It is an object to increase a reprocessing speed of spent nuclear fuel and
to obtain uranium having a high purity and a plutonium mixture reusable
as it is at a low cost through a simple procedure.The spent nuclear fuel
1 is subjected to fluorination using fluorine 2 in a fluorination step 3,
and as a result, uranium, a mixture of uranium and plutonium and a
fission product are separated and recovered independently of one another.
The plutonium fluoride volatilized in the fluorination is recovered along
with a fixing agent and then passed through an oxidative conversion step
8, thereby recovering a mixture of uranium and plutonium oxides 9. Since
the uranium can be recovered in a high purity, it is managed very easily
when reused or saved. Further, since the uranium and plutonium are
recovered as a mixture thereof, fuel reproduction cost is decreased and
prevention of proliferation is strengthened.