Separation of actinides from fission products by extraction chromatography prior to X-ray fluorescence measurement for analytical control of a PUREX test

Abstract

Five separation methods by Eichrom column extraction chromatography were developed and implemented for performance control of a PUREX (Plutonium, Uranium Refining by EXtraction) test. One of them concerning the separation of actinides from fission products in the main PUREX raffinate is the subject of this work. The others, concerning separation between actinides, are described in another article submitted to the same journal. Analytical control of a PUREX process test implies measuring the neptunium, plutonium and uranium concentrations in the main extraction raffinate. The fission products are the major constituents of the raffinate, and thus prevent the use of direct L-line X-ray fluorescence (LXF) for these determinations. An actinide separation process by extraction chromatography with quantitative efficiency was therefore developed. This separation method necessary upstream from the LXF measurement was applied during the PUREX test in 2005 in ATALANTE (French acronym for “Alpha facilities and analysis laboratories, transuranics and reprocessing research”).