Solvent Extraction Process Development for Partitioning and
Transmutation of Spent Fuel
Argonne National Laboratory
Monica C. Regalbuto, George F. Vandegrift, Scott Aase, Allen Bakel,
Delbert Bowers, Artem V. Gelis, Ralph Leonard, Candido Pereira, Yifen Tsai,
and Mark H. Vander Pol
Argonne National Laboratory, along with other national laboratories, has been
developing a solvent extraction process for partitioning of spent fuel constituents to lead
to safer and cheaper disposal of high-level waste. The process, known as UREX+
separates dissolved spent fuel into seven separate streams: (1) uranium for disposal as
LLW, (2) technetium for disposal as HLW, (3) iodine for disposal as HLW, (4) Cs/Sr for
disposal as LLW, (5) Pu/Np for production of mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel, (6) Am/Cm for
fast-reactor fuel or transmutation, and (7) two raffinates containing all remaining soluble
fission products and the rare earth elements for disposal. This paper will discuss the
various aspects of the ANL development effort including design of process flowsheets by
data collection and flowsheet development using the AMUSE (Argonne Model for
Universal Solvent Extraction) code; design of an advanced centrifugal contactor, and
demonstration of the UREX+ process using dissolved fuel. Also discussed will be
alternative solvent extraction flowsheet options for meeting process goals and criteria.