Toward Deep Decontamination of Intermediate-Level-Activity Spent Ion-Exchange Resins Containing Poorly Soluble Inorganic Deposits

Marina Palamarchuk, Maxim Chervonetskiy, Natalya Polkanova and Svetlana Bratskaya ()
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Marina Palamarchuk: Institute of Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 159, Prosp. 100-letya Vladivostoka, 690022 Vladivostok, Russia
Maxim Chervonetskiy: Institute of Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 159, Prosp. 100-letya Vladivostoka, 690022 Vladivostok, Russia
Natalya Polkanova: Limited Liability Company “Spetsatomservice”, 75 Novouglichskoe sh., Office 305, Sergiev Posad, 141301 Moscow, Russia
Svetlana Bratskaya: Institute of Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 159, Prosp. 100-letya Vladivostoka, 690022 Vladivostok, Russia

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 5, 1-18

Abstract: Spent ion-exchange resins (SIERs) generated yearly in large volumes in nuclear power plants (NPPs) require particular predisposal handling and treatment with the primary objectives of waste volume reduction and lowering the disposal class. Deep decontamination of the SIERs using solution chemistry is a promising approach to reduce the amount of intermediate-level radioactive waste (ILW) and, thus, SIER disposal costs. However, the entrapment of nonexchangeable radionuclides in poorly soluble inorganic deposits on SIERs significantly complicates the implementation of this approach. In this work, the elemental and radiochemical compositions of inorganic deposits in an intermediate-level-activity SIER sample with an activity of 310 kBq/g have been analyzed, and a feasibility study of SIER decontamination using solution chemistry has been conducted. The suggested approach included the magnetic separation of crud, removal of cesium radionuclides using alkaline solutions in the presence of magnetic resorcinol-formaldehyde resin, removal of cobalt radionuclides using acidic EDTA-containing solutions, and hydrothermal oxidation of EDTA-containing liquid wastes with immobilization of radionuclides in poorly soluble oxides. The decontamination factors for 137 Cs, 60 Co, and 94 Nb radionuclides were 3.9 × 10 3 , 7.6 × 10 2 , and 1.3 × 10 2 , respectively, whereas the activity of the decontaminated SIER was 17 Bq/g, which allows us to classify it as very low-level waste.

Keywords: spent ion-exchange resins; resorcinol-formaldehyde resins; radionuclides; activated corrosion products; decontaminating solutions; EDTA; hydrothermal oxidation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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