Impact of anions on the chemical activity of tank waste applied to supernate cesium removal
摘要
Treatment of the radioactive waste at Hanford is one of the Department of Energy’s largest environmental clean-up obligations. Liquid waste is processed through cation exchange to remove cesium-137 with crystalline silicotitanate (CST) ion exchanger resin. The impact of sodium concentration on cesium removal with CST has a clear and defined impact on process efficiency. Variations in anions composition suggest a potential correlation with system behavior, although the relationship is not well resolved. A simple analytical equation developed from a suite of simulated supernates varying in hydroxide, nitrate, nitrite, and carbonate content can be used to predict CST ion exchange behavior.