Water-soluble chelating polymers for removal of actinides from wastewater
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
Polymer filtration is a technology under development to selectively recover valuable or regulated metal ions from process or wastewaters. The technology uses water-soluble chelating polymers that are designed to selectively bind with metal ions in aqueous solutions. The polymers have a sufficiently large molecular weight that they can be separated and concentrated using available ultrafiltration (UF) technology. The UF range is generally considered to include molecular weights from about 3000 to several million daltons and particles sizes of about 2 to 1000 nm. Water and smaller unbound components of the solution pass freely through the UF membrane. The polymers can then be reused by changing the solution conditions to release the metal ions that are recovered in concentrated form for recycle or disposal. Some of the advantages of polymer filtration relative to technology now in use are rapid binding kinetics, high selectivity, low energy and capital costs, and a small equipment footprint. Some potential commercial applications include electroplating rinse waters, photographic processing, nuclear power plant cooling water; remediation of contaminated soils and groundwater; removal of mercury contamination; and textile, paint and dye production. The purpose of this project is to evaluate this technology to remove plutonium, americium, and other regulated metal ions from various process and waste streams found in nuclear facilities. The work involves preparation of the water-soluble chelating polymers; small-scale testing of the chelating polymer systems for the required solubility, UF properties, selectivity and binding constants; followed by an engineering assessment at a larger scale to allow comparison to competing separation technologies. This project focuses on metal-ion contaminants in waste streams at the Plutonium Facility and the Waste Treatment Facility at LANL. Potential applications at other DOE facilities are also apparent.
- Research Organization:
- Science, Inc., Anaheim, CA (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 530422
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-28461-Rev.1; CONF-970148-Rev.1; ON: DE97052111; TRN: 97:016846
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Efficient Separations and Processing (ESP) Crosscutting Program FY 1997 technical exchange meeting, Gaithersburg, MD (United States), 28-30 Jan 1997; Other Information: PBD: [1997]; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of the efficient separations and processing crosscutting program 1997 technical exchange meeting; Gephart, J.M. [ed.]; PB: 211 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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