Behavior of Uranium(VI) during HEDPA Leaching for AluminumDissolution in Tank Waste Sludges

Conference · Wed Jan 04 04:00:00 EST 2006

OSTI ID:883111

Powell, Brian A; Rao, Linfeng; Nash, Kenneth L; Martin, Leigh

Batch adsorption/dissolution experiments were conducted toexamine the interactions between 233U(VI) and a synthetic aluminumoxyhydroxide (boehmite, g-AlOOH) in 1.0M NaCl suspensions containing1-hydroxyethane-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDPA). In the pH range 4 to 9,complexation of Al(III) by HEDPA significantly enhanced dissolution ofboehmite. This phenomenon was especially pronounced in the neutral pHregion where the solubility of aluminum, in the absence of complexants,is limited by the formation of sparsely soluble aluminum hydroxides. Athigh pH levels, dissolution of synthetic boehmite was inhibited by HEDPA,likely due to sorption of Al(III)/HEDPA complexes. Addition of HEDPA toequilibrated U(VI)-synthetic boehmite suspensions yielded an increase inthe aqueous phase uranium concentration. The concentration of uraniumcontinually increased over 59 days. Partitioning of uranium between thesolid and aqueous phase was found to correlate well with HEDPApartitioning.

• Research Organization: Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley NationalLaboratory, Berkeley, CA (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Director. Office of Science. Office of Biological andEnvironmental Research
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-05CH11231
• OSTI ID: 883111
• Report Number(s): LBNL--59280; BnR: KP1301020
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
HEDPA alumina boehmite Hanford uranium diphosphonicacid