Methods for eluting radiocesium from zeolite ion exchange material in a column in the TMI-2 reactor containment building

Technical Report · Thu Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5258206· OSTI ID:5258206

Knauer, J. B.; Campbell, D. O.; Collins, E. D.; King, L. J.

Two alternative procedures were evaluated at Oak Ridge National Laboratory for potential use in eluting the radiocesium from Linde Ionsiv IE-95 zeolite in the pushcart ion exchange column in the TMI-2 containment building. The elution mechanism was iosotopic exchange of the radiocesium with stable cesium. Small zeolite ion exchange columns that had been loaded during ORNL tests of the Submerged Demineralizer System (SDS) flowsheet were eluted during these tests. One column was eluted using 0.25 M CsNO/sub 3/, and a second column was eluted using 0.25 M CsH/sub 2/BO/sub 3/. Both eluent solutions were effective for removing the cesium. The 0.25 CsNO/sub 3/ eluent removed approx. 91% of the /sup 137/Cs in 20 bed volumes and approx. 92% in 37.5 bed volumes. The 0.25 M CsH/sub 2/BO/sub 3/ eluent removed approx. 82% of the /sup 137/Cs in 20 bed volumes and approx. 85% in 40 bed volumes. In both cases, the radiation levels on the columns were reduced by a factor of approx. 30.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 5258206
• Report Number(s): ORNL/TM-8333; ON: DE82018181
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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