Solvent extraction studies with intermediate-burnup Fast Flux Test Facility fuel in the Solvent Extraction Test Facility

In Campaign 8, two batches of irradiated fuel from the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) were processed, using 30% TBP-NPH, in the Solvent Extraction Test Facility (SETF). The burnups were about 36 and 55 MWd/kg with 1.3- and 1-year cooling times, respectively. The latter fuel had the highest burnup and shortest cooling time of any fuel ever handled in the SETF. No major problems were noted during the operation of the mixer-settlers, and low uranium and plutonium losses (<0.02%) were achieved. Zirconium and ruthenium decontamination factors (DFs) were improved by increasing the number of scrub stages and increasing the peak solvent loading in the coextraction-coscrub bank. The use of an in-line photometer to measure the uranium and plutonium concentrations in a process stream permitted high solvent loadings of heavy metals to be achieved in the extraction bank while maintaining low losses to the aqueous raffinate. The investigation of two flowsheet options for making separate uranium and plutonium products (organic backscrub and selective uranium extraction) that was started in Campaign 7 was continued. High-quality products were again obtained (uranium and plutonium DFs of {similar_to}0{sup 4}). Plutonium reoxidation was still extensive even though hydrazine was added to the aqueous strip for the organic backscrub flowsheet. Two different plutonium oxalate precipitation procedures [Pu(III) and Pu(IV)] were used in the preparation of the plutonium oxide products; this was done so that the fuel fabrication characteristics of the oxide from the two procedures could be compared. A total of {similar_to}50 g of plutonium was recovered and shipped to the fuel refabrication program