Polymer filtration: An emerging technology for selective metals recovery
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States); and others
Polymer Filtration is a technology under development to selectively recover valuable or regulated metal ions from process or waste waters. The technology uses water-soluble polymers that are specially designed to selectively bind with metal ions in the aqueous solution. The polymers have a sufficiently large molecular weight that they can be separated and concentrated using available ultrafiltration technology. Water and smaller unbound components of the solution pass freely through the ultrafiltration membrane. The polymers can then be reused by changing the solution conditions to release the metal ions which are recovered in concentrated form for recycle or disposal. We are testing this technology to remove plutonium, americium, and other radionuclides from various process and waste streams found in nuclear facilities. Some advantages of polymer filtration relative to technology now in use are rapid binding kinetics, high selectivity, low energy and capital costs, and a small equipment footprint.
- OSTI ID:
- 559905
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-970443-; TRN: 98:002130
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 213. national meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Francisco, CA (United States), 13-17 Apr 1997; Other Information: PBD: 1997; Related Information: Is Part Of 213th ACS national meeting; PB: 2904 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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