TAILORING INORGANIC SORBENTS FOR SRS STRONTIUM AND ACTINIDE SEPARATIONS: OPTIMIZED MONOSODIUM TITANATE PHASE II FINAL REPORT
This document provides a final report of Phase II testing activities for the development of a modified monosodium titanate (MST) that exhibits improved strontium and actinide removal characteristics compared to the baseline MST material. The activities included determining the key synthesis conditions for preparation of the modified MST, preparation of the modified MST at a larger scale by a commercial vendor, demonstration of the strontium and actinide removal characteristics with actual tank waste supernate and measurement of filtration characteristics. Key findings and conclusions include the following. Testing evaluated three synthetic methods and eleven process parameters for the optimum synthesis conditions for the preparation on an improved form of MST. We selected the post synthesis method (Method 3) for continued development based on overall sorbate removal performance. We successfully prepared three batches of the modified MST using Method 3 procedure at a 25-gram scale. The laboratory prepared modified MST exhibited increased sorption kinetics with simulated and actual waste solutions and similar filtration characteristics to the baseline MST. Characterization of the modified MST indicated that the post synthesis treatment did not significantly alter the particle size distribution, but did significantly increase the surface area and porosity compared to the original MST. Testing indicated that the modified MST exhibits reduced affinity for uranium compared to the baseline MST, reducing risk of fissile loading. Shelf-life testing indicated no change in strontium and actinide performance removal after storing the modified MST for 12-months at ambient laboratory temperature. The material releases oxygen during the synthesis and continues to offgas after the synthesis at a rapidly diminishing rate until below a measurable rate after 4 months. Optima Chemical Group LLC prepared a 15-kilogram batch of the modified MST using the post synthesis procedure (Method 3). Performance testing with simulated and actual waste solutions indicated that the material performs as well as or better than batches of modified MST prepared at the laboratory-scale. Particle size data of the vendor-prepared modified MST indicates a broader distribution centered at a larger particle size and microscopy shows more irregular particle morphology compared to the baseline MST and laboratory prepared modified MST. Stirred-cell (i.e., dead-end) filter testing revealed similar filtration rates relative to the baseline MST for both the laboratory and vendor-prepared modified MST materials. Crossflow filtration testing indicated that with MST-only slurries, the baseline MST produced between 30-100% higher flux than the vendor-prepared modified MST at lower solids loadings and comparable flux at higher solids loadings. With sludge-MST slurries, the modified MST produced 1.5-2.2 times higher flux than the baseline MST at all solids loadings. Based on these findings we conclude that the modified MST represents a much improved sorbent for the separation of strontium and actinides from alkaline waste solutions and recommend continued development of the material as a replacement for the baseline MST for waste treatment facilities at the Savannah River Site.
- Research Organization:
- Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC09-96SR18500
- OSTI ID:
- 913134
- Report Number(s):
- WSRC-STI-2007-00082; TRN: US0800588
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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