Methods for Eluting Radiocesium from Zeolite Ion Exchange Material in a Column in the TMI-2 Reactor Containment Building

摘要

Two alternative procedures were evaluated at Oak Ridge National Laboratory for potential use in eluting the radiocesium from Linde Ionsiv IE-95 zeolite in the pushcart ion exchange column in the TMI-2 containment building. The elution mechanism was iosotopic exchange of the radiocesium with stable cesium. Small zeolite ion exchange columns that had been loaded during ORNL tests of the Submerged Demineralizer System (SDS) flowsheet were eluted during these tests. One column was eluted using 0.25 M CsNO sub 3 , and a second column was eluted using 0.25 M CsH sub 2 BO sub 3 . Both eluent solutions were effective for removing the cesium. The 0.25 CsNO sub 3 eluent removed approx. 91% of the exp 137 Cs in 20 bed volumes and approx. 92% in 37.5 bed volumes. The 0.25 M CsH sub 2 BO sub 3 eluent removed approx. 82% of the exp 137 Cs in 20 bed volumes and approx. 85% in 40 bed volumes. In both cases, the radiation levels on the columns were reduced by a factor of approx. 30. (ERA citation 07:049374)