Removal of actinides from radioactive wastes using extraction chromatography

Conference · Fri Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States)

OSTI ID:5040672

Barney, G S ^[1]

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1. Westinghouse Hanford Co., Richland, WA (United States)

Economic incentives exist for partitioning both current and stored radioactive wastes at the Hanford site into high-level waste, transuranic (TRU) waste, and low-level waste (LLW) fractions. The present large volume of high-level and TRU wastes could be reduced by separating radionuclides from the inert (nonradioactive) components of the waste. Theoretically, the volume of high-level and TRU wastes would be reduced to only a few percent of the present volume. The remaining large volume of decontaminated LLW could then be disposed of relatively inexpensively by grouting. The smaller volume of high-level and TRU wastes would be vitrified and sent to an underground wastes would be vitrified and sent to an underground waste repository. Technologies available for separating actinides from waste solutions include the TRUEX process. This solvent extraction process converts TRU wastes into LLW that can be disposed of inexpensively. The objective of this study was to evaluate extraction chromatographic resins for separating actinides from acidic waste streams that are generated at the Hanford site. Transuranic radionuclides must be removed to levels below the TRU limit (100 nCi/g) for the resins to be considered useful. Removal of plutonium, americium, and uranium was studied. The performance of two commercially available resins (TRU {center dot} Spec and U/TEVA {center dot} Spec{sup a}) and one laboratory-prepared resin was evaluated.

• OSTI ID: 5040672
• Report Number(s): CONF-911107--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States) Journal Volume: 64
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052001 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Processing
054000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Health & Safety
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400105 -- Separation Procedures
ABSORPTION
ACTINIDES
AMERICIUM
CHROMATOGRAPHY
CLEANING
DECONTAMINATION
EFFICIENCY
ELEMENTS
EXTRACTION CHROMATOGRAPHY
GROUTING
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
INTERMEDIATE-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
METALS
NITRIC ACID
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
PERFORMANCE
PETROCHEMICALS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PLUTONIUM
POLYMERS
PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REMOVAL
RESINS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLIDIFICATION
SORPTION
TRANSPLUTONIUM ELEMENTS
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
TRUEX PROCESS
URANIUM
VITRIFICATION
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES