The use of hydrometallurgical processes in nuclear industry is widespread. The development and optimization of such processes take place at different stages of the nuclear fuel cycle, i.e. in reprocessing plants and in associated analytical laboratories. Liquid-liquid extraction can afford efficient separation of isotopes from complex mixtures of radioactive elements aiming at the uptake of long lived radionuclides such as the minor actinides (Am, Cm, Np) for transmutation purposes, the removing of fission products (137Cs, 99Tc, 90Sr�) and recovery of fissile elements (Uranium and Plutonium), using dedicated selective and efficient extracting molecules.  The aim of this presentation is to illustrate how advanced techniques such as Laser-based spectroscopic techniques (TRLFS, LIBS), mass spectrometry (ESI-MS, ICP-MS) coupled with separation techniques (chromatography, capillary electrophoresis) can be useful to gain insight in the understanding of chemical mechanisms involved in partitioning and of radiolysis/hydrolysis impact on the extraction efficiency.  Moreover, there is a need of both improving the analyses performance (accuracy, detection limits), and being capable of monitoring the processes using reliable measurements carried out in situ or on-line. Innovative techniques such as lab-on-chip devices are developed to reach this purpose.

Advanced analytical techniques applied to hydrometallurgical processes in the nuclear industry

243rd National Meeting (2012)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.