Spent Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing and Nuclear Materials Recycling in Two-Component Nuclear Energy

Zirconolite Polytypes and Murataite Polysomes in Matrices for the REE—Actinide Fraction of HLW

“…Russia is implementing a strategy of two-component nuclear power generation, with slow and fast neutron reactors operating in a closed nuclear fuel cycle [ 1 ]. This will reduce the need for uranium through the recycling of actinides, and will allow the extraction of useful stable and radioactive isotopes necessary for industry.…”

“…In the advanced nuclear fuel cycle, MAs are extracted for transmutation in fast reactors in homogeneous (Np) and heterogeneous (Am) modes [ 1 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]. There is a proposal to store Curium for 70 to 200 years, to decay into Pu and fabricate nuclear fuel.…”

“…There is a proposal to store Curium for 70 to 200 years, to decay into Pu and fabricate nuclear fuel. Depending on the degree of actinide extraction, the radioactive waste hazard will be equal to the value for uranium ore in 300, 500, or 10,000 years [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]. This concept is known as “radiative equivalence”.…”

Crystal Chemistry of Titanates and Zirconates of Rare Earths—Possible Matrices for Actinide Isolation

“…The strategy of two-component nuclear power with slow and fast neutron reactors is implemented in Russia in a closed cycle mode, i.e., with reprocessing of irradiated nuclear fuel (SNF) [1,2]. As a result, radioactive waste (RW), including high-level radioactive waste (HLW), is generated.…”

“…Curium is proposed to be stored for 70 to 100 years to decay into plutonium and then utilize in the nuclear fuel production. It has been calculated [1,2,4] that in this case, after 300-500 years, the activity of the radionuclides remaining in the waste will be equal to the value of uranium ore (the principle of radiation equivalence); even faster, in 100 years, there will come a radiological (onco) equivalence, taking into account their potential harm to public health [5].…”