[en] Vector-driven internal radiotherapy is a rapidly growing field that completes the conventional techniques for cancer treatment such as surgery, chemotherapy or external radiotherapy. The appropriate radionuclide is coupled with a specific vector (monoclonal antibody, peptide…) in order to deliver the radioactivity specifically to the tumor cells. Contrary to the other methods, radioimmunotherapy allows the treatment of diffuse or metastatic tumors, limiting damage on the healthy tissues. Recent developments in isotope production now provide access to novel radionuclides and open new opportunities for theranostics. However, the production of novel radiopharmaceuticals is often limited by a short half-life (few days), high specific activities (> GBq/g) and high levels of isotopic purity required (> 99.9 %). Therefore, reliable and efficient separation and purification processes are needed. Solid phase extraction processes are an attractive solution for the purification of radionuclides, as they allow using simple, compact equipment, with obvious advantages for radioprotection and handling. Moreover, this type of processes produces less waste and effluents compared to solvent-type extraction and are largely operated using remote control. An isotope of ruthenium has been selected for the development of a new radiopharmaceutical, in agreement with several criteria established by physicians, radiochemists, and nuclear engineers. Ruthenium can be produced from an irradiated metallic target. After dissolution of the irradiated material in nitric acid, ruthenium can be extracted and purified by solid phase extraction using a series of organic resins, either commercially available or specifically developed for this application. Results concerning the performance of the various resins in surrogate solutions will be presented and discussed. The present studies pave the way to the development of novel ruthenium separation processes and contribute to a better understanding of the factors influencing the extraction properties of ruthenium isotopes. (author)

[en] For more than 30 years, the CEA has been a leading actor in the research and development of decontamination technologies for decommissioning but also for industrial optimization. More recently the post-Fukushima context has pushed our R and D forward towards environmental decontamination technologies for off- and on-site remediation (see paper by Bourasseau et al., this conference). The present paper reviews liquid and solid decontamination techniques developed or under development at CEA/DEN with a focus on plant decommissioning. CEA has gained an extensive experience in the decontamination of low to middle level waste. This expertise can be applied: - From basic science at lab scale to industrial validation; - From the initial waste to the final disposal. Innovative technologies are developed to: - maximize the dose rate reduction; - minimize the volume of secondary waste generated; - be compatible with conditioning and final disposal; - minimize operational costs. A wide range of applications is concerned from decommissioning/dismantling activities to site remediation and valorization using eco-friendly technologies.

[en] Rare earth elements (REE) have become essential for our modern economy, in relation to the development of new energy and communication technologies. Depending on their technical economic efficiency and environmental footprint, hydrometallurgical processes enabling the recovery of separated elements could be of particular interest. Typically these processes include a first pre-treatment (crushing, milling and sieving) and an acidic leaching step (with eventual selective precipitation sub-steps), followed by a solvent extraction (SX) step aimed at the separation and purification of REE. Recently, diglycolamides (DGA) appeared as a very interesting group of extractants for the selective recovery of trivalent REE from nitric acid solutions, particularly in the presence of transition metal ions commonly found in various waste products. In this work, the TODGA extractant was successfully used for designing an efficient REE recovery process. The process integrates the mechanical and physico-chemical treatment of waste, followed by a solvent extraction step for the recovery and intra-separation of REE. Based on the experimental batch data, a phenomenological model has been elaborated taking into account the various distribution equilibria. The model has been implemented in our simulation code and used for calculation of various flowsheets, which have been tested at our pilot facility using compact continuous counter-current mixer-settlers. Experimental SX and modeling data allowing the recovery of >99.95% pure Dysprosium solution will be discussed in this paper. Preliminary technical-economic assessment and life-cycle analysis have also been conducted. Following this first successful demonstration, several novel dissymmetrical DGA have been developed and their solvent extraction behaviour in different acid media has been studied. Indeed, most processes use symmetrical DGA such as TODGA. The present work improves upon the classic design and demonstrates that novel dissymmetrical extractants display a remarkable improvement on REE extraction efficiency compared to reference TODGA in various acid media. Furthermore, the REE separation factors towards major impurities such as Fe³⁺ are substantially enhanced. The development of novel DGA with increased efficiency paves the way for the recovery and separation of high value REE from different streams. This opens new market opportunities since the effluent treatment has often an important impact either in the CAPEX or the OPEX of a solvent extraction plant. With some DGA extractants adapted to sulfuric acid media, the resulting effluent treatment plant could be cheaper than it would be using nitric acid media. Furthermore, their enhanced performance at low concentration should reduce the price of reagents in the OPEX. (author)

[en] Following the Fukushima 1 accident, Areva and its partners VEOLIA Waters and CEA have been involved in the immediate response to the crisis by designing and implementing a water treatment solution in a very short time. Out of the boundaries of the power plant, atmospheric releases have occurred, leading to surface contamination of grounds, buildings and water retentions. Cleanup of the evacuated areas is mandatory to enable local population to come back and farming activities to resume. Areva and CEA are proposing biological and physical-chemical solutions, forming a comprehensive strategy to decontaminate lands. It is based on the expertise gained from dismantling of French nuclear sites, the lessons learned from cleanup of the Chernobyl region and the comprehensive R and D programs carried out by CEA. It provides a complete industrial and eco-friendly solution, in which the volume of radioactive waste is minimized and conditioned in a stable way. This paper focuses on physico-chemical technologies which could be applied at short or mid terms. Biological technologies including phyto-remediation are still under development and should complete the previous solutions for large scale agricultural areas. The strategy is composed of complementary steps for which facilities and tools are being developed together with Japanese partners. First, areas must be monitored for contamination. Measurement systems mounted on unmanned helicopter enables very quickly segregating houses and trees to be decontaminated. It is expected to be more than ten times faster than monitoring by operators. Another monitoring device is the road monitoring vehicle, to efficiently select road sections to be decontaminated or a under water operated remote operated vehicle (ROV) for monitoring inside lakes and ponds. After evaluation of the areas and built up of a decontamination strategy, soils have to be treated, within an evaluated depth of 5 to 10 cm. Contaminated areas are wide and millions of tons of soils will have to be processed. Fortunately, as it has been proved by several studies, contamination concentrates into localized spots. For such areas, a mobile soil sorting unit has been developed. Once the contaminated soils or the tsunami radioactive waste have been put apart, they have to be efficiently treated in order to concentrate radioactivity in the smallest volume possible while preserving the ground fertility and consuming as less as possible of natural resources like water. Such treatment may either be based on innovative foam flotation or supercritical CO₂ extraction techniques depending on the nature of the solid to be treated, To decontaminate water retentions or effluents generated from former decontamination works, small size mobile treatment units are available, such as pre-conditioned columns and cartridges, capable of treating low and medium activity effluent. Forests and trees surrounding the cities need to be treated to reduce the background radiations. A concept of nuclearized biomass incineration plant is under study, to burn the contaminated trees and agricultural crops together with organic tsunami waste. Linked with a cogeneration unit, this plant produces electricity and heat, which will help resuming local economy development. Off gas and ashes are trapped and conditioned using technologies coming from our nuclear installations.

[en] A set of sheets proposes various information (brief technological presentation, fields of applications, competitive benefits, patents and maturity level, service and partnership offers, technological offers, expertise, equipment) on process engineering in various areas: ceramics, refractory materials and geo-polymers; powders (synthesis, grinding, mixing); vitrification processes, materials and behaviour; plasma torch; liquid-liquid extraction by separative chemistry; micro-fluidics for process optimization, waste recycling and valorization

[en] As about 75 nuclear reactors are to be definitely stopped between now and 2050 in Europe (29 in the US), nuclear facility dismantling is a growing issue which raises specific problems notably related to radiation protection. Specific techniques, means and processes have been developed by specialized operators, and French teams have developed a widely recognized know-how in this field. In October 2014, the French Academy of Sciences (Academie des Sciences) held a seminar on the nuclear facilities dismantling sciences and technologies, during which all the aspects of these disciplines have been discussed: characterization of radioactivity sources, radiation protection, logistics, physical chemistry, mechanics of continuous media, calculation codes, robotics, returns of experience, education and training, perspectives, accident management... A panorama is given of the dismantling needs and conditions, the key scientific phenomena, the on going research programs and the required researches for the future

[en] The success of clean-up and dismantling projects in end-of-life nuclear facilities is a crucial issue for the nuclear industry, both from a nuclear safety and an economic perspective, which are vital conditions for gaining credibility in the eyes of the public. These projects must overcome several obstacles: i) on a strategic level, they require long-term planning and rigorous management of the risks and priorities, ii) on an operational level, they require a great deal of upstream preparation in terms of inventories, investigations, maps, feasibility studies and data management, iii) on an organisational level, synergy must be created between the professions, operation, project management and R and D. Clean-up and dismantling projects are characterised by a broad range of situations: a reactor, a fuel cycle plant and a damaged nuclear facility are not dismantled in the same way. This monograph provides insight into the techniques used to characterise facilities, carry out clean-up and dismantling operations, and manage the waste resulting from these operations. It also gives several examples of clean-up and dismantling sites led by the CEA, which already boasts a number of successful projects to date, either as project owner for the clean-up and dismantling of its own facilities, or as R and D operator in support of industry players. Content: 1 - Introduction - Clean-up and dismantling: a major challenge for a sustainable nuclear power industry; 2 - Assessment of the radiological, physical and chemical state of the facility to be cleaned up or dismantled - Characterisation techniques: From site history to radiological survey, Neutron activation and dose rate calculations for clean-up and dismantling operations, Nuclear measurements for clean-up and dismantling, Physical and chemical measurements for clean-up and dismantling, Geostatistics applied to clean-up and dismantling, Characterisation of dismantling waste; 3 - Operations in hostile environments: Robots in hostile environments, 3D simulation applied to clean-up and dismantling operations, Laser cutting, an emerging technology for remote-controlled dismantling projects, Containment of clean-up and dismantling sites; 4 - Treatment and decontamination of structures, soils and effluents: Treatment of contaminated solid surfaces, Decontamination of aqueous effluents; 5 - Treatment of clean-up and dismantling waste: Organic waste, Graphite waste, Waste containing magnesium, Special waste - mercury waste, High level sludge or powdery waste, Tritiated waste; 6 - Operating experience in clean-up and dismantling: Operating experience from the Marcoule UP1 fuel processing plant, Dismantling experience from sodium-cooled fast reactors, Dismantling of the Siloe reactor in Grenoble - setting an example; 7 - Dismantling: the special case of severe accidents, Differences between a scheduled dismantling project and unplanned post-accident dismantling, Operating experience from post-accident activities to secure and to dismantle nuclear sites; 8 - Conclusion - Assessment and future prospects for clean-up and dismantling techniques, Glossary-Index.

[en] This special issue of Clefs CEA journal examines CEA's involvement and achievements in the field of low-carbon energies. Content: 1 - Foreword; 2 - The power of the concept of energy; 3 - Searching for the ideal energy mix; 4 - Electrical energy and CO₂ emissions; 5 - The nuclear sector post-Fukushima; 6 - The nuclear life cycle: the nuclear fuel cycle, Cleanup and dismantling of nuclear facilities; 7 - Astrid, Generation IV advanced sodium technological reactor for industrial demonstration; 8 - Fusion, an energy source for the future; 9 - Photovoltaic solar energy: Photovoltaic technologies and centralized electricity production, Decentralized electricity production - solar energy integrated into the building, Concentration photovoltaic; 10 - Concentrated solar power - the other alternative for electricity production: Concentrating the Sun's energy, The promise of thermal storage; 11 - 2. generation biofuels: the Syndiese project; 12 - Microalgae for the production of biofuels; 13 - Areas of R and D at CEA for developing economically and socially viable low-carbon energies; 14 - Energy in batteries: Batteries for electrical mobility, Batteries for stationary applications, Optimizing lithium battery safety; 15 - Hydrogen, an inexhaustible energy carrier: Storage of hydrogen, Hydrogen - a means of storing electricity; 16 - Smart grids - when electrical grids become intelligent; 17 - Solar mobility; 18 - Green chemistry, biocatalysis and biomimetics; 19 - Nanosciences and nanotechnologies working for energy; 20 - Electric transports, The competitiveness of electric travel; 21 - Improving energy performance in the home; 22 - Using nuclear heat for non-electric applications; 23 - Institutions and organizations: who does what? 24 - Glossary.