Cesium ion exchange testing using crystalline silicotitanate with Hanford tank waste 241-AP-107

Abstract

ABSTRACTPacific Northwest National Laboratory has been tasked with demonstrating the unit operations for the Low Activity Waste Pretreatment System with actual Hanford tank waste. Crystalline silicotitanate (CST) ion exchange media is planned to be used to remove cesium (137Cs) from the aqueous phases of the tank wastes. Washington River Protection Solutions requested that Hanford tank waste collected from tank 241-AP-107 be processed using conceived pretreatment steps (suspended solids removal by filtration, Cs removal by ion exchange), then vitrified. Removal of Cs from these wastes is an important processing step in preparing the waste for long-term safe storage. Batch contact testing was performed to find the Cs load capacity at the equilibrium feed condition. Bench-scale ion exchange testing with approximately 9 L of filtered AP-107 supernate was conducted using CST. Column testing was performed using prototypic LAWPS operations in a lead-lag column arrangement using 10-mL CST beds. Feed was processed until the lag column effluent reached the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant waste acceptance criteria (WAC) for receiving supernatant waste for vitrification (a function of the Na and 137Cs concentrations), at which point, a new lag column was needed to continue processing and the original lag column was moved to the lead position. Greater than 99% of the Cs processed through the ion exchange system was collected on the CST in the columns. The AP-107 feed and column processing effluent underwent extensive characterization to better define waste characteristics and assess fractionation to the CST. Selected batch contact and lead column samples were analyzed to assess particular metal analyte load characteristics. Results of these analyses will be discussed.