Treatment and disposal options for a heavy metals waste containing soluble Technetium-99
Various equipment decontamination and uranium recovery operations at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant generate a so-called ''raffinate'' waste stream characterized by toxic heavy metals, high concentrations of nitric aced, and low levels of radioactive nuclides (/sup 235/U and /sup 99/Tc). Dilution and adjustment of solution pH to a value of 8.2 to 8.5 precipitates the heavy metals that can be hydrolyzed, which are concentrated by paper filtration to yield a filter cake designed as heavy metals sludge (HMS) and HMS filtrate. The HMS fraction may be incorporated into cement-based grout containing ground blast furnace slag to dramatically reduce the mobility of its toxic and radioactive components. Sorption of soluble mercury, pertechnetate, and nitrate anions from the HMS filtrate was tested using organic resins and inorganic sorbents. Removal of Hg and /sup 99/Tc by ironing filings is efficient and economical, generating a small volume of spent sorbent amenable to co-disposal with HMS in a grout waste form. When a more rapid sorption is required, poly-4- vinylpyridine resin is very effective for the removal of soluble /sup 99/Tc, with little uptake of interfering anions at near-neutral influent pH values. 37 refs., 8 figs., 6 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, TN (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OT21400
- OSTI ID:
- 5746362
- Report Number(s):
- K/QT-230-R; ON: DE89016576
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS
SOLIDIFICATION
RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS
SLUDGES
GROUTING
LIQUID WASTES
MERCURY
PORTSMOUTH CENTRIFUGE ENRICHMENT PLANT
RESINS
WASTE FORMS
CENTRIFUGE ENRICHMENT PLANTS
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ORGANIC POLYMERS
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RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
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052001* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Processing
053000 - Nuclear Fuels- Environmental Aspects