METHOD FOR EXTRACTION ISOLATION OF TRANSPLUTONIUM AND RARE EARTH ELEMENTS Russian patent published in 2022 - IPC G21F9/28 G21C19/46 

FIELD: nuclear power engineering.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to the field of nuclear power engineering, can be used for the management of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and radioactive waste (RW). A method is proposed for the extraction isolation of transplutonium and rare earth elements (TPE and REE) from the raffinate of the head cycle of the modified Purex process for reprocessing spent nuclear fuel (SNF), including the isolation of the fraction of TPE and REE with their separation from the cesium-strontium fraction, washing the resulting extract with a nitric acid solution and re-extraction of TPE and REE. Iron(III) ions are injected into the resulting raffinate with a concentration of nitric acid from 0.1 to 1.5 mol/dm³ to achieve an iron(III) nitrate concentration of 2.0-2.3 mol/dm³. The resulting solution is treated with a solution of 28-32 vol. % tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP) in an inert isoparaffin diluent with the transfer of TPE and REE to the extract. The extract is washed with a nitric acid solution with concentrations of nitric acid and iron nitrate corresponding to their concentrations in the initial raffinate. Re-extraction of TPE and REE is carried out when the extract is treated with a solution of acidified water with a concentration of nitric acid of 0.02-0.05 mol/dm³.

EFFECT: invention makes it possible to increase environmental safety and reduce the amount of waste.

3 cl, 3 tbl