Magnetic separation for environmental remediation
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
- Lockheed Environmental Systems and Technologies Co., Las Vegas, NV (United States)
High Gradient Magnetic Separation (HGMS) is a form of magnetic separation used to separate solids from other solids, liquids or gases. HGMS uses large magnetic field gradients to separate ferromagnetic and paramagnetic particles from diamagnetic host materials. The technology relies only on physical properties, and therefore separations can be achieved while producing a minimum of secondary waste. Actinide and fission product wastes within the DOE weapons complex pose challenging problems for environmental remediation. Because the majority of actinide complexes and many fission products are paramagnetic, while most host materials are diamagnetic, HGMS can be used to concentrate the contaminants into a low volume waste stream. The authors are currently developing HGMS for applications to soil decontamination, liquid waste treatment, underground storage tank waste treatment, and actinide chemical processing residue concentration. Application of HGMS usually involves passing a slurry of the contaminated mixture through a magnetized volume. Field gradients are produced in the magnetized volume by a ferromagnetic matrix material, such as steel wool, expanded metal, iron shot, or nickel foam. The matrix fibers become trapping sites for ferromagnetic and paramagnetic particles in the host material. The particles with a positive susceptibility are attracted toward an increasing magnetic field gradient and can be extracted from diamagnetic particles, which react in the opposite direction, moving away from the areas of high field gradients. The extracted paramagnetic contaminants are flushed from the matrix fibers when the magnetic field is reduced to zero or when the matrix canister is removed from the magnetic field. Results are discussed for the removal of uranium trioxide from water, PuO{sub 2}, U, and Pu from various soils (Fernald, Nevada Test Site), and the waste water treatment of Pu and Am isotopes using HGMS.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 10194163
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-94-3373; CONF-940301-44; ON: DE95002723; TRN: AHC29429%%2
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 207. spring national meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS),San Diego, CA (United States),13-18 Mar 1994; Other Information: PBD: [1994]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
MAGNETIC SEPARATORS
PERFORMANCE
ACTINIDES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
FISSION PRODUCTS
SOILS
DECONTAMINATION
WASTE WATER
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
URANIUM OXIDES
PLUTONIUM OXIDES
SUPERCONDUCTING MAGNETS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
054000
052001
HEALTH AND SAFETY
WASTE PROCESSING