Hydrogen production during processing of radioactive sludge containing noble metals

Conference · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:7077242

Ha, B C; Ferrara, D M; Bibler, N E

Hydrogen was produced when radioactive sludge from Savannah River Site radioactive waste containing noble metals was reacted with formic acid. This will occur in a process tank in the Defense Waste Facility at SRS when waste is vitrified. Radioactive sludges from four tanks were tested in a lab-scale apparatus. Maximum hydrogen generation rates varied from 5 {times}10{sup {minus}7} g H{sub 2}/hr/g of sludge from the least reactive sludge (from Waste Tank 51) to 2 {times}10{sup {minus}4} g H{sub 2}/hr/g of sludge from the most reactive sludge (from Waste Tank 11). The time required for the hydrogen generation to reach a maximum varied from 4.1 to 25 hours. In addition to hydrogen, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide were produced and the pH of the reaction slurry increased. In all cases, the carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide were generated before the hydrogen. The results are in agreement with large-scale studies using simulated sludges.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-89SR18035
• OSTI ID: 7077242
• Report Number(s): WSRC-MS-92-109; CONF-920851-71; ON: DE92040203
• Resource Relation: Conference: Spectrum 92: nuclear and hazardous waste management international topical meeting, Boise, ID (United States), 23-27 Aug 1992
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
FORMIC ACID
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
VITRIFICATION
HYDROGEN
SYNTHESIS
METALS
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
SLUDGES
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
ELEMENTS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MONOCARBOXYLIC ACIDS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NONMETALS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
052001* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Processing