Commissariat &#xc0; L'&#xc9;nergie Atomique Et Aux &#xc9;nergies Alternatives

Areva Nc

Orano Recyclage

François Poncelet

Pascal Baron

Binh Dinh

Michel Masson

Francois Drain

Jean Luc Emin

Philippe Pradel

Nicolas Vigier

Bénédicte Arab-Chapelet

Aurélie Gauthe

Eléonore Welcomme

Marie Hélène Noire

François Drain

A method for preparing a powder comprising an intimate mixture of UOparticles and PuOparticles and which may further comprise particles of ThOor NpO. The method comprises: preparing, via oxalic precipitations, an aqueous suspension Sof particles of uranium(IV) oxalate and an aqueous suspension Sof particles of plutonium(IV) oxalate; mixing the aqueous suspension Swith the aqueous suspension Sto obtain an aqueous suspension S; separating the aqueous suspension Sinto an aqueous phase and a solid phase comprising the particles of uranium(IV) oxalate and the particles of plutonium(IV) oxalate; and calcining the solid phase to convert (1) the particles of uranium(IV) oxalate to particles of triuranium octoxide and (2) the particles of plutonium(IV) oxalate to particles of plutonium(IV) dioxide, whereby the powder is obtained.

Method for preparing a powder comprising particles of triuranium octoxide and particles of plutonium dioxide

A method for treating spent nuclear fuel, which includes first decontaminating the uranium, plutonium and neptunium found in a nitric aqueous phase resulting from dissolving the nuclear fuel in HNO. The uranium, plutonium and neptunium found in the solvent phase is then split in a first aqueous phase and a second aqueous phase. Next, the first aqueous phase is stored. Following, the plutonium or other mixtures found in the first aqueous phase is purified relative to the fission products still found in said phase, in order to obtain, at the end of said purification, an aqueous solution containing a mixture of Pu and U or Pu, U and Np. Finally the resulting mixture of Pu and U or the mixture of Pu, U and Np is co-converted into a mixed oxide.

Method for treating spent nuclear fuel

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Le Vesinet, France

François Poncelet