European Research Programme for the Partitioning of Minor Actinides from Highly Active Wastes Issuing the Reprocessing of the Spent Nuclear Fuel

The consortium of IP EUROPART consists of 25 academic and industrial research institutions from 10 European countries, inclusive four partners from the Czech Republic. The research and development concerns the partitioning of long-lived radionuclides (LLRN), which are present in the nuclear waste, and aspects in conjunction with reprocessing of spent nuclear fuels of different kind. After the separation, the LLRN are supposed to be destroyed in short-lived or stable nuclides by nuclear technologies (P&T strategy) or conditioned into stable solid matrices (P&C strategy). The target elements are the actinides: Am to Cm for the waste issuing the reprocessing of UOx or MOx fuels, and U to Cm for the reprocessing of spent fuels and targets (the Nuclear Double Strata Concept). The main contribution of I.I.C. is the rational development of new types of the anionic selective extraction agents with improved properties, particularly these based on hydrophobic cobalt bis(dicarbollides)(1-) (COSAN) cluster ions. The COSAN anions are modified by a variety of the organic functional groups able to tightly bind the polyvalent fission products cations. Also synthetic routes to simpler derivatives are being developed. These compounds are subsequently studied in synergic mixtures with various selective organic ligands. Synthesis of the sophisticated supramolecular extraction agents based on the calixarene and resorcinarene platforms bearing COSAN anions are conducted in close cooperation with the contractors JOGUMZ, FRG, UNIPR, It, UT-SMCT, NL. The properties of the new compounds are evaluated primarily at NRI, Czech Rep. and by several other groups (ULP, Fr, CNRS, Fr., ULG, Belgium, CTU, Czech Rep.).