Boehmite Actual Waste Dissolution Studies

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Energy plans to vitrify approximately 60,000 metric tons of high-level waste (HLW) sludge from underground storage tanks at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. To reduce the volume of HLW requiring treatment, a goal has been set to remove a significant quantity of the aluminum, which comprises nearly 70 percent of the sludge. Aluminum is found in the form of gibbsite, sodium aluminate and boehmite. Gibbsite and sodium aluminate can be easily dissolved by washing the waste stream with caustic. Boehmite, which comprises nearly half of the total aluminum, is more resistant to caustic dissolution and requires higher treatment temperatures and hydroxide concentrations. Samples were taken from four Hanford tanks and homogenized in order to give a sample that is representative of REDOX (Reduction Oxidation process for Pu recovery) sludge solids. Bench scale testing was performed on the homogenized waste to study the dissolution of boehmite. Dissolution was studied at three different hydroxide concentrations, with each concentration being run at three different temperatures. Samples were taken periodically over the 170 hour runs in order to determine leaching kinetics. Results of the dissolution studies and implications for the proposed processing of these wastes will be discussed.