Demonstration of Entrained Solids and Sr/TRU Removal Processes with Archived AN-107 Waste
Archived AN-107 waste was used to evaluate entrained solids removal, Sr/TRU decontamination of supernatant, and Sr/TRU solids removal. Even though most of the entrained solids had been previously removed from the archived sample, the residual entrained solids rapidly fouled the filter element resulting in very poor filter performance. An attempt to run at higher pressure resulted in more fouling, and reduced filter performance. Filtration efforts to remove entrained solids were abandoned and the waste was treated for Sr/TRU removal with the entrained solids present. The new processing scheme for Sr/TRU removal involving precipitation by added strontium and permanganate worked well. The decontamination factors for Sr and TRU components were significantly greater than the ILAW DF requirements for higher reagent concentrations of 1M hydroxide, 0.075M Sr, and 0.05M permanganate and lower reagent concentrations of 0.8M hydroxide, 0.05M Sr, and 0.03M permanganate. These results support the use of lower concentration of reagent additions in future tests. Optimization studies should be conducted to examine the reduction in added hydroxide from 1M to 0.5 M, reduction of Sr from 0.075M to 0.05M, and reduction in permanganate from 0.05M to 0.03M and the impact this reduction has on filtration performance with new samples from Tank AN-107. The combined entrained solids and Sr/TRU precipitate were successfully filtered in the single element, crossflow filtration unit. The filtrate flux was high, >0.1 gpm/ft{sup 2}, at the initial test conditions of 53 psi and 11.2ft/s for the treated archived AN-107 sample. The filter flux rate dropped significantly with time as testing progressed and appears to be a result of shearing the agglomerated solids and fouling of the filter element by the resulting fine particles. The relatively low clean water flux rates obtained at the end of the test also indicate filter fouling. Chemical cleaning was required to restore clean water flux rates to pre-test levels. The filter performance as a function of wt% solids could not be determined in this study because the treated waste volume was close to the minimum CUF volume and no dewatering could occur. Additional filtration tests need to be conducted to determine the filtrate flux as a function of wt% solids. Solids washing in the CUF also needs to be conducted to determine filtrate flux rate as a function of solids loading during washing.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 759182
- Report Number(s):
- PNWD-3033; BNFL-RPT-026; R&D Project: 29953; BNFL-RPT-026; TRN: US0004498
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 2 Aug 2000
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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