Carbon-14 removal for disposal of reactor deionizer resins

Technical Report · Thu Oct 31 04:00:00 EST 1991

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10163350· OSTI ID:10163350

Carlton, W H; Baumann, E W

Disposal of depleted ion exchange resins from the primary system of the Savannah River Site (SRS) reactors is complicated by the presence of Carbon-14. Because Carbon-14 has a long half-life (5,730 years) and high mobility in soils, burial of the resins is no longer a viable option. Consequently some 35 spent reactor deionizers have accumulated that are to be stored aboveground in H-Area for an indefinite period. Spent deionizers containing Carbon-14 will continue to accumulate with operation of the present production reactors and would also accumulate from the proposed heavy water new production reactor. Removal of the Carbon-14 from the resins would reduce the volume of Carbon-14 bearing waste and enable the resins to be disposed of as low-level waste. Studies at SRS have indicated that the Carbon-14 from reactor primary coolant is mostly retained by the resins as the bicarbonate anion. Thus Carbon-14 removal might be accomplished by an acidification operation with trapping of the carbon dioxide released, for separate disposal. Conversion of the bicarbonate from the resin to barium carbonate, for example, would reduce the volume of waste more than a hundredfold. Displacement and recovery of Carbon-14 dioxide from reactor coolant deionizers by acid treatment has been reported by the Canadians. This memorandum recommends that a process be developed for Carbon-14 dioxide removal from SRS spent reactor deionizer resins, drawing on the Canadian experience.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-89SR18035
• OSTI ID: 10163350
• Report Number(s): WSRC-TR--91-566; ON: DE93014747
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
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220600
ACIDIFICATION
CARBON 14
DECONTAMINATION
HEAVY WATER
ION EXCHANGE MATERIALS
PRODUCTION REACTORS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
RECOMMENDATIONS
REMOVAL
RESEARCH
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IRRADIATION
MATERIALS TESTING REACTORS
RESINS
SAVANNAH RIVER
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
WASTE DISPOSAL AND STORAGE
WASTE PROCESSING