reprocessing

Reprocessing in the nuclear industry is a crucial step in the nuclear fuel cycle. It involves chemically treating spent nuclear fuel to recover usable materials like plutonium and residual uranium-235. This process not only allows for the recycling of nuclear fuel, potentially lowering costs and reducing the amount of spent fuel needing storage, but also decreases the volume and radioactivity of waste that requires permanent disposal.12

The most common method, PUREX, dissolves spent fuel in nitric acid and uses a solvent to extract uranium and plutonium. This yields purified uranium, a plutonium product, and a waste stream of fission products. While reprocessing can reduce waste, the technologies involved have also been linked to the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Policies on reprocessing vary globally, with some countries like France and the UK reprocessing spent fuel commercially, while others, like the U.S., have deferred commercial reprocessing due to cost and proliferation concerns.12