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-24-0049
Thesis topic details
Category
Condensed Matter Physics, chemistry, nanosciences
Thesis topics
New cyclic extractant molecules for uranium/plutonium separation
Contract
Thèse
Job description
This thesis subject is dedicated to the optimization of the uranium/plutonium separation process (PUREX) for spent nuclear fuels reprocessing. New extractant molecules will be studied for targeted elements separation by liquid-liquid extraction from nitric acid medium. They should be soluble in industrial aliphatic diluents, adaptable to extraction technologies actually used in terms of density, viscosity, solubility and extraction kinetics. In order to help in the target molecules selection, theoretical DFT calculations (Density Functional Theory) will be investigated to make a comparative estimate of their affinity towards U and Pu elements. Then the student will have to determine the feasibility of organic synthesis and to optimize synthesis pathways. Once the molecules will be purified and their structures and purity characterized, their separation performances will be assessed by liquid-liquid batch extraction tests involving radioelements. Finally, the structures of metallic complexes formed in organic phases with those new extractant molecules will be studied to better understand extraction mechanisms.
University / doctoral school
Sciences Chimiques Balard (EDSCB)
Montpellier
Thesis topic location
Site
Marcoule
Requester
Position start date
01/09/2024
Person to be contacted by the applicant
MARIE Cécile cecile.marie@cea.fr
CEA
DES/DMRC//LCPE
CEA Marcoule
Laboratoire de Conception et d'Intégration des Procédés de Séparation
DMRC/SPTC/LCIS - Bât. 181 - BP 17171
30207 Bagnols-sur-Cèze Cedex
04-66-39-70-52
Tutor / Responsible thesis director
Guillaumont Dominique dominique.guillaumont@cea.fr
CEA
DES/ISEC/DMRC/SPTC/LILA
CEA Marcoule
Bat 181
BP17171
30207 Bagnols sur cèze cedex
04 66 79 16 30
En savoir plus
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4373-0228
https://isec.cea.fr/