Testing of antimony selective media for treatment of liquid radwaste
- Graver Technologies, LLC, Glasgow, DE (United States)
Nuclear power plants have sought radiation source term reduction and reduced discharge of radioactive constituents for many years. In the case of pressurized water reactors (PWRs), the latter efforts have been directed toward capture and immobilization of recalcitrant (ubiquitous radionuclides with long half-lives) species such as Cs-134 and Cs-137 and Co-58 and Co-60. As these plants resolved, or at least mitigated, the problems with radiocesium and radio-cobalt, antimony radionuclides (Sb-122, Sb-124, and Sb-125) have become a primary concern in liquid liquid radwaste systems Graver Technologies developed a granular composite metal oxide media with good selectivity for radio-antimony. Initial laboratory data were collected using non-radioactive salts of antimony, cesium, and cobalt to judge efficacy of selective removal of antimony. Based on success of those trials, the media, designated Gravex GX187, was tested in partnership with Energy Solutions (nee Duratek) using actual liquid liquid radwaste in two PWR plants. One of these plants performed extensive slip-stream trials comparing the GX187 with strong base anion resins. With more than 2500 bed volumes of throughput, the GX187 outperformed the other competitors by reducing both Sb-124 and Sb-125 radionuclides below minimum detectable activity (MDA) with average decontamination factors (DF's) of 170, even when subjected to high levels of borate. Based on these favorable results, Energy Solutions installed the GX187 in a layered bed in their ALPS liquid radwaste processing system at this plant in August 2005. After one year of intermittent, batchwise operation including an outage, the GX187 processed more than 2.25 million liters (>600,000 gallons) of liquid liquid radwaste while reducing the Sb-125 activity to 2.9 E-08 Bq/L (DF=111) on average. This evaluation is ongoing and will continue at least until the fall 2006 outage at this plant. Concurrently, Graver developed a second generation antimony selective media designated Gravex GX194. Again in partnership with Energy Solutions, the GX194 is currently undergoing slip-stream testing in the liquid radwaste system in one PWR and installed and operating in ALPS systems in 3 other PWRs. After 5 months of slip-stream testing, the GX194 media has produced only MDA quality water in terms of Sb-122 and Sb-125 radionuclides, albeit with relatively low levels of influent antimony. The GX194 installed at the first plant has processed more than 1.2 million liters (>325,000 gallons) of liquid radwaste, consistently produced MDA quality water for Sb-125, and typically offered a DF>100. Similarly, the GX194 in the second plant has processed almost 1.3 million liters ({approx}340,000 gallons) of liquid radwaste, produced MDA quality water for Sb-125 for 36% of 42 batches, and typically offered a DF>35. The GX194 was not installed in the third plant until August 2006, so performance data is still pending. (authors)
- Research Organization:
- WM Symposia, 1628 E. Southern Avenue, Suite 9 - 332, Tempe, AZ 85282 (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 21290864
- Report Number(s):
- INIS-US-09-WM-07275; TRN: US10V0190038275
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: WM'07: 2007 Waste Management Symposium - Global Accomplishments in Environmental and Radioactive Waste Management: Education and Opportunity for the Next Generation of Waste Management Professionals, Tucson, AZ (United States), 25 Feb - 1 Mar 2007; Other Information: Country of input: France; 12 refs
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
New Innovations in Highly Ion Specific Media for Recalcitrant Waste stream Radioisotopes
Fifteen years of operation with inorganic highly selective ion exchange materials
Related Subjects
ANTIMONY
ANTIMONY 122
ANTIMONY 124
ANTIMONY 125
CESIUM 134
CESIUM 137
COBALT 58
COBALT 60
DECONTAMINATION
LIQUID WASTES
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
OUTAGES
PWR TYPE REACTORS
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REMOVAL
RESINS
TESTING