Single-column-based absorption process for treating dissolver off-gas

Conference · Fri May 21 04:00:00 EDT 1982

OSTI ID:5365561

Eby, R. S.; Little, D. K.; Merriman, J. R.; Stephenson, M. J.

The fluorocarbon absorption process for krypton and xenon removal from dissolver off-gas is based on exploitation of solubility differences which exist among noble gases and other gas-phase constituents in the fluorocarbon solvent dichlorofluoromethane (refrigerant-12). Process performance and reliability have been demonstrated on an engineering scale with over 10 years of pilot plant operation, including testing with /sup 85/Kr, /sup 133/Xe, and /sup 131/I. The culmination of this work is a single-column design which results in a simplified process with improved reliability and lower cost. Data are presented summarizing recent single-column development activities. These include data plots depicting decontamination factor vs feed gas flow rate, DF vs process absorption factor (kG/L), and location of the concentration peak via the solvent flow rate. In general, 99% removal is easily obtainable for Kr, Xe, and CO/sub 2/ while attaining concentration factors on the order of 10/sup 3/ to 10/sup 4/. Further concentration of the Kr product is investigated using solid sorbent and cold trapping technologies. Effective removal of entrained fluorocarbon solvent and CO/sub 2/ from the single-column product stream is demonstrated using 13X and 5A molecular sieves, respectively. Additional separation of Xe is studied using a silver mordenite bed and compared to existing methods using cryogenic charcoal beds or selective cold trap sublimation. Regardless of the method for Xe removal, Kr is ultimately concentrated via a simple cold trap to > 90% purity from a feed gas containing 10 ppM. 14 figures.

• Research Organization: Union Carbide Corp., Oak Ridge, TN (USA). Nuclear Div.
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 5365561
• Report Number(s): K/PS-5005; CONF-820464-1; ON: DE82017052
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050800* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Spent Fuels Reprocessing
052001 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Processing
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ADSORBENTS
ADSORPTION
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DISSOLVERS
ELEMENTS
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FLUIDS
FUEL REPROCESSING PLANTS
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
GASEOUS WASTES
GASES
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
IODINE 131
IODINE ISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
KRYPTON
KRYPTON 85
KRYPTON ISOTOPES
MANAGEMENT
MOLECULAR SIEVES
NONMETALS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OFF-GAS SYSTEMS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PILOT PLANTS
PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOISOTOPES
RARE GASES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SORPTION
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
XENON
XENON 133
XENON ISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES