Experimental Test of a Process Upset in the EURO-GANEX Process and Spectroscopic Study of the Product

Effect of Scale-Up on Residence Time and Uranium Extraction on Annular Centrifugal Contactors (ACCs)

“…The selected ACCs were installed in the Leeds Nuclear Laboratory, and their operating envelope is summarised in Table 1. Metering pumps were chosen to match the existing United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory capabilities [25], and the Q1 1/4" piston diameter pump head (FMI Product QH312N2P0000) was specifically chosen to provide the lowest flowrate of the smallest contactor and the highest flowrate of the largest contactor; from 0.22 to 432 mL/min. However, a key learning from this multi-scale rig would be to use smaller pump heads for lower flows, as recalibrations were required after each run on the smallest ACC.…”

“…British Nuclear Fuels Limited tested ACCs in the mid-1990s; this led to the development of 1 cm RD Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology ACCs and their adoption for flowsheet testing due to their small sizes, which simplifies their use in several active research facilities [19][20][21][22][23][24]. Flowsheet testing in other research establishments generally uses similarly small ACC cascades [25][26][27][28][29]. Future reprocessing plants may need >20 cm RD ACCs.…”

A self-optimised approach to synthesising DEHiBA for advanced nuclear reprocessing, exploiting the power of machine-learning

“…[23][24][25][26] Dialkylamide and diamide ligands are two successful groups of ligands for the removal of long-lived radionuclides, with the dialkylamide, DEHiBA (N,N-di-(2ethylhexyl)isobutyramide) proving to be an ideal replacement for TBP. 11,[27][28][29] DEHiBA offers improved selectively for uranium devoid of extracting plutonium, [30][31][32] thus enhancing proliferation resistance for the GANEX (Grouped Actinide Extraction) process. 33,34 Notably, the GANEX second cycle flowsheets employ more complex ligands like the diamides to facilitate transuranic extraction downstream.…”

“…10 For nuclear fission to be truly sustainable, the employment of a closed fuel cycle that avoids wasting this valuable resource, rich in elements from across the periodic table, is critical. [10][11][12][13] Yet, at present, few reprocessing facilities are in operation and these only employ the limited, but mature PUREX (Plutonium Uranium Reduction EXtraction) process for the selective extraction of uranium and plutonium. [14][15][16][17] This selective extraction is achieved through a series of liquid-liquid extractions and is governed by the ligand tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP).…”

Accumulation of Particles in an Annular Centrifugal Contactor Cascade and the Effect upon the Extraction of Nitric Acid

“…Several reviews provide complete descriptions of operations [3][4][5][6][7], design principles [8][9][10], and deployment in nuclear research [11][12][13]. Centrifugal contactors are also deployed in pharmaceutical industries [3] such as Lonza AG in Switzerland [14], biodiesel production [15,16], extraction of high-value biophenols from vegetable oils [17], production of cinnamyl cinnamate [18], extraction of the antibiotic spiramycin [19], extraction of the hormone hydrocortisone [20], enantioselective separation processes [21][22][23][24][25], extraction of caffeine [26], water treatment [27][28][29][30][31], and hydrometallurgy [32]/extraction of rare earth elements [33][34][35].…”