Study on Long-Life Minor Actinide Temporary Storage Scheme Based on High-Level Liquid Waste Partitioning Strategy

Abstract At present, transmutation and fast reactor fuel cycle cannot be implemented in engineering, minor actinides obtained by high-level liquid waste partitioning may be managed by the concept of “conditioning - temporary storage - retrieval - reuse”. In this paper, Am/Cm stripping stream of TRPO process is analyzed as example of this concepts. The physical properties (composition, mass, radioactivity, heat power) of the americium-curium mixed oxide, and the variation of these properties over time have been investigated. Although the mass ratio of Am and Cm in the Am/Cm stripping stream obtained by TRPO process is very low (less than 5%), the Ln/An separation may not be necessary under the concept of “conditioning - temporary storage - retrieval - reuse”, because during the temporary storage of americium-curium oxides, U, Pu, Np will be produced through alpha decay of Am and Cm. The rare earth elements and transition metals contained in the Am/Cm stream are the main contributors of β/γ radioactivity and short-term heat in the mixed oxides, but the β/γ radioactivity and short-term heat release will decay rapidly, leaving only a radioactivity and long-term heat of Am and Cm.