General flowsheet for treatment of the UNEX process end products

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Following on from the above discussions, Figure 9.9 presents a basic flow­sheet proposed for the management of HLW treatment end products by UNEX-extractant, as applied to sodium-bearing waste of INL. Hence, the

9.9 General basic diagram for management of end products of HLW treatment by UNEX process.

implementation of the UNEX-process together with subsequent treatment of its end products enables HLW volumes to be reduced by a factor of 200.

The effectiveness of the UNEX process was confirmed by a feasibility study conducted in 2000 by a US engineering company, with participation of RPA KRI. It was shown that, in the case of vitrification of Idaho acidic HLW without radionuclide recovery, 1 m3 HLW would produce 324 kg of glass. Further, with the vitrification of the UNEX-strip product, the amount of glass produced would decrease to 14 kg, i. e. by a factor of 23.