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U.S. Department of Energy
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SOME PROPERTIES OF HYDROGEN-BASED CLINOPTILOLITE

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:4750293
Some properties of the inorganic cation-exchanger, clinoptilolite, were studied. These studies were directed towards gathering the data necessary to predict the useful lifetime of a column of clinoptilolite when used to remove Cs and Sr from the combined Chalk River low-level waste streams. Column loadings were done with synthetic Cs and Sr solutions containing various amounts of Ca and sodium hexametaphosphate. These potential interferences are expected in the actual waste stream. In these experiments, the mineral was converted to the hydrogen form before use by contacting it with dilute nitric acid. Contacting the mineral with nitric acids was found to destroy some of its exchange capacity. The extent of destruction depended on acid strength and time of contact. Ca at the level expected in the actual stream (5 x 10/sup -4/ N) reduced the mineral capacity for Sr by a factor of 3.5. This same level had no effect on Cs capacity. Sodium hexametaphosphate caused a severe reduction in the capacity of the mineral for Sr with a feed adjusted to pH 3.0. The average concentration of this agent in the actual waste was below the troublesome level, however. It is to be expected that even if the above conditions are encountered column lifetimes will still be great enough to be usefui in practice. (auth)
Research Organization:
Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., Chalk River, Ont.
NSA Number:
NSA-17-014204
OSTI ID:
4750293
Report Number(s):
CRL-76; AECL-1670
Country of Publication:
Canada
Language:
English