Decontamination of alkaline radioactive waste by ion exchange

Journal Article · Sat Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1977 · Ind. Eng. Chem. Process Des. Dev.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/i260065a012· OSTI ID:6311328

Wiley, J R

An ion-exchange process was developed to remove cesium-137, strontium-90, and plutonium from alkaline salt solutions. About 20 million gal of alkaline salt cake and supernatant solution from processing nuclear fuels and materials for defense programs are presently stored at the Savannah River Plant. Ion exchange may be used to decontaminate this radioactive waste during a proposed waste solidification program. In development tests 100-L quantities of liquid waste were decontaminated. Decontamination factors were 4 x 10/sup 5/ for /sup 137/Cs, 5 x 10/sup 3/ for /sup 90/Sr, and 300 for Pu. The separated radionuclides were concentrated by a factor of 1500 and immobilized by adsorption onto zeolite. Residual /sup 137/Cs, /sup 90/Sr, and Pu activity in the decontaminated product was about 6 nCi/g. /sup 106/Ru, the most hazardous radionuclide remaining after /sup 137/Cs removal, will decay to 6 nCi/g about 10 years after the waste is processed.

• Research Organization: Savannah River Lab., Aiken, SC
• OSTI ID: 6311328
• Journal Information: Ind. Eng. Chem. Process Des. Dev.; (United States), Journal Name: Ind. Eng. Chem. Process Des. Dev.; (United States) Vol. 17:1; ISSN IEPDA
• 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
ACTINIDES
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
DATA
ELEMENTS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
INFORMATION
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ION EXCHANGE
ISOTOPES
MANAGEMENT
METALS
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PLUTONIUM
PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOISOTOPES
STRONTIUM 90
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES