Development and testing of spheroidal inorganic sorbents
The general objectives of this task are to develop, prepare, and test spheroidal inorganic ion exchangers made by the HMTA (hexamethylenetetramine) internal gelation process to remove radionuclides and heavy metals from waste streams occurring at the various DOE sites. Inorganic ion-exchange materials, such as sodium silicotitanate, sodium titanate, ammonium molybdeophosphate, phosphotungstic acid, hexacyanoferrates, titanium monohydrogen phosphate, hydrous titanium oxide, polyantimonic acid, magnesium oxide, etc. have high selectivities and efficiencies for separating and removing radionuclides (e.g., cesium, strontium, technetium, iodine, europium, cerium, ruthenium, and zirconium), actinides, and other elements (such as lead, mercury, silver, nickel, zinc, chromium, and fluoride) from aqueous waste streams. The development of cesium specific spherical sorbents for treatment of acidic, high-salt waste solutions was initiated in FY 1998. Acid-side treatment is important at INEEL and could become important if acidic sludge washing were to become a treatment option at Hanford, Savannah River, or Oak Ridge. Zirconium monohydrogen phosphates (ZrHP) embedded with ammonium molybdophosphate (AMP) was the cesium selective inorganic sorbent chosen for making microspheres. AMP is known to be a very effective sorbent for removing cesium from waste streams over a wide range of acidity and salinity, and it has very rapid loading kinetics. The cesium can also be eluted from AMP with ammonium salt solutions. AMP cannot be used as a sorbent at pHs above 7 because it decomposes. In the pH range of 1 to 7, ZrHP is also a very effective sorbent for removing Cs, Sr, Th, U(VI), Pu(IV), AM(III), Hg, and Pb from streams of lower ionic concentrations.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States); USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-96OR22464
- OSTI ID:
- 634013
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL/CP-96463; CONF-980335-; ON: DE98004055; BR: EW4030000; TRN: 98:009783
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Efficient separations and processing crosscutting program technical exchange meeting, Augusta, GA (United States), 17-19 Mar 1998; Other Information: PBD: 29 Jan 1998
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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