Radioactive Acid Digestion Test Unit (RADTU), 1980

Conference · Tue Sep 30 04:00:00 EDT 1980

OSTI ID:6604869

Allen, C. R.

The Radioactive Acid Digestion Test Unit (RADTU) was constructed at the Hanford Site, Richland, WA to demonstrate application of the acid digestion process for treating combustible transuranic wastes and scrap materials. Using its original tray digester vessel, RADTU recently completed a six-month campaign of processing potentially contaminated non-glovebox wastes from a Hanford plutonium facility. During the campaign, 2100 kg of largely cellulosic wastes were processed at an average sustained processing rate of 3 kg/h (limited by the acid-waste contact and the water boiloff rate from the acid feeds). On-line operating efficiency was nearly 50%, averaged over 12 hours/day, for five days/week. After shutdown, a new annular high-rate digester was installed for testing that demonstrated a sustained capacity of 8 kg/h to 10 kg/h with greatly improved contact between the digestion acid and the waste. The new unit began processing low-level waste from Hanford's z-Plant during June 1980. Plutonium levels in the waste processed will be increased gradually as operating experience has been gained. Processing recoverable scrap is expected to begin in the last quarter of CY 1980.

• Research Organization: Hanford Engineering Development Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC14-76FF02170
• OSTI ID: 6604869
• Report Number(s): HEDL-SA-2239-FP; CONF-8010163-1
• 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
CHEMICAL REACTORS
DESIGN
DIGESTION
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
HIGH TEMPERATURE
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
METALS
OFF-GAS SYSTEMS
PLUTONIUM
POLLUTANTS
PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
SCRAP
SOLID WASTES
SULFURIC ACID
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES