NOVEL FISSION PRODUCT SEPARATION BASED ON ROOM-TEMPERATURE IONIC LIQUIDS
The DoE/NE underground storage tanks at Hanford, SRS, and INEEL contain liquid wastes with high concentrations of radioactive species, mainly 137Cs and 90Sr. Because the other components of the liquid waste are mainly sodium nitrate and sodium hydroxide, most of this tank waste can be treated inexpensively as low-level waste if 137Cs and 90Sr can be selectively removed. Many ionophores (crown ether and calixarene compounds) have been synthesized for the purpose of selectively extracting Cs+ and Sr2+ from an aqueous phase into an immiscible organic phase. Recent studies conducted at ORNL1,2 reveal that hydrophobic ionic liquids might be better solvents for extracting metal ions from aqueous solutions with these ionophores than conventional immiscible organic solvents, such as benzene, toluene, and dichloromethane, because both Cs+ and Sr2+ exhibit larger distribution coefficients in the ionic liquids. In addition, the vapor pressures of these ionic liquids are insignificant. Thus, there is little or no vaporization loss of these solvents. Most of the ionic liquids under investigation are relatively nontoxic compared to the hydrocarbon solvents that they replace, classifying them as ''green'' solvents.
- Research Organization:
- The University of Mississippi, University, MS (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC) (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG07-01ER63286
- OSTI ID:
- 839077
- Report Number(s):
- EMSP-81929--2004
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
BENZENE
CALIXARENES
ETHYL ETHER
EVAPORATION
FISSION PRODUCTS
HYDROCARBONS
LIQUID WASTES
METHYLENE CHLORIDE
ORGANIC SOLVENTS
SODIUM HYDROXIDES
SODIUM NITRATES
TANKS
TOLUENE
UNDERGROUND STORAGE
VAPOR PRESSURE