A review of nuclear waste transmutation using accelerator beams up to several GeV

A review of transmutation rates of the unspent fuel elements like
²³⁸
U,
²³⁹
Pu and
²³⁷
Np by way of (n, y) and (n, f) reactions has been presented in the light of neutron economy using data of reaction rates measured in the neutron environments produced by a number of proton and deuteron beams at E+T experimental set up at JINR Dubna. Transmutation power of GAMMA-3 set up in case of
²³²
Th and natU are measured at JINR is also reviewed. Results have also been compared with the data of similar experiments with different particle beams. A fast reactor is found to be better than a thermal reactor for transmutation by way of capture and fission reactions due to neutron economy, which can be even better in Accelerator driven subcritical systems particularly for incineration of
²³⁹
Pu fissile fuel because of higher neutron flux and possibility to incinerate by way of (n, xn) type reactions.