DEVELOPMENT OF A CONTINUOUS ION EXCHANGE PROCESS FOR THE REMOVAL AND RECOVERY OF HIGH-PURITY CESIUM FROM ALKALINE WASTE
A process was developed for the removal and recovery of high-purity cesium from alkaline waste solutions using the Higgins continuous countercurrent ion exchange contactor. Cesium is selectively sorbed on the phenolic methylene sulfonic resin Duolite C-3, along with strontium, the rare earths, and other cationic fission products. At feed rates up to 2000 gal/ft/sup 2/ hr, tracer activities in a synthetic alkaline waste solution were reduced to background levels of 0-50 c/ml min, corresponding to decontamination factors of > 10/sup 4/ for cesium and > 10/sup 3/ for strontium and the rare earths. Cesium was removed from the contactor by selective elution with hydrochloric acid to produce a product containing about 1% sodium along with tracer quantities of strontium and the rare earths. A cost estimate was prepared which showed that Cs/sup 137/ would cost 6 cents per curie from a plant designed to produce 22,000 curies/day. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-26
- NSA Number:
- NSA-13-000555
- OSTI ID:
- 4298799
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL-2491
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-59
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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