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Title: Investigation of Alternative Approaches for Cleaning Mott Porous Metal Filters

Abstract

The Department of Energy selected Caustic Side Solvent Extraction (CSSX) as the preferred cesium removal technology for Savannah River Site (SRS) waste. As a pretreatment step for the CSSX flowsheet, the incoming salt solution that contains entrained sludge is contacted with monosodium titanate (MST) to adsorb strontium and select actinides. The resulting slurry is filtered to remove the sludge and MST. Filter fouling occurs during this process. At times, personnel can increase the filtrate rate by backpulsing or scouring. At other times, the filtrate rate drops significantly and only chemical cleaning will restore filter performance. The current baseline technology for filter cleaning uses 0.5 M oxalic acid. The Salt Processing Project (SPP) at SRS, through the Tanks Focus Area, requested an evaluation of other cleaning agents to determine their effectiveness at removing trapped sludge and MST solids compared with the baseline oxalic acid method. A review of the technical literature identified compounds that appear effective at dissolving solid compounds. Consultation with the SPP management team, engineering personnel, and researchers led to a selection of oxalic acid, nitric acid, citric acid, and ascorbic acid for testing. Tests used simulated waste and actual waste as follows. Personnel placed simulated or actual SRSmore » High Level Waste sludge and MST in a beaker. They added the selected cleaning agents, stirred the beakers, and collected supernate samples periodically analyzing for dissolved metals.« less

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
US Department of Energy (US)
OSTI Identifier:
817620
Report Number(s):
WSRC-TR-2002-00526
TRN: US0406775
DOE Contract Number:  
AC09-96SR18500
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: 30 Oct 2003
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; CESIUM; FILTERS; CLEANING; FOULING; RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING; SLUDGES; SOLVENT EXTRACTION; STRONTIUM; SODIUM COMPOUNDS; TITANATES; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; MATERIALS TESTING

Citation Formats

Poirier, M R. Investigation of Alternative Approaches for Cleaning Mott Porous Metal Filters. United States: N. p., 2003. Web. doi:10.2172/817620.
Poirier, M R. Investigation of Alternative Approaches for Cleaning Mott Porous Metal Filters. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/817620
Poirier, M R. 2003. "Investigation of Alternative Approaches for Cleaning Mott Porous Metal Filters". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/817620. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/817620.
@article{osti_817620,
title = {Investigation of Alternative Approaches for Cleaning Mott Porous Metal Filters},
author = {Poirier, M R},
abstractNote = {The Department of Energy selected Caustic Side Solvent Extraction (CSSX) as the preferred cesium removal technology for Savannah River Site (SRS) waste. As a pretreatment step for the CSSX flowsheet, the incoming salt solution that contains entrained sludge is contacted with monosodium titanate (MST) to adsorb strontium and select actinides. The resulting slurry is filtered to remove the sludge and MST. Filter fouling occurs during this process. At times, personnel can increase the filtrate rate by backpulsing or scouring. At other times, the filtrate rate drops significantly and only chemical cleaning will restore filter performance. The current baseline technology for filter cleaning uses 0.5 M oxalic acid. The Salt Processing Project (SPP) at SRS, through the Tanks Focus Area, requested an evaluation of other cleaning agents to determine their effectiveness at removing trapped sludge and MST solids compared with the baseline oxalic acid method. A review of the technical literature identified compounds that appear effective at dissolving solid compounds. Consultation with the SPP management team, engineering personnel, and researchers led to a selection of oxalic acid, nitric acid, citric acid, and ascorbic acid for testing. Tests used simulated waste and actual waste as follows. Personnel placed simulated or actual SRS High Level Waste sludge and MST in a beaker. They added the selected cleaning agents, stirred the beakers, and collected supernate samples periodically analyzing for dissolved metals.},
doi = {10.2172/817620},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/817620}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Oct 30 00:00:00 EST 2003},
month = {Thu Oct 30 00:00:00 EST 2003}
}