Preliminary laboratory investigation for the removal of radioactive cesium from Purex aqueous waste solutions
The laboratory work reported in this paper showed that cesium can be removed from current acid waste (CAW) by first removing strontium and rare earth by solvent extraction then passing the resulting 1AW solution through an ion exchange column containing a zeolite. The method for removing strontium and rare earth by solvent extraction is well documented and is not discussed here. Zeolon-900, a synthetic zeolite made by Norton Company, had the highest affinity for cesium of the ion exchangers tested. Maximum cesium absorption occurred between pH 4.0 and pH 8.5. The absorption of cesium from CAW or 1AF was lower than that observed with 1AW. 1AF is B Plant solvent extraction feed made from CAW. 1AW is waste raffinate from solvent extraction. Laboratory ion exchange column runs showed five percent cesium breakthrough occurred at 92 column volumes. Decontamination factors of 1.17 x 10/sup 4/ and 2.92 x 10/sup 3/ were found for aluminum and iron, respectively, during a laboratory column run. Sodium decontamination factors were not measured for these runs; however, Nelson, Alkaire, and Mercer found the decontamination of sodium from cesium during the processing of acid wastes was 1 x 10/sup 4/.
- Research Organization:
- Northwest Organization for College and University Science; Rockwell International Corp., Richland, WA (USA). Rockwell Hanford Operations
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- EY-77-C-06-1030
- OSTI ID:
- 5916388
- Report Number(s):
- RHO-CD-456
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
052001* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Processing
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ALKALI METALS
CESIUM
ELEMENTS
INORGANIC ION EXCHANGERS
ION EXCHANGE
ION EXCHANGE MATERIALS
MANAGEMENT
METALS
MINERALS
PROCESSING
PUREX PROCESS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REPROCESSING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
ZEOLITES