Carbon-14 immobilization via the CO/sub 2/-Ba(OH)/sub 2/ hydrate gas-solid reaction

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:6921488

Haag, G L

Although no restrictions have been placed on the release of carbon-14, it has been identified as a potential health hazard due to the ease in which it may be assimilated into the biosphere. The intent of the Carbon-14 Immobilization Program, funded through the Airborne Waste Program Management Office, is to develop and demonstrate a novel process for restricting off-gas releases of carbon-14 from various nuclear facilities. The process utilizes the CO/sub 2/-Ba(OH)/sub 2/ hydrate gas-solid reaction to directly remove and immobilize carbon-14. The reaction product, BaCO/sub 3/, possesses both the thermal and chemical stability desired for long-term waste disposal. The process is capable of providing decontamination factors in excess of 1000 and reactant utilization of greater than 99% in the treatment of high volumetric, airlike (330 ppM CO/sub 2/) gas streams. For the treatment of an air-based off-gas stream, the use of packed beds of Ba(OH)/sub 2/.8H/sub 2/O flakes to remove CO/sub 2/ has been demonstrated. However, the operating conditions must be maintained between certain upper and lower limits with respect to the partial pressure of water. If the water vapor pressure in the gas is less than the dissociation vapor pressure of Ba(OH)/sub 2/.8H/sub 2/O, the bed will deactivate. If the vapor pressure is considerably greater, pressure drop problems will increase with increasing humidity as the particles curl and degrade. Results have indicated that when operated in the proper regime, the bulk of the increase in pressure drop results from the conversion of Ba(OH)/sub 2/.8H/sub 2/O to BaCO/sub 3/ and not from the hydration of the commercial Ba(OH)/sub 2/.8H/sub 2/O (i.e. Ba(OH)/sub 2/.7.50H/sub 2/O) to Ba(OH)/sub 2/.8H/sub 2/O.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 6921488
• Report Number(s): CONF-801038-10(Draft)
• 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
500300 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AEROSOLS
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
BARIUM CARBONATES
BARIUM COMPOUNDS
BARIUM HYDROXIDES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBON 14
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON ISOTOPES
CARBON OXIDES
CARBONATES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COLLOIDS
DISPERSIONS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
HYDRATES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXIDES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MANAGEMENT
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEI
OFF-GAS SYSTEMS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PACKED BED
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POLLUTION CONTROL
PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOISOTOPES
SOLS
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
VAPOR PRESSURE
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES