RECOVERY OF CESIUM FROM PUREX TANK FARM SUPERNATANT SOLUTION BY FERROCYANIDE PRECIPITATION AND ABSORPTION ON DECALSO
The loading of cesium on Decalso was found to be dependent on the sodium to cesium mole ratio. Loadings of 200 grams of cesium per liter of exchanger were obtained in the absence of sodium, while loadings were only 4.4 g/l at a ratio of 900, and 0.8 g/l at a ratio of 10,000. With Purex tank farm supernatant solution, the mole ratio of sodium to cesium is about 11,000, and the cesium concentration is 8 x 10/sup -4/ M. The capacity of Decalso (loaded from this supernate) is about 0.7 grams of cesium per liter of resin, or about 90 curies of cesium-137 per gallon of Decalso at 25 deg C. Over 95% of the cesium may be precipitated as a ferrocyanide from simulated Purex tank farm supernatant solution at a pH of 10.6 or below with nickel, or at a pH of 10.2 or below with zinc. Since the pH of actual tank farm supernatant solutions is generally less than 10.5, no pretreatment of the waste appears necessary. At the highest pH values, 2.5 millimoles of cation per liter are required, while one millimole is sufficient at lower pH values. A large excess of ferrocyanide, about 25 millimoles per liter, is desirable. Metathesis of the precipitate with an excess of silver carbonate, silver oxide, or silver nitrate at elevated temperatures liberates the cesium and, with the first two reagents, yields solutions with only small amounts of cations other than cesium and sodium. Decontamination factors of as high as 10,000 from sodium were dernonstrated. Maximum cesium loading on Decalso from the cesium product solution is expected to be over 150 grams of cesium per liter of exchanger, or about 20,000 curies of cesium-137 per gallon of Decalso. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- General Electric Co. Hanford Atomic Products Operation, Richland, Wash.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AT(45-1)-1350
- NSA Number:
- NSA-16-031342
- OSTI ID:
- 4789255
- Report Number(s):
- HW-70874
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-62
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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