Edwards Limited

United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority

Edwards Japan Limited

Aea Technology Inc.

Accentus Plc

Biodynamics Research Limited

Intel Corporation

Quotient Bioresearch (radiochemicals) Limited

Christopher Peter Jones

Andrew Derek Turner

Nevill J Bridger

Michael R Hill

Mark D Neville

Alexander Michael Pope

Paul Antony Fennell

Kobayashi Kenichiro

Toshiki Yamada

Philip Carr

Adrian Fisher

Patrick Alan Fletcher

Pauline E Ransford

Stuart Anton Legg

Peter James Mawle

Christopher Germain

Patrick Fletcher

Philip Chandler

Steven Barlow

Alistair Bennett

A plurality of system control devices respectively include network interfaces for communicating with each other via a network. One of the plurality of system control devices functions as a master system control device, and the remaining system control devices function as slave system control devices. The master system control device transmits a control command to the slave system control devices by means of the network interface. The slave system control devices receive the control command by means of the network interfaces and supply an operation command to abatement devices in accordance with the control command. When unable to communicate with the master system control device, the slave system control devices either function as master system control devices or enter stand-alone operation mode.

Abatement system, abatement device, and system control device

Provided is an abatement device that reduces an amount of drainage of circulating water. The abatement device lowers an average drainage flow of circulating water to a low flow, when a ratio of a concentration of silicon dioxide within the circulating water and a concentration of hydrogen fluoride within the circulating water is greater than or equal to a predetermined value at which hydrofluorosilicic acid can be produced, and raises the average drainage flow of the circulating water to a high flow higher than the low flow, when the ratio of the concentration of silicon dioxide within the circulating water and the concentration of hydrogen fluoride within the circulating water is less than the predetermined value.

Abatement device

In a method of treating a gas stream, an aqueous scrubbing liquor is circulated through an essentially closed loop () comprising an electrochemical unit () for reducing the acidity of the liquor. A portion of the circulating liquor is diverted away from the closed loop () to a gas scrubbing unit (). The gas stream enters the scrubbing unit (), wherein an acid, for example HF and solid particulates, for example SiOparticulates, within the gas stream dissolve in the diverted liquor. The diverted liquor is subsequently returned to the closed loop (), and is replenished in the scrubbing unit () by fresh liquor diverted from the closed loop (). A device () is provided for monitoring the acidity of the liquor at a location within the closed loop (). The reduction in the acidity of the liquor by the electrochemical cell () is controlled depending on the monitored concentration. By controlling the acidity of the liquor, the solubility of the solid particulates within the diverted portion of the liquor may be optimised. This can increase the lifetime of one or more filter cartridges () located in the closed loop () upstream from the electrochemical unit ().

Method of treating a gas system

A method for the treatment of an aqueous stream containing both anionic and cationic species is provided. The method comprises the following steps. Circulating water continuously through an essentially closed loop, the loop incorporating an ion adsorption unit which, in turn, comprises a water permeable layer of an ion adsorbing material. Feeding an aqueous solution containing the anionic and the cationic species to the essentially closed loop. Passing the circulating water, including the aqueous solution containing the ionic and the cationic species, through the ion adsorbing material in the ion adsorption unit in a continuous manner. While at the same time applying an electric potential across the thickness of the layer of ion adsorbing material and removing from the ion adsorption unit more concentrated aqueous solutions of the separate ionic species. Discharging each of the aqueous solutions from the ion adsorption unit. Passing the more concentrated solution of the other ionic species through a reaction unit in which the ionic species reacts to form a water-insoluble solid material. Recycling eluate from the reaction unit to the ion adsorption unit; and, if necessary, adding a quantity of water to the closed loop, this quantity corresponding the quantity of aqueous solution removed from the reaction unit.

Treatment of aqueous chemical waste

The present invention provides a process for the recovery of radiolabelled isotopes from organic substances labelled or contaminated with one or more radiolabelled isotopes, which process comprises: i) adding organic substances labelled or contaminated with a radiolabelled isotope to an acidic aqueous electrolyte containing silver ions as an electrochemically regenerable primary oxidising species; ii) subjecting the acidic aqueous electrolyte to an electric potential; and iii) recovering the radiolabelled isotope from the products of the electrochemical process resulting from the application of the electric potential; wherein the process is carried out at a slight pressure depression.

Recovery process

Using a solution mining procedure, an ore ( ) is treated with a solution of acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide so as to form a leachate containing lead ions. Lead ions (and other metal ions such as zinc and manganese) are stripped ( ) by solvent extraction from the leachate to form separate aqueous solutions. The aqueous solution containing lead ions is treated electrochemically in the anodic compartment of a separated electrochemical cell ( ) to form a precipitate of lead oxide. Manganese dioxide can be produced similarly ( ). A precipitate of zinc hydroxide can be formed in the cathode compartment of a separated electrochemical cell ( ). In the cells ( ) extracting lead ions and manganese ions, the cathode compartment is used to generate hydrogen peroxide (for use in making the leachant), either directly or indirectly.

Electrochemical processing

A radioactive waste stream (12) is of high pH and contains a wide variety of different fission products and also organic materials which act as complexants. Technetium and/or ruthenium are removed by first electrolytically oxidising the organic materials at an anodically stable anode (26), and then electrolytically reducing the technetium and/or ruthenium at a porous fluid-permeable cathode (42). The cathode (42) might for example be of lead wool.

Radioactive effluent treatment

An electrochemical cell (50) for deionizsation utilizes electrochemical ion-exchange to remove ions from a feed solution. Under the influence of an electric field, ions are adsorbed into, are scored within and pass through a permeable layer (54, 64) of particulate ion-absorbing material and binder, the sheet being several millimeters thick. Water from the feed solution also permeates through the layer (54, 64), so a concentrated solution of the ions emerges from the rear (58) of the layer. The cell does not require separate sources of feed and eluant solutions and can be operated substantially continuously. In a modified cell (70) the flow path for the feed solution passes through a highly porous ion exchanger structure (77), which may be located between two such microporous layers (54, 64). Absorption in such a cell may be effective in the absence of an electric field, elution requiring the periodic application of the electric field.

Electrochemical deionization

An electrode for use in electrochemical ion exchange comprises an electrically conducting element covered by at least two layers of ion exchange material. The material in one layer differs in its electrical, chemical, or ion exchange properties from that in an adjacent layer. For example a thin layer of cation exchange material underneath a thicker layer of anion exchange material may be used to inhibit the oxidation of chloride ions; a thin layer of cation exchange material covering a thicker layer of anion exchange material provides an anion-responsive electrode with enhanced selectivity for particular ions. An ion-selective anion-responsive electrode can also comprise a thin outer layer of a very weak base anion-responsive material, covering a thicker layer of a strong base material of lower electrical resistivity.

Electrodes

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Swindon, United Kingdom

Christopher Peter Jones