Method for treating a nuclear process off-gas stream
Disclosed is a method for selectively removing and recovering the noble gas and other gaseous components typically emitted during nuclear process operations. The method is adaptable and useful for treating dissolver off-gas effluents released during reprocessing of spent nuclear fuels whereby to permit radioactive contaminant recovery prior to releasing the remaining off-gases to the atmosphere. Briefly, the method sequentially comprises treating the off-gas stream to preliminarily remove NOx, hydrogen and carbon-containing organic compounds, and semivolatile fission product metal oxide components therefrom; adsorbing iodine components on silver-exchanged mordenite; removing water vapor carried by said stream by means of a molecular sieve; selectively removing the carbon dioxide components of said off-gas stream by means of a molecular sieve; selectively removing xenon in gas phase by passing said stream through a molecular sieve comprising silver-exchanged mordenite; selectively separating krypton from oxygen by means of a molecular sieve comprising silver-exchanged mordenite; selectively separating krypton from the bulk nitrogen stream using a molecular sieve comprising silver-exchanged mordenite cooled to about -140.degree. to -160.degree. C.; concentrating the desorbed krypton upon a molecular sieve comprising silver-exchange mordenite cooled to about -140.degree. to -160.degree. C.; and further cryogenically concentrating, and the recovering for storage, the desorbed krypton.
- Research Organization:
- Science Applications Inc., La Jolla, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-77SR00979
- Assignee:
- The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy (Washington, DC)
- Patent Number(s):
- 4,447,353
- Application Number:
- 06/384,307
- OSTI ID:
- 864992
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 1982 Jun 02
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
treating
nuclear
process
off-gas
stream
disclosed
selectively
removing
recovering
noble
gas
gaseous
components
typically
emitted
operations
adaptable
useful
dissolver
effluents
released
reprocessing
spent
fuels
whereby
permit
radioactive
contaminant
recovery
prior
releasing
remaining
off-gases
atmosphere
briefly
sequentially
comprises
preliminarily
remove
hydrogen
carbon-containing
organic
compounds
semivolatile
fission
product
metal
oxide
therefrom
adsorbing
iodine
silver-exchanged
mordenite
water
vapor
carried
means
molecular
sieve
carbon
dioxide
xenon
phase
passing
comprising
separating
krypton
oxygen
bulk
nitrogen
cooled
-140
degree
-160
concentrating
desorbed
silver-exchange
cryogenically
storage
selectively separating
gaseous components
containing organic
nuclear fuels
selectively removing
fission product
organic compound
gas phase
molecular sieve
water vapor
organic compounds
carbon dioxide
nuclear fuel
metal oxide
gas stream
spent nuclear
noble gas
off-gas stream
removing water
product metal
process operations
comprises treating
sequentially comprises
nuclear process
comprising silver
method sequentially
oxide component
volatile fission
gaseous component
gas effluent
radioactive contaminant
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