry and radiochemistry symposium (NUCAR-2013), Govt. Model Science College, R.D. University, Jabalpur, p 243

  19. Mishra, Ganesh S, Velavendan P, Pandey NK, Mallika C, Mudali UK, Natarajan R (2013) Thermodynamics of solubility of tri-n-butyl phosphate in nitric acid solutions. Adv Chem Eng Res 2(3):55–60

    Google Scholar 

  20. Satyabrata Mishra, Felix Lawrence, Sreenivasa R, Pandey NK, Mallika C, Koganti SB, Kamachi Mudali U (2010) Development of a continuous homogeneous process for denitration by treatment with formaldehyde. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 285:687–695

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Ravisankar A, Vijayakumar V, Ananda Rao BM, Kamachi Mudali U, Sundararaman V, Natarajan R (2013) An Indian perspective of the development of fast reactor fuel reprocessing technology. Paper presented at the international conference on fast reactors and related fuel cycles: safe technologies and sustainable scenarios FR13, paper No. TN-CN-199/256, 4–7 Mar 2013, Paris

Download references

Acknowledgments

The paper gives a consolidated account of work carried out by a number of scientists and engineers of Reprocessing group apart from many others in the other groups of IGCAR. It would be difficult to list all of them. All those in IGCAR as well as in the other units of DAE who are responsible for attaining this state of success in the fast reactor fuel reprocessing are greatly and sincerely acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Reprocessing Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, 603102, India

    R. Natarajan, V. Vijayakumar, R. V. Subba Rao & N. K. Pandey

Authors
  1. R. Natarajan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. V. Vijayakumar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. R. V. Subba Rao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. N. K. Pandey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. Natarajan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Natarajan, R., Vijayakumar, V., Subba Rao, R.V. et al. Experiences of reprocessing of plutonium-rich mixed carbide fuels. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 304, 401–407 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-4000-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-4000-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation