Evaluation Of Different Solvent Extraction Methods For Removing Actinides From High Acid Waste Streams

Radioactive Waste Management

Evaluation of Different Solvent Extraction Methods for Removing Actinides from High Acid Waste Streams

At the Los Alamos National Laboratory Plutonium Facility, anion exchange is used to recover plutonium from nitric acid solutions. Although this approach recovers>99%, trace amounts of plutonium and other actinides remain the effluent and require additional processing. Currently, a ferric hydroxide carrier precipitation is used to remove the trace actinides and the resulting sludge is cemented. Because it costs approximately $10,000 per drum for disposal, we are developing an additional polishing step so that the effluent actinide levels are reduced to below 100 nCi/g. This would allow the resulting waste sludge to disposed as low-level waste at approximately $200 per drum. We are investigating various solvent extraction techniques for removing actinides. The most promising are chelating resins and membrane-based liquid-liquid solvent extraction. This report details some of our preliminary results. 4 refs., 3 tabs.

New Separation Chemistry Techniques for Radioactive Waste and Other Specific Applications

The purpose of this technical seminar was to evaluate the present state of the art in matter of advanced separation techniques like solvent extraction, ion-exchange, chemical precipitation, membrane and electrical processes for the treatment of radioactive liquid waste and a selection of some specific industrial non-radioactive effluents. Through this initiative, the organisers aimed at promoting the exchange of information between scientists from various origins (universities, research centres and industries) while contributing to the necessary overcoming of the artificial barriers which too often limit the "technology transfer" between the nuclear and non-nuclear sectors. Vll CONTENTS PREFACE ........................................ V ABBREVIATIONS ...................................... xiv OPENING SESSION WELCOME ADDRESS C. MANCINI (ENEA) .................................... 3 OPENING ADDRESS S. FINZI (CEC) ....................................... 7 AREAS WHERE ADVANCED SEPARATION TECHNIQUES ARE DESIRABLE G. GROSSI (ENEA), L. CECILLE (CEC) ....................... 11 REVIEW OF NEW EXTRACT ANTS POTENTIALLY APPLICABLE TO THE PROCESSING OF RADIOACTIVE LIQUID WASTES (Summary) P.R. DANESI, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 . . . . . . . . . .