General information
Organisation
The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) is a key player in research, development and innovation in four main areas :
• defence and security,
• nuclear energy (fission and fusion),
• technological research for industry,
• fundamental research in the physical sciences and life sciences.
Drawing on its widely acknowledged expertise, and thanks to its 16000 technicians, engineers, researchers and staff, the CEA actively participates in collaborative projects with a large number of academic and industrial partners.
The CEA is established in ten centers spread throughout France
Reference
SL-DES-24-0042
Thesis topic details
Category
Condensed Matter Physics, chemistry, nanosciences
Thesis topics
Study of the CHON-UNEX process for the removal of high heat-emitters from spent fuel
Contract
Thèse
Job description
The removal of high heat emitters from spent fuels allows to reduce the volume necessary for a safe storage in deep repository. Some of these isotopes can also be recycled, for instance 241Am as fuel for fast-breeder reactors and 137Cs as a gamma source (radiotherapy, sterilization). A new process called CHON-UNEX has been recently proposed, whose ligands and diluents are composed of only C, H, O and N elements so that the effluents can be eventually vaporized and do not form secondary wastes. It consists in a co-extraction of all high heat emitters followed by successive stripping steps to enable the recycling of these elements. The Sr, Am and Ln extractant is a diglycolamide (DGA) that also serves as modifier for the Cs extractant, a calixarene crown-ether (CC) insoluble in kerosene.
At first, the Ph.D. student will study several commercially available DGAs in combination with 2 CCs to assess their extraction efficiency and selectivity, followed by the determination of the speciation and the supramolecular assemblies of these systems by various analytical tools. Then, the student will perform the selective stripping of Am by phenanthroline-based hydrosoluble ligands previously tested on Lns by an other student.
The student will eventually gain knowledge on the nuclear fuel cycle, hydrometallurgy and analytical tools that can lead to pursue academic work or to a job in the hydrometallurgy industry.
The candidate is M.Sc. with chemistry as major. A solid basis in analytical chemistry is recommended.
University / doctoral school
Sciences Chimiques Balard (EDSCB)
Montpellier
Thesis topic location
Site
Marcoule
Requester
Position start date
01/10/2024
Person to be contacted by the applicant
Simonnet Marie marie.simonnet@cea.fr
CEA
DES/ICSM (DES)//LHYS
ICSM - UMR 5257
Bat 426
BP 17171
30207 Bagnols/ Ceze
04 66 33 64 99
Tutor / Responsible thesis director
Bourgeois Damien damien.bourgeois@cea.fr
CNRS
DES/ICSM/LHYS
ICSM - UMR 5257
Bat 426
BP 17171
30207 Bagnols/ Ceze
04 66 33 94 92
En savoir plus
https://www.icsm.fr/lhys.html