Use of Reactor Palladium for Immobilization of Transuranium Elements

Abstract

The use of fission products present in relatively large amount in the spent fuel itself for preparing compounds for long-term storage or disposal of transuranium elements is suggested. One of such fission products is Pd whose content in NPP fuel is relatively high (apparently, natural Pd cannot be used because of its high cost and short supply). A distinctive feature of Pd is its ability to dissolve in HNO₃. Therefore, if there will be a need for recovering TPE from Pd-based materials, it will be sufficient to dissolve these materials with the subsequent recovery of the required elements (e.g., Am, Cm). The technical solutions allowing the use of reactor Pd as a material for immobilization of transuranium elements are analyzed.