HYDROMETALLURGICAL PROCESS FOR THE TREATMENT AND RECYCLING OF SPENT FUEL SALT FROM A MOLTEN CHLORIDE NUCLEAR REACTOR

Abstract

The invention relates to a hydrometallurgical process for the treatment and recycling of spent fuel salt from a molten chloride nuclear reactor, comprising at least the steps of: a) precipitation of chloride ions present in the spent fuel salt by: - ​​dissolving the spent fuel salt in an aqueous solution of nitric acid comprising a nitrate of a metal M; or - dissolving the spent fuel salt in an aqueous solution of nitric acid and adding the nitrate of metal M to the resulting solution; thereby obtaining a two-phase medium consisting of a precipitate of chloride of metal M and an aqueous nitric phase comprising the metals of the spent fuel salt in the form of nitrates; b) separation of the precipitate of chloride of metal M from the aqueous nitric phase; c) dissociation of the precipitate of chloride of metal M obtained in step b) into chlorine and metal M, with recovery of the chlorine;d) selective recovery of at least one of the actinides present in the aqueous nitric phase obtained in step b) by implementing at least one liquid-liquid extraction-deextraction process; ete) use of the dichlorine recovered in step c) and of said at least one actinide recovered in step d) to produce a new fuel salt for a molten chloride nuclear reactor.;

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