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Title: Hanford waste vitrification plant hydrogen generation study: Preliminary evaluation of alternatives to formic acid

Abstract

Oxalic, glyoxylic, glycolic, malonic, pyruvic, lactic, levulinic, and citric acids as well as glycine have been evaluated as possible substitutes for formic acid in the preparation of feed for the Hanford waste vitrification plant using a non-radioactive feed stimulant UGA-12M1 containing substantial amounts of aluminum and iron oxides as well as nitrate and nitrite at 90C in the presence of hydrated rhodium trichloride. Unlike formic acid none of these carboxylic acids liberate hydrogen under these conditions and only malonic and citric acids form ammonia. Glyoxylic, glycolic, malonic, pyruvic, lactic, levulinic, and citric acids all appear to have significant reducing properties under the reaction conditions of interest as indicated by the observation of appreciable amounts of N{sub 2}O as a reduction product of,nitrite or, less likely, nitrate at 90C. Glyoxylic, pyruvic, and malonic acids all appear to be unstable towards decarboxylation at 90C in the presence of Al(OH){sub 3}. Among the carboxylic acids investigated in this study the {alpha}-hydroxycarboxylic acids glycolic and lactic acids appear to be the most interesting potential substitutes for formic acid in the feed preparation for the vitrification plant because of their failure to produce hydrogen or ammonia or to undergo decarboxylation under the reaction conditions althoughmore » they exhibit some reducing properties in feed stimulant experiments.« less

Authors:
; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
208384
Report Number(s):
PNNL-10982; PVTD-C94-03-02R
ON: DE96008857; TRN: 96:009810
DOE Contract Number:  
AC06-76RL01830
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: Feb 1996
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 40 CHEMISTRY; HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; VITRIFICATION; HYDROGEN; EMISSION; FORMIC ACID; CHEMICAL REACTIONS; DECARBOXYLATION; NITRATES; RHODIUM; SAFETY

Citation Formats

King, R B, Bhattacharyya, N K, and Kumar, V. Hanford waste vitrification plant hydrogen generation study: Preliminary evaluation of alternatives to formic acid. United States: N. p., 1996. Web. doi:10.2172/208384.
King, R B, Bhattacharyya, N K, & Kumar, V. Hanford waste vitrification plant hydrogen generation study: Preliminary evaluation of alternatives to formic acid. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/208384
King, R B, Bhattacharyya, N K, and Kumar, V. 1996. "Hanford waste vitrification plant hydrogen generation study: Preliminary evaluation of alternatives to formic acid". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/208384. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/208384.
@article{osti_208384,
title = {Hanford waste vitrification plant hydrogen generation study: Preliminary evaluation of alternatives to formic acid},
author = {King, R B and Bhattacharyya, N K and Kumar, V},
abstractNote = {Oxalic, glyoxylic, glycolic, malonic, pyruvic, lactic, levulinic, and citric acids as well as glycine have been evaluated as possible substitutes for formic acid in the preparation of feed for the Hanford waste vitrification plant using a non-radioactive feed stimulant UGA-12M1 containing substantial amounts of aluminum and iron oxides as well as nitrate and nitrite at 90C in the presence of hydrated rhodium trichloride. Unlike formic acid none of these carboxylic acids liberate hydrogen under these conditions and only malonic and citric acids form ammonia. Glyoxylic, glycolic, malonic, pyruvic, lactic, levulinic, and citric acids all appear to have significant reducing properties under the reaction conditions of interest as indicated by the observation of appreciable amounts of N{sub 2}O as a reduction product of,nitrite or, less likely, nitrate at 90C. Glyoxylic, pyruvic, and malonic acids all appear to be unstable towards decarboxylation at 90C in the presence of Al(OH){sub 3}. Among the carboxylic acids investigated in this study the {alpha}-hydroxycarboxylic acids glycolic and lactic acids appear to be the most interesting potential substitutes for formic acid in the feed preparation for the vitrification plant because of their failure to produce hydrogen or ammonia or to undergo decarboxylation under the reaction conditions although they exhibit some reducing properties in feed stimulant experiments.},
doi = {10.2172/208384},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/208384}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1996},
month = {Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1996}
}