Separation of transuranic radionuclides from soil by vibratory grinding
Experiments were conducted to test the effectiveness of a vibratory grinder (Roto-Finish - Spiratron ST-1) for the separation of transuranic elements such as plutonium from contaminated soil. Four scrubbing solutions were tested to add varying degrees of chemical action to the physical action of the attrition grinder. The scrub solutions were: water, aqueous NaOH - pH 12.5 (high pH solution), 2% HNO/sub 3/, 0.2% HF, 5 wt % Calgon, 2 vol % pine oil (weak acid plus surfactant), and 2N HCl (strong acid). All four scrub solutions reduced the greater than 35 mesh portion of the test soil from approximately 7000 dpm/g /sup 239/Pu to approximately 30 dpm/g or less. The weak acid/surfactant and the strong acid solutions produced the best decontamination. The high pH, weak acid/surfactant, and strong acid solutions all appeared to increase the rate of decontamination as compared to water only. These experiments decontaminated 85% of the Rocky Flats soil tested to levels which could meet EPA screening levels for unrestricted use.
- Research Organization:
- Rockwell International Corp., Golden, CO (USA). Rocky Flats Plant
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP03533
- OSTI ID:
- 5096476
- Report Number(s):
- RFP-3296; ON: DE82021536
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CLEANING
COMMINUTION
DATA
DECONTAMINATION
ELEMENTS
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GRINDING
GRINDING MACHINES
HEAVY NUCLEI
HYDROCHLORIC ACID
HYDROFLUORIC ACID
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXIDES
INFORMATION
INORGANIC ACIDS
ISOTOPES
MACHINE TOOLS
MACHINING
MANAGEMENT
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NITRIC ACID
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PH VALUE
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOISOTOPES
REMOVAL
ROCKY FLATS PLANT
SCRUBBING
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SODIUM HYDROXIDES
SOILS
SURFACTANTS
TOOLS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WATER
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES