Radiochemical Separations for the Pretreatment of High-Level Nuclear Waste Solutions at the Savannah River Site

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. T. Hobbs ◽  
T. B. Peters ◽  
M. C. Duff ◽  
M. J. Barnes ◽  
S. D. Fink ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Waste ◽  
Savannah River Site ◽  
Savannah River ◽  
Separation Processes ◽  
Plutonium Isotopes ◽  
High Level Nuclear Waste ◽  
Waste Separation ◽  
High Level ◽  
River Site ◽  
Fuel Reprocessing

A significant fraction of the high-level nuclear waste produced from fuel reprocessing operations at the Savannah River Site (SRS) must be pretreated to remove 137Cs, 90Sr and alpha-emitting radionuclides (i.e., actinides) prior to disposal onsite as low level waste. Separation processes planned at the SRS include caustic side solvent extraction for 137Cs and sorption onto monosodium titanate (MST) for 90Sr and alpha-emitters. The predominant alpha-emitting radionuclides in the highly alkaline waste solutions include plutonium isotopes 238Pu, 239Pu and 240Pu. This paper describes the planned Sr/actinide separation process and summarizes recent tests and demonstrations with simulated and actual tank waste solutions.

Separation of Fission Products and Actinides From Savannah River Site High-Level Nuclear Wastes

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. B. Peters ◽  
M. R. Poirier ◽  
F. F. Fondeur ◽  
C. A. Nash ◽  
D. T. Hobbs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solvent Extraction ◽  
Liquid Fraction ◽  
Fission Products ◽  
Extraction Process ◽  
Savannah River Site ◽  
Separation Performance ◽  
Savannah River ◽  
Separation Processes ◽  
High Level ◽  
River Site

Separation methods for the pretreatment of the liquid fraction of high-level nuclear waste (HLW) at the Savannah River Site (SRS) include solvent extraction for the separation of cesium and adsorption/ion exchange for the removal of strontium and alpha-emitting actinides. The solvent extraction process, referred to as Caustic Side Solvent Extraction or CSSX, uses a calixarene extractant in combination with phase modifiers in a hydrocarbon diluent. Monosodium titanate (MST), a hydrous metal oxide, is the baseline material for the removal of strontium and alpha-emitting radionuclides (principally 238Pu, 239Pu, 240Pu and 237Np). Two pretreatment facilities, the Modular Caustic Side Solvent Extraction Unit (MCU) and the Actinide Removal Process (ARP) facility began radioactive operations at SRS in 2008. Together these facilities can treat approximately 4 million liters of waste per year. The same separation processes are also planned for the much larger Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF). The SWPF, which has a design throughput of about 27 million liters per year, is scheduled to begin radioactive operations in 2013. This paper presents an overview of the separation processes as well as recent research and development activities aimed at improving separation performance in the pretreatment facilities.

scholarly journals Technical Bases for the Dwpf Testing Program

1990 ◽  
Vol 212 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Plodinec
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Savannah River Site ◽  
Savannah River ◽  
Waste Production ◽  
Permanent Storage ◽  
High Level Nuclear Waste ◽  
Technical Specifications ◽  
High Level ◽  
River Site

ABSTRACTThe Defense Waste Prsocessing Facility (DWPF) at the Savannah River Site (SRS) will be the first production facility in the United States for the immobilization of high-level nuclear waste. Production of DWPF canistered wasteforms will begin prior to repository licensing, so decisions on facility startup will have to be made before the final decisions on repository design are made. The Department of Energy’s Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (RW) has addressed this discrepancy by defining a Waste Acceptance Process. This process provides assurance that the borosilicate-glass wasteform, in a stainless-steel canister, produced by the DWPF will be acceptable for permanent storage in a federal repository. As part of this process, detailed technical specifications have been developed for the DWPF product.SRS has developed detailed strategies for demonstrating compliance with each of the Waste Acceptance Process specifications. An important part of the compliance is the testing which will be carried out in the DWPF. In this paper, the bases for each of the tests to be performed in the DWPF to establish compliance with the specifications are described, and the tests are detailed. The results of initial tests relating to characterization of sealed canisters are reported.

scholarly journals Solubility of Uranium and Plutonium in Alkaline Savannah River Site High Level Waste Solutions

2010 ◽  
Vol 45 (12-13) ◽  
pp. 1793-1800
Author(s):  
William D. King ◽  
Tommy B. Edwards ◽  
David T. Hobbs ◽  
William R. Wilmarth
Keyword(s):  
Savannah River Site ◽  
High Level Waste ◽  
Savannah River ◽  
High Level ◽  
River Site

Up Close: Immobilization of High-Level Nuclear Waste at the Savannah River Plant

MRS Bulletin ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 61-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.J. Plodinec
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Waste ◽  
Melting Process ◽  
Melt Processing ◽  
Savannah River ◽  
Good Product ◽  
Glass Processing ◽  
Savannah River Plant ◽  
Commercial Glass ◽  
High Level Nuclear Waste ◽  
High Level

At the Savannah River Plant (SRP), construction of what will be the world's largest solidification facility for nuclear waste has been under way since 1983. Beginning in 1990, the nearly 100 million liters of liquid high-level nuclear waste now stored on the site will be made into a durable borosilicate glass in this Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF).In developing a slurry-fed melting process for the DWPF, we made advances in understanding both glass processing and glass durability. This article focuses on what we learned and what further advances are likely to be made.Generally speaking, the goal of any glass technologist is to make a good glass and to make it well. In the glass industry a good product is whatever people will buy. To make it well means, above all, to make the product as economically as possible. Thus, the commercial glass technologist will control the composition of the melter feed material very closely to ensure that only the components necessary for glass performance are included, and in the least expensive form possible. The commercial glass technologist may also tolerate low yields or specify several stages of post-melt processing if it is necessary to produce a product to demanding specifications.To the nuclear waste glass technologist, however, a good product is one which will be stable in geologic environments for millions of years.

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