Development of Partitioning and Transmutation Technology for Long-Lived Nuclides

High-level radioactive wastes from the Purex process contain long-lived nuclides, which mainly consist of transuranic elements (TRUs). A partitioning and transmutation method that consists of pyrometallurgical partitioning of TRUs from Purex waste from light water reactor fuel and transmutation using a metal-fueled fast breeder reactor (FBR) is evaluated. The results indicate that the concept is feasible and has many advantages over conventional concepts based on wet processes and that transmutation of TRUs in a metal-fueled FBR is advantageous over that in a oxide-fueled FBR.