Electric Power Research Institute Incorporated

Bradtec Limited

Central Electricity Generating Board

Other

Selective Environmental Technologies, Inc.

Morgan Franklin Fund, Inc.

David Bradbury

George Richard Elder

Christopher J Wood

Michael G Segal

Timothy Swan

Sean Paul Bushart

Dennis Frank Hussey

Lisa Maxine Edwards

Ilona Pascual

Philip M Tucker

Adel Taha Hendawi

Robin M Sellers

Philip Martin Tucker

George Elder

A method of processing ion exchange resin radioactive waste, wherein the radioactive waste contains a plurality of fractions of radioactive waste based on density, which may include cation resin waste and anion resin waste, wherein at least one of the plurality of fractions comprises a total concentration of at least one radionuclide, including performing at least one of the following operations (i), (ii) or (iii): (i) separating the at least one of the plurality of fractions from the radioactive waste utilizing a moving freeboard; (ii) separating the radioactive waste into cation resin waste and anion resin waste; or (iii) removing at least a portion of the total concentration of the at least one radionuclide from: the radioactive waste; the at least one of the plurality of fractions separated by the moving freeboard; or at least one of the radioactive waste, the cation resin waste or the anion resin waste.

Ion exchange regeneration and nuclide specific selective processes

A process for selectively removing contaminant ions from a solution includes:

Process for preparing magnetic particles for selectively removing contaminants from solution

A decontamination system uses magnetic molecules having ferritin cores to selectively remove target contaminant ions from a solution. The magnetic molecules are based upon a ferritin protein structure and have a very small magnetic ferritin core and a selective ion exchange function attached to its surface. Various types of ion exchange functions can be attached to the magnetic molecules, each of which is designed to remove a specific contaminant such as radioactive ions. The ion exchange functions allow the magnetic molecules to selectively absorb the contaminant ions from a solution while being inert to other non-target ions. The magnetic properties of the magnetic molecule allow the magnetic molecules and the absorbed contaminant ions to be removed from solution by magnetic filtration.

Magnetic molecules: a process utilizing functionalized magnetic ferritins for the selective removal of contaminants from solution by magnetic filtration

A system for decontamination of radioactive components includes an acidic decontamination solution which is exposed to radioactive components to remove a layer of contaminated material and an ion exchange cell which removes the radioactive contamination from the decontamination solution. The ion exchange cell has cathode, anode and central compartments. The decontamination solution flows into the central compartment and the radioactive cations in the solution are drawn towards the cathode. The acidity in the cathode chamber is controlled so that small radioactive metal particles are deposited on the cathode. A cathode solution flows over the cathode which removes the deposited radioactive particles. The cathode solution and small particles flow into a waste collection container where the metal particles settle to the bottom of the container where they are easily separated from the solution. The only waste product produced by the system are the small radioactive metal particles which are easily disposed of. All liquids used in the decontamination process may be recycled.

Electrochemical process for decontamination of radioactive materials

Method for decontamination of nuclear plant components

A method for minimizing the radioactive waste produced by decontamination processes for water-cooled nuclear reactors. The method exposes the decontamination chemicals to the ionizing radiation emitted from the reactor fuel under controlled conditions to convert the decontamination chemicals into harmless gas phase products.

Radiolysis-assisted decontamination process

Magnetic particles, a method for the preparation thereof and their use

Process for decontaminating radioactive materials

A method for operating the LOMI decontamination process in a regenerative manner. The method incorporates an initial injection of a dilute LOMI solution (vanadous formate, picolinic acid and sodium hydroxide) into a decontamination circuit followed by operation of a small cluster of cation exchange columns during the decontamination process. The cation exchange resin is used to remove metals in the same manner as in prior decontamination processes but operation of the cation exchange resin is continued to allow picolinic acid initially bound to the cation exchange resin to be released and recycled to the LOMI solution. Operation of the cation exchange columns ceases after the picolinic acid has been released but before the metals (e.g. sodium, iron and vanadium) are released back to the LOMI solution. The cluster of cation exchange columns are operated according to a sequence wherein one column is releasing picolinic acid while another is binding picolinic acid. The method further includes continuous additions of vanadous formate and sodium hydroxide. Clean-up at the end of the method proceeds in the normal manner wherein larger cation and anion exchange columns are utilized. Because the concentration of the components is much lower than conventional LOMI processes, however, the amount of cation exchange resin required at this stage is greatly reduced.

Regenerative LOMI decontamination process

A process for removing undesirable material such as a radioactive contaminant from an underlying material. A solution containing fluoroboric acid and a material which affects oxidation potential (Eh) is contacted with the undesirable material to cause its removal. The material is removed from the fluoroboric acid solution by contacting the solution with a cation exchange resin and fluoroboric acid is regenerated in situ for continuous removal of undesirable material.

A method for the removal of pollutant ions from an aqueous solution in which they are contained, which method includes the steps of:

Purification of solutions

Spent nuclear reactor coolant system decontamination solutions are first processed to remove the radioactive burden and to separate metallic impurities using cation exchange resins. The cation-processed waste solution is then flowed through an anion exchange resin held between anion-permeable membranes within an electrochemical cell. The application of electric current to the electrochemical cell causes hydroxide ions to replace captured anions held on the ion exchange resin, thereby regenerating the anion exchange resin for subsequent processing. The displaced anions migrate into the anode compartment where they can be oxidized to carbon dioxide for simple disposal.

Electrochemical exchange anions in decontamination solutions

A method for the combined removal and destruction of nitrate ions in an electrochemical cell which includes an anode compartment containing electrolyte and an anode, a cathode compartment containing electrolyte and a cathode, and a central compartment containing an anion exchange resin, the central compartment being separated from the anode compartment and the cathode compartment by respective anion permeable membranes, includes the steps of

Method for the combined removal and destruction of nitrate ions

Spent nuclear reactor coolant system decontamination solutions are processed to remove the radioactive burden and to separate metallic impurities using ion exchange resins within an electrochemical cell. The application of electric current to the electrochemical cell causes hydrogen ions to replace captured cations held on the ion exchange resin, thereby regenerating the resin for subsequent processing. The displaced cations migrate into the cathode compartment. The radioactive burden and metallic impurities are removed from the cathode compartment of the electrochemical cell. In a particularly preferred process, the cations are plated onto the cathode and disposed of as solids.

Process for removing radioactive burden from spent nuclear reactor

A method of applying a descaling reagent comprising a one-electron reducing agent which is a low oxidation state transition metal ion in combination with a complexing agent to a surface to be treated to descale the surface which method comprises:

Growing community of inventors

Glos, United Kingdom

David Bradbury