Removal of Sulfate Ion From AN-107 by Evaporation

Lumetta, GJ ; Klinger, GS ; Kurath, DE ; Sell, RL ; Darnell, LP ; Greenwood, LR ; Soderquist, CZ ; Steele, MJ ; Urie, MW ; Wagner, JJ

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (U.S.)

关键词: Low-Level Radioactive Wastes;    Corrosion;    Sulfates;    Corrosive Effects;    Liquid Wastes;   

DOI  :  10.2172/759180
RP-ID  :  PNWD-3036
RP-ID  :  AC06-76RL01830
RP-ID  :  759180

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

Hanford low-activity waste solutions contain sulfate, which can cause accelerated corrosion of the vitrification melter and unacceptable operating conditions. A method is needed to selectively separate sulfate from the waste. An experiment was conducted to evaluate evaporation for removing sulfate ion from Tank AN-107 low-activity waste. Two evaporation steps were performed. In the first step, the volume was reduced by 55% while in the second step, the liquid volume was reduced another 22%. Analysis of the solids precipitated during these evaporations revealed that large amounts of sodium nitrate and nitrite co-precipitated with sodium sulfate. Many other waste components precipitated as well. It can be concluded that sulfate removal by precipitation is not selective, and thus, evaporation is not a viable option for removing sulfate from the AN-107 liquid.