Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Radionuclides - A Green Technology for Nuclear Waste Management

Conference · Wed Sep 10 00:00:00 EDT 2003

OSTI ID:826212

Wai, Chien M

Supercritical fluid carbon dioxide (SF-CO2) is capable of extracting radionuclides including cesium, strontium, uranium, plutonium and lanthanides directly from liquid and solid samples with proper complexing agents. Of particular interest is the ability of SF-CO2 to dissolve uranium dioxide directly using a CO2-soluble tri-nbutylphosphate- nitric acid (TBP-HNO3) extractant to form a highly soluble UO2(NO3)2(TBP)2 complex that can be transported and separated from Cs, Sr, and other transition metals. This method can also dissolve plutonium dioxide in SF-CO2. The SF-CO2 extraction technology offers several advantages over conventional solvent-based methods including ability to extract radionuclides directly from solids, easy separation of solutes from CO2, and minimization of liquid waste generation. Potential applications of the SF-CO2 extraction technology for nuclear waste treatment and for reprocessing of spent nuclear fuels will be discussed. Information on current demonstrations of the SF-CO2 technology by nuclear companies and research organizations in different countries will be reviewed.

• Research Organization: University of Idaho, Moscow, ID (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC) (US)
• OSTI ID: 826212
• Resource Relation: Conference: 226th American Chemical Society Meeting, New York, NY (US), 09/07/2003--09/11/2003; Other Information: PBD: 10 Sep 2003
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
CARBON DIOXIDE
CESIUM
CHELATING AGENTS
LIQUID WASTES
NITRIC ACID
NUCLEAR FUELS
PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM DIOXIDE
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOISOTOPES
RARE EARTHS
REPROCESSING
SOLUTES
STRONTIUM
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
URANIUM
URANIUM DIOXIDE