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Title: Oxidative Alkaline leaching of Americium from simulated high-level nuclear waste sludges

Abstract

Oxidative alkaline leaching has been proposed to pre-treat the high-level nuclear waste sludges to remove some of the problematic (e.g., Cr) and/or non-radioactive (e.g., Na, Al) constituents before vitrification. It is critical to understand the behavior of actinides, americium and plutonium in particular, in oxidative alkaline leaching. We have studied the leaching behavior of americium from four different sludge simulants (BiPO{sub 4}, BiPO{sub 4 modified}, Redox, PUREX) using potassium permanganate and potassium persulfate in alkaline solutions. Up to 60% of americium sorbed onto the simulants is leached from the sludges by alkaline persulfate and permanganate. The percentage of americium leached increases with [NaOH] (between 1.0 and 5.0 M). The initial rate of americium leaching by potassium persulfate increases in the order BiPO{sub 4} sludge < Redox sludge < PUREX sludge. The data are most consistent with oxidation of Am{sup 3+} in the sludge to either AmO{sub 2}{sup +} or AmO{sub 2}{sup 2+} in solution. Though neither of these species is expected to exhibit long-term stability in solution, the potential for mobilization of americium from sludge samples would have to be accommodated in the design of any oxidative leaching process for real sludge samples.

Authors:
; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Director. Office of Science. Office of Biological and Environmental Research, Argonne National Laboratory Contract W-31-109-ENG-38
OSTI Identifier:
861291
Report Number(s):
LBNL-54752
Journal ID: ISSN 0149-6395; SSTEDS; R&D Project: 406101; BnR: KP1301020; TRN: US0600291
DOE Contract Number:  
DE-AC02-05CH11231
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Separation Science and Technology
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 40; Journal Issue: 5; Related Information: Journal Publication Date: 2005; Journal ID: ISSN 0149-6395
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ACTINIDES; AMERICIUM; DESIGN; LEACHING; OXIDATION; PERMANGANATES; PERSULFATES; PLUTONIUM; POTASSIUM; POTASSIUM COMPOUNDS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; SLUDGES; STABILITY; VITRIFICATION

Citation Formats

Reed, Wendy A, Garnov, Alexander Yu, Rao, Linfeng, Nash, Kenneth L, and Bond, Andrew H. Oxidative Alkaline leaching of Americium from simulated high-level nuclear waste sludges. United States: N. p., 2004. Web.
Reed, Wendy A, Garnov, Alexander Yu, Rao, Linfeng, Nash, Kenneth L, & Bond, Andrew H. Oxidative Alkaline leaching of Americium from simulated high-level nuclear waste sludges. United States.
Reed, Wendy A, Garnov, Alexander Yu, Rao, Linfeng, Nash, Kenneth L, and Bond, Andrew H. 2004. "Oxidative Alkaline leaching of Americium from simulated high-level nuclear waste sludges". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/861291.
@article{osti_861291,
title = {Oxidative Alkaline leaching of Americium from simulated high-level nuclear waste sludges},
author = {Reed, Wendy A and Garnov, Alexander Yu and Rao, Linfeng and Nash, Kenneth L and Bond, Andrew H},
abstractNote = {Oxidative alkaline leaching has been proposed to pre-treat the high-level nuclear waste sludges to remove some of the problematic (e.g., Cr) and/or non-radioactive (e.g., Na, Al) constituents before vitrification. It is critical to understand the behavior of actinides, americium and plutonium in particular, in oxidative alkaline leaching. We have studied the leaching behavior of americium from four different sludge simulants (BiPO{sub 4}, BiPO{sub 4 modified}, Redox, PUREX) using potassium permanganate and potassium persulfate in alkaline solutions. Up to 60% of americium sorbed onto the simulants is leached from the sludges by alkaline persulfate and permanganate. The percentage of americium leached increases with [NaOH] (between 1.0 and 5.0 M). The initial rate of americium leaching by potassium persulfate increases in the order BiPO{sub 4} sludge < Redox sludge < PUREX sludge. The data are most consistent with oxidation of Am{sup 3+} in the sludge to either AmO{sub 2}{sup +} or AmO{sub 2}{sup 2+} in solution. Though neither of these species is expected to exhibit long-term stability in solution, the potential for mobilization of americium from sludge samples would have to be accommodated in the design of any oxidative leaching process for real sludge samples.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/861291}, journal = {Separation Science and Technology},
issn = {0149-6395},
number = 5,
volume = 40,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jan 23 00:00:00 EST 2004},
month = {Fri Jan 23 00:00:00 EST 2004}
}