Radiochemical reprocessing of V–Cr–Ti alloy and its feasibility study

An extraction scheme for radiochemical reprocessing of an activated vanadium–chromium–titanium alloy after a fusion reactor decommissioning was developed and checked experimentally. It is based on extraction of V, Cr and Ti freed of activation products from the alloy dissolved in nitric acid. The solution of di-2-ethyl-hexyl-phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) in a hydrocarbon solvent (dodecane) serves as an extractant. It takes 50 extraction steps to recover V, Cr and Ti down to an effective dose rate <12.5 μSv/h, permitting the refabrication of these metals without biological shielding from ionizing radiation. Technical and economic analysis suggests that the reprocessing alternative is more attractive economically than the burial of spent V–Cr–Ti alloy components.