| Abstract: | Abstract Cesium ion exchange is one of the planned processes for treating and disposing of waste at the U.S. Department of Energy Hanford Site. Radioactive supernatant liquids from the waste tanks will undergo ultrafiltration, followed by cesium ion exchange using a regenerable organic ion exchange resin. Two resins, SuperLig®644 and a resorcinol‐formaldehyde resin, are being evaluated for cesium removal and cesium elution characteristics. The main purpose of this study is to optimize the cesium elution to provide a resin that, after undergoing elution, would meet the U.S. Department of Energy/Office of River Protection Project‐Waste Treatment Plant processing and resin disposal criteria. Columns of each resin type were loaded to greater or equal to 90% breakthrough with a Hanford waste stimulant and eluted with nitric acid. The temperature, flow rate, and nitric acid concentration were varied to determine the optimal elution conditions. Temperature and eluant flow rate were the most important elution parameters. As would be predicted based upon kinetic consideration alone, decreasing the eluant flow rate and increasing the temperature provided the optimal elution conditions. Varying the nitric acid concentration did not have a significant effect on the elution completion; however, elutions performed using both high acid concentration (1 M) and elevated temperature (45°C) resulted in resin degradation, causing gas generation and resin bed disruption. |
