Next Generation Extractants for Cesium Separation from High-Level Waste: From Fundamental Concepts to Site Implementation

Technical Report · Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/834594· OSTI ID:834594

Moyer, Bruce A; Bazelaire, Eve; Bonnesen, Peter V; Bryan, Jeffrey C; Delmau, Laetitia H; Engle, Nancy L; Gorbunova, Maryna G; Keever, Tamara J; Levitskaia, Tatiana G; Sachleben, Richard A; Tomkins, Bruce A; Bartsch, Richard A; Talanov, Vladimir S; Gibson, Harry W; Jones, Jason W; Hay, Benjamin P

This project seeks a fundamental understanding and major improvement in cesium separation from high-level waste by cesium-selective calixcrown extractants. Systems of particular interest involve novel solvent-extraction systems containing specific members of the calix[4]arene-crown-6 family, alcohol solvating agents, and alkylamines. Questions being addressed pertain to cesium binding strength, extraction selectivity, cesium stripping, and extractant solubility. Enhanced properties in this regard will specifically benefit cleanup projects funded by the USDOE Office of Environmental Management to treat and dispose of high-level radioactive wastes currently stored in underground tanks at the Savannah River Site (SRS), the Hanford site, and the Idaho National Environmental and Engineering Laboratory.1 The most direct beneficiary will be the SRS Salt Processing Project, which has recently identified the Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction (CSSX) process employing a calixcrown as its preferred technology for cesium removal from SRS high-level tank waste.2 This technology owes its development in part to fundamental results obtained in this program.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., Oak Ridge, TN (US); Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX; Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, VA; Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC) (US)
• OSTI ID: 834594
• Report Number(s): EMSP-73803-2003; R&D Project: EMSP 73803; TRN: US0407279
• Resource Relation: Other Information: PBD: 1 Sep 2003
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
ALCOHOLS
CESIUM
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
IMPLEMENTATION
MANAGEMENT
PROCESSING
REMOVAL
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
SOLUBILITY
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
TANKS
WASTES