Evaluation of alternatives for best available technology treatment and retreatment of uranium-contaminated solutions at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant C-400 Facility

Technical Report · Fri Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:5786666

Del Cul, G D

The Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant C-400 Decontamination Facility generators aqueous solutions that originate in drum washing, machine parts and equipment cleaning, and other decontamination processes. In general, the waste contains uranyl, fluoride, carbonate, and nitrate ions, in addition to soaps, detergents, secondary contaminants, and particulate matter. The main contaminants are fluoride, technetium, uranium, and other heavy metals. In accordance with Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5400.5, the releases of radioactive materials must be as low as reasonably achievable and be below the derived concentration guide limits. To comply with the DOE order, an action plan was formulated. The action plan included a literature search to support best available technology evaluation of treatment alternatives, a quality assurance/quality control plan, suggestion of alternative treatment options, bench-scale test studies of the proposed treatment alternatives, and establishment of the final recommendation. Five major technologies were considered: precipitation/coprecipitation, reverse osmosis, ultrafiltration, supported liquid membranes, and ion exchange. Biosorption was also briefly considered. Based on C-400's requirements and facilities, the precipitation/coprecipitation process appears to be the best suited for use at the plant. Four different treatment options using the precipitation/coprecipitation technology were proposed. Bench-scale studies of all four options were suggested. Options 1 and 2 represent a combination of lime-softening and iron coprecipitation. Laboratory test evaluations were initiated and the results involving Options 1 and 2 reported here. 29 refs., 1 fig., 2 tabs.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge K-25 Site, TN (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OT21400
• OSTI ID: 5786666
• Report Number(s): K/QT-394/PT2; ON: DE91014196
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052001* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Processing
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONATES
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CLEANING
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COPRECIPITATION
DECONTAMINATION
DIFFUSION
DOCUMENT TYPES
ELEMENTS
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FILTRATION
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANTS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HEAVY NUCLEI
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
IONS
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPE SEPARATION PLANTS
ISOTOPES
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
METALS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NITROGEN IONS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEI
OSMOSIS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PADUCAH PLANT
PEROXIDES
PRECIPITATION
PROCESSING
PROGRESS REPORT
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOISOTOPES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TECHNETIUM
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
ULTRAFILTRATION
URANIUM 235
URANIUM ISOTOPES
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES