FISSION PRODUCT SEPARATION BY FOAM EXTRACTION
A study was made of the applicability of the principles of foam separation to the enrichment and recovery of specific fission product nuclides from typical nuclear waste solutions. A review of foam separation principles is given and the experimental methods and equipment used are described. Investigation of equilibrium included studies of the characteristics of the experimental apparatus (e.g., time required to reach equilibrium), the effects of metal ion concentration and foaming agent concentration on interfacial adsorption equilibrium, and the effect of the choice of foaming agent on the potential degree of separation attainable. Screening of commercial foaming agents established specific foaming agents and types of agents which are effective in the removal of cesium, strontium, and cerium ions from aqueous solution. Each surfactant was tested for solubility, foamability, and enrichment at three different pH values, and for the critical micelle concentration (CMC). Out of 107 surfactants tested, 73 gave a reasonably good foam at one or more pH values and were tested for metal ion enrichment. Twenty were found promising in cesium removal, 33 in strontium removal, and 10 in cerium removal. Generally, only the anionic type surfactants were found effective, and each one of the three metal ions was found to be best separated within a specific pH range. Also included in this evaluation of specific reagents was the study of several combinations of materials which resulted in promising separations of cesium from solution. Studies were made of multistage foam separation column variables. Among these variables are the effects of: reflux, foam column height, expanded column head for drainage, splitting foaming agent feed between column top and bottom, and countercurrent foam washing. A detailed discussion and evaluation of the experimental results relative to the chemical separation of radioisotopes is given. This discussion of foam separation applicability includes an account of the current status of foam separation technology and a summary of the effects of pH, of the concentrations of various ionic species and foaming agents, and of physical operating variables. A wide range of approximate process operating costs is given ( 40 to 00 per 1000 gallons of feed solution), but it is concluded that current foam separation technology does not allow the preparation of reliable flowsheets or cost estimates for a foam separation isotope recovery plant. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Radiation Applications Inc., Long Island City, N.Y.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AT(30-1)-2384; AT(30-1)-2093, SUBCONTRACT 2024
- NSA Number:
- NSA-18-001797
- OSTI ID:
- 4147156
- Report Number(s):
- NYO-10038
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-64
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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