Cesium Eluate Evaporation Solubility and Physical Property Behavior
The baseline flowsheet for low activity waste (LAW) in the Hanford River Protection Project (RPP) Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) includes pretreatment of supernatant by removing cesium using ion exchange. When the ion exchange column is loaded, the cesium will be eluted with a 0.5M nitric acid (HNO3) solution to allow the column to be conditioned for re-use. The cesium eluate solution will then be concentrated in a vacuum evaporator to minimize storage volume and recycle HNO3. To prevent the formation of solids during storage of the evaporator bottoms, criteria have been set for limiting the concentration of the evaporator product to 80 percent of saturation at 25 degrees C. A fundamental element of predicting evaporator product solubility is to collect data that can be used to estimate key operating parameters. The data must be able to predict evaporator behavior for a range of eluate concentrations that are evaporated to the point of precipitation. Parameters that were selected for modeling include solubility, density, viscosity, thermal conductivity, and heat capacity. Of central importance is identifying the effect of varying feed components on overall solubility. The point of solubility defines the upper limit for eluate evaporation operations and liquid storage. The solubility point also defines those chemical compounds that have the greatest effects on physical properties. Third, solubility behavior identifies intermediate points where physical property data should be measured for the database. Physical property data (density, viscosity, thermal conductivity, and heat capacity) may be an integral part of tracking evaporator operations as they progress toward their end point. Once the data have been collected, statistical design software can develop mathematical equations that estimate solubility and other physical properties.
- Research Organization:
- Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-96SR18500
- OSTI ID:
- 811934
- Report Number(s):
- WSRC-TR-2002-00273; TRN: US0303214
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 12 Jun 2003
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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