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Title: Defense waste processing facility precipitate hydrolysis process

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5429795

Sodium tetraphenylborate and sodium titanate are used to assist in the concentration of soluble radionuclide in the Savannah River Plant's high-level waste. In the Defense Waste Processing Facility, concentrated tetraphenylborate/sodium titanate slurry containing cesium-137, strontium-90 and traces of plutonium from the waste tank farm is hydrolyzed in the Salt Processing Cell forming organic and aqueous phases. The two phases are then separated and the organic phase is decontaminated for incineration outside the DWPF building. The aqueous phase, containing the radionuclides and less than 10% of the original organic, is blended with the insoluble radionuclides in the high-level waste sludge and is fed to the glass melter for vitrification into borosilicate glass. During the Savannah River Laboratory's development of this process, copper (II) was found to act as a catalyst during the hydrolysis reactions, which improved the organic removal and simplified the design of the reactor.

Research Organization:
Savannah River Lab., Aiken, SC (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC09-76SR00001
OSTI ID:
5429795
Report Number(s):
DP-MS-85-132; CONF-860317-55; ON: DE86015677
Resource Relation:
Conference: Waste management '86, Tucson, AZ, USA, 2 Mar 1986; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English