STAINLESS STEEL PROCESS WASTES: I. REMOVAL OF ALLOY METALS FROM WASTE SOLUTIONS BY MERCURY CATHODE ELECTROLYSIS

Technical Report · Mon Sep 19 04:00:00 EDT 1960

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4118686· OSTI ID:4118686

McLain, M E; Rhodes, D W

A method is proposed for the separation of the metal ions iron, nickel, and chromium from the fission products in wastes resulting from the chemical processing to recover uranium from reactor fuels clad or alloyed with stainless steel. A separation of the alloy metals and the fission products was accomplished in the laboratory by electrolysia of the alloy metals over a mercury cathode. The standard reduction potentials at the mercury cathode of the major long-lived fission products are such that they are difficult to reduce electrolytically in acid solution. The removal of alloy metal ions from solution by mercury cathode electrolysis permits the alloy constituents and the fission products to be treated as separate wastes. The alloy constituents may be converted to a solid and stored in low integrity containers without danger of self-heating from fission product decay. The fission product waste can be reduced to a very small volume for storage and recovery of valuable fission products or converted to a solid for permanent disposal. (auth)

• Research Organization: Phillips Petroleum Co. Atomic Energy Div., Idaho Falls, Idaho
• Sponsoring Organization: US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
• DOE Contract Number: AT(10-1)-205
• NSA Number: NSA-15-003730
• OSTI ID: 4118686
• Report Number(s): IDO-14533
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CATHODES
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CONVERSION
ELECTROLYSIS
FISSION PRODUCTS
FUEL CANS
IONS
IRON ALLOYS
MERCURY
NICKEL ALLOYS
RECOVERY
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLIDS
STAINLESS STEELS
STORAGE
URANIUM ALLOYS
VESSELS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE DISPOSAL AND PROCESSING
WASTE PROCESSING