6. Separation and purification

The aim of uranium and plutonium separation and purification operations is to recover these two elements from clarified and adjusted dissolution solutions with maximum yield and the required purity standards, taking into account the management of the various effluents produced. They are truly the heart of the process.

The separative technique used in the PUREX process is solvent extraction, a common technique in the chemical industry and covered in the article [J 2 760] Liquid-liquid extraction in the Process Engineering textbook. It is based on the transfer of matter between...