Chemistry of nuclear fuel reprocessing: Current status

Current status on the chemical aspects of nuclear fuel reprocessing is presented with special emphasis on the Purex process which continues to be the process of choice for the last four decades. Better decontamination from fission products, new methods for uraniumplutonium partitioning and removal of actinides from high active waste are challenging areas in process chemistry. The development work on TRUEX and DIAMEX process for treating high active waste is briefly described. An overview of pyrochemical processes, which are important for Integral Fast Reactor Concept, is presented.