MSPH 203: Nuclear & Particle Physics

Proposal for Innovative work for MTE component

 Fill the Performa in this one page only. Information has to be brief and precise.
 Maximum two students can work together.
 You may choose any topic related to Nuclear & Particle Physics, e.g some contemporary extension
of your formal syllabus.
 Edit and upload this document on google classroom

Student Name(s): ISHA DAHIYA NILESH KUMAR GUPTA

Roll No.(s): 2K19/MSCPHY/07 2K19/MSCPHY/08

Title: Processing of Used Nuclear Fuel

Objective: To study how used nuclear fuel is processed to extract fertile material in
order to provide fresh fuel.

Summary: Uranium and Plutonium are the fuel most widely used by nuclear plants
for nuclear fission. Reprocessing used fuel to recover these valuable resources avoids the
wastage and it is in accordance with the sustainable used fuel management set out by the World
Nuclear Association.
New reprocessing technologies are being developed to be deployed in conjunction with fast
neutron reactors which will burn all long-lived actinides, including all uranium and plutonium,
without separating them from one another. All commercial reprocessing plants use the well-
proven hydrometallurgical PUREX (plutonium uranium extraction) process, which separates
uranium and plutonium very effectively.

Plan of Action: In this report, we will first describe why the extraction of useful
radioactive elements from the used fuel is necessary and what are the processes being deployed
to do the same. Furthermore, we will discuss a few commonly expressed views and concerns
regarding radioactive waste.

Relevance: Used nuclear fuel can be recycled to make new fuel and byproducts.
More than 90% of its potential energy still remains in the fuel, even after five years of operation
in a reactor.
So it is important to learn the techniques deployed to process the used fuel.