Application of eggshell waste for the immobilization of cadmium and lead in a contaminated soil.

PubMed

Ok, Yong Sik; Lee, Sang Soo; Jeon, Weon-Tai; Oh, Sang-Eun; Usman, Adel R A; Moon, Deok Hyun

2011-01-01

Liming materials have been used to immobilize heavy metals in contaminated soils. However, no studies have evaluated the use of eggshell waste as a source of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) to immobilize both cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in soils. This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of eggshell waste on the immobilization of Cd and Pb and to determine the metal availability following various single extraction techniques. Incubation experiments were conducted by mixing 0-5% powdered eggshell waste and curing the soil (1,246 mg Pb kg⁻¹ soil and 17 mg Cd kg⁻¹ soil) for 30 days. Five extractants, 0.01 M calcium chloride (CaCl₂), 1 M CaCl₂, 0.1 M hydrochloric acid (HCl), 0.43 M acetic acid (CH₃COOH), and 0.05 M ethylendiaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), were used to determine the extractability of Cd and Pb following treatments with CaCO₃ and eggshell waste. Generally, the extractability of Cd and Pb in the soils decreased in response to treatments with CaCO₃ and eggshell waste, regardless of extractant. Using CaCl₂ extraction, the lowest Cd concentration was achieved upon both CaCO₃ and eggshell waste treatments, while the lowest Pb concentration was observed using HCl extraction. The highest amount of immobilized Cd and Pb was extracted by CH₃COOH or EDTA in soils treated with CaCO₃ and eggshell waste, indicating that remobilization of Cd and Pb may occur under acidic conditions. Based on the findings obtained, eggshell waste can be used as an alternative to CaCO₃ for the immobilization of heavy metals in soils.

Technetium Incorporation in Glass for the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kruger, Albert A.; Kim, Dong Sang

2015-01-14

A priority of the United States Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) is to dispose of nuclear wastes accumulated in 177 underground tanks at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in eastern Washington State. These nuclear wastes date from the Manhattan Project of World War II and from plutonium production during the Cold War. The DOE plans to separate high-level radioactive wastes from low activity wastes and to treat each of the waste streams by vitrification (immobilization of the nuclides in glass) for disposal. The immobilized low-activity waste will be disposed of here at Hanford and the immobilized high-level waste at the nationalmore » geologic repository. Included in the inventory of highly radioactive wastes is large volumes of 99Tc (~9 × 10E2 TBq or ~2.5 × 104 Ci or ~1500 kg). A problem facing safe disposal of Tc-bearing wastes is the processing of waste feed into in a chemically durable waste form. Technetium incorporates poorly into silicate glass in traditional glass melting. It readily evaporates during melting of glass feeds and out of the molten glass, leading to a spectrum of high-to-low retention (ca. 20 to 80%) in the cooled glass product. DOE-ORP currently has a program at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Rutgers University and in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Washington State University that seeks to understand aspects of Tc retention by means of studying Tc partitioning, molten salt formation, volatilization pathways, and cold cap chemistry. Another problem involves the stability of Tc in glass in both the national geologic repository and on-site disposal after it has been immobilized. The major environmental concern with 99Tc is its high mobility in addition to a long half-life (2.1×105 yrs). The pertechnetate ion (TcO4-) is highly soluble in water and does not adsorb well onto the surface of minerals and so migrates nearly at the same velocity as groundwater. Long-term corrosion of glass waste forms is an area of current interest to the DOE, but attention to the release of Tc from glass has been little explored. It is expected that the release of Tc from glass should be highly dependent on the local glass structure as well as the chemistry of the surrounding environment, including groundwater pH. Though the speciation of Tc in glass has been previously studied, and the Tc species present in waste glass have been previously reported, environmental Tc release mechanisms are poorly understood. The recent advances in Tc chemistry that have given rise to an understanding of incorporation in the glass giving rise to significantly higher single-pass retention during vitrification are presented. Additionally, possible changes to the baseline flowsheet that allow for relatively minor volumes of Tc reporting to secondary waste treatment will be discussed.« less

Applications of fiber reinforced concrete containers in France and in Slovakia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Verdier, A.; Delgrande, J.; Remias, V.

Radioactive waste immobilization is an integral part of operations in nuclear facilities. The goal of immobilization is to contain radioactive materials in a waste form which can maintain its integrity over very long periods of time, thus effectively isolating the materials from the environment and hence from the public. This is true regardless of the activity of the waste, including low-, and medium-level waste (LLW, MLW). A multiple-year research effort by COGEMA culminated in the development of a new process to immobilize nuclear waste in concrete containers reinforced with metal fibers. The fiber reinforced concrete containers satisfy all French safetymore » requirements relating to waste immobilization and disposal, and have been certified by ANDRA, the national radioactive waste management agency. The fiber reinforced concrete containers have been fabricated on a production scale since July 1990 by Sogefibre, a jointly-owned subsidiary of SGN and Campaign Generale des Eaux. This technology is being transferred to Slovenske Elektrarne (Slovak Power Plant) to intern the waste produced by Bohunice and Mochovce power plants in cubical fiber reinforced concrete containers.« less

SECONDARY WASTE MANAGEMENT FOR HANFORD EARLY LOW ACTIVITY WASTE VITRIFICATION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

UNTERREINER BJ

2008-07-18

More than 200 million liters (53 million gallons) of highly radioactive and hazardous waste is stored at the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State. The DOE's Hanford Site River Protection Project (RPP) mission includes tank waste retrieval, waste treatment, waste disposal, and tank farms closure activities. This mission will largely be accomplished by the construction and operation of three large treatment facilities at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP): (1) a Pretreatment (PT) facility intended to separate the tank waste into High Level Waste (HLW) and Low Activity Waste (LAW); (2) a HLW vitrification facilitymore » intended to immobilize the HLW for disposal at a geologic repository in Yucca Mountain; and (3) a LAW vitrification facility intended to immobilize the LAW for shallow land burial at Hanford's Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF). The LAW facility is on target to be completed in 2014, five years prior to the completion of the rest of the WTP. In order to gain experience in the operation of the LAW vitrification facility, accelerate retrieval from single-shell tank (SST) farms, and hasten the completion of the LAW immobilization, it has been proposed to begin treatment of the low-activity waste five years before the conclusion of the WTP's construction. A challenge with this strategy is that the stream containing the LAW vitrification facility off-gas treatment condensates will not have the option of recycling back to pretreatment, and will instead be treated by the Hanford Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF). Here the off-gas condensates will be immobilized into a secondary waste form; ETF solid waste.« less

Improved Management of the Technical Interfaces Between the Hanford Tank Farm Operator and the Hanford Waste Treatment Plant - 13383

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Duncan, Garth M.; Saunders, Scott A.

2013-07-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) is constructing the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) at the Hanford site in Washington to treat and immobilize approximately 114 million gallons of high level radioactive waste (after all retrievals are accomplished). In order for the WTP to be designed and operated successfully, close coordination between the WTP engineering, procurement, and construction contractor, Bechtel National, Inc. and the tank farms operating contractor (TOC), Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC, is necessary. To develop optimal solutions for DOE and for the treatment of the waste, it is important to deal with the fact that two differentmore » prime contractors, with somewhat differing contracts, are tasked with retrieving and delivering the waste and for treating and immobilizing that waste. The WTP and the TOC have over the years cooperated to manage the technical interface. To manage what is becoming a much more complicated interface as the WTP design progresses and new technical issues have been identified, an organizational change was made by WTP and TOC in November of 2011. This organizational change created a co-located integrated project team (IPT) to deal with mutual and interface issues. The Technical Organization within the One System IPT includes employees from both TOC and WTP. This team has worked on a variety of technical issues of mutual interest and concern. Technical issues currently being addressed include: - The waste acceptance criteria; - Waste feed delivery and the associated data quality objectives (DQO); - Evaluation of the effects of performing a riser cut on a single shell tank on WTP operations; - The disposition of secondary waste from both TOC and WTP; - The close coordination of the TOC double shell tank mixing and sampling program and the Large Scale Integrated Test (LSIT) program for pulse jet mixers at WTP along with the associated responses to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) Recommendation 2010-2; - Development of a set of alternatives to the current baseline that involve aspects of direct feed, feed conditioning, and design changes. The One System Technical Organization has served WTP, TOC, and DOE well in managing and resolving issues at the interface. This paper describes the organizational structure used to improve the interface and several examples of technical interface issues that have been successfully addressed by the new organization. (authors)« less

Immobilization of organic radioactive and non-radioactive liquid waste in a composite matrix

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Galkin, Anatoliy; Gelis, Artem V.; Castiglioni, Andrew J.

A method for immobilizing liquid radioactive waste is provided, the method having the steps of mixing waste with polymer to form a non-liquid waste; contacting the non-liquid waste with a solidifying agent to create a mixture, heating the mixture to cause the polymer, waste, and filler to irreversibly bind in a solid phase, and compressing the solid phase into a monolith. The invention also provides a method for immobilizing liquid radioactive waste containing tritium, the method having the steps of mixing liquid waste with polymer to convert the liquid waste to a non-liquid waste, contacting the non-liquid waste with amore » solidifying agent to create a mixture, heating the mixture to form homogeneous, chemically stable solid phase, and compressing the chemically stable solid phase into a final waste form, wherein the polymer comprises approximately a 9:1 weight ratio mixture of styrene block co-polymers and cross linked co-polymers of acrylamides.« less

Immobilization of Rose Waste Biomass for Uptake of Pb(II) from Aqueous Solutions

PubMed Central

Ansari, Tariq Mahmood; Hanif, Muhammad Asif; Mahmood, Abida; Ijaz, Uzma; Khan, Muhammad Aslam; Nadeem, Raziya; Ali, Muhammad

2011-01-01

Rosa centifolia and Rosa gruss an teplitz distillation waste biomass was immobilized using sodium alginate for Pb(II) uptake from aqueous solutions under varied experimental conditions. The maximum Pb(II) adsorption occurred at pH 5. Immobilized rose waste biomasses were modified physically and chemically to enhance Pb(II) removal. The Langmuir sorption isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic models fitted well to the adsorption data of Pb(II) by immobilized Rosa centifolia and Rosa gruss an teplitz. The adsorbed metal is recovered by treating immobilized biomass with different chemical reagents (H2SO4, HCl and H3PO4) and maximum Pb(II) recovered when treated with sulphuric acid (95.67%). The presence of cometals Na, Ca(II), Al(III), Cr(III), Cr(VI), and Cu(II), reduced Pb(II) adsorption on Rosa centifolia and Rosa gruss an teplitz waste biomass. It can be concluded from the results of the present study that rose waste can be effectively used for the uptake of Pb(II) from aqueous streams. PMID:21350666

Data Packages for the Hanford Immobilized Low Activity Tank Waste Performance Assessment 2001 Version [SEC 1 THRU 5

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

MANN, F.M.

Data package supporting the 2001 Immobilized Low-Activity Waste Performance Analysis. Geology, hydrology, geochemistry, facility, waste form, and dosimetry data based on recent investigation are provided. Verification and benchmarking packages for selected software codes are provided.

Immobilization of microbial cell and yeast cell and its application to biomass conversion using radiation techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaetsu, Isao; Kumakura, Minoru; Fujimura, Takashi; Kasai, Noboru; Tamada, Masao

The recent results of immobilization of cellulase-producing cells and ethanol-fermentation yeast by radiation were reported. The enzyme of cellulase produced by immobilized cells was used for saccharification of lignocellulosic wastes and immobilized yeast cells were used for fermentation reaction from glucose to ethanol. The wastes such as chaff and bagasse were treated by γ-ray or electron-beam irradiation in the presence of alkali and subsequent mechanical crushing, to form a fine powder less than 50 μm in diameter. On the other hand, Trichoderma reesei as a cellulase-producing microbial cell was immobilized on a fibrous carrier having a specific porous structure and cultured to produce cellulase. The enzymatic saccharification of the pretreated waste was carried out using the produced cellulase. The enhanced fermentation process to produce ethanol from glucose with the immobilized yeast by radiation was also studied. The ethanol productivity of immobilized growing yeast cells thus obtained was thirteen times that of free yeast cells in a 1:1 volume of liquid medium to immobilized yeast cells.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Matlack, K. S.; Abramowitz, H.; Miller, I. S.

About 50 million gallons of high-level mixed waste is currently stored in underground tanks at the United States Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Hanford site in the State of Washington. The Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) will provide DOE’s Office of River Protection (ORP) with a means of treating this waste by vitrification for subsequent disposal. The tank waste will be separated into low- and high-activity waste fractions, which will then be vitrified respectively into Immobilized Low Activity Waste (ILAW) and Immobilized High Level Waste (IHLW) products. The ILAW product will be disposed in an engineered facility onmore » the Hanford site while the IHLW product is designed for acceptance into a national deep geological disposal facility for high-level nuclear waste. The ILAW and IHLW products must meet a variety of requirements with respect to protection of the environment before they can be accepted for disposal.« less

Immobilization and Limited Reoxidation of Technetium-99 by Fe(II)-Goethite

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Um, Wooyong; Chang, Hyun-shik; Icenhower, Jonathan P.

2010-09-30

This report summarizes the methodology used to test the sequestration of technetium-99 present in both deionized water and simulated Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant waste solutions.

Evaluation of final waste forms and recommendations for baseline alternatives to group and glass

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bleier, A.

1997-09-01

An assessment of final waste forms was made as part of the Federal Facilities Compliance Agreement/Development, Demonstration, Testing, and Evaluation (FFCA/DDT&E) Program because supplemental waste-form technologies are needed for the hazardous, radioactive, and mixed wastes of concern to the Department of Energy and the problematic wastes on the Oak Ridge Reservation. The principal objective was to identify a primary waste-form candidate as an alternative to grout (cement) and glass. The effort principally comprised a literature search, the goal of which was to establish a knowledge base regarding four areas: (1) the waste-form technologies based on grout and glass, (2) candidatemore » alternatives, (3) the wastes that need to be immobilized, and (4) the technical and regulatory constraints on the waste-from technologies. This report serves, in part, to meet this goal. Six families of materials emerged as relevant; inorganic, organic, vitrified, devitrified, ceramic, and metallic matrices. Multiple members of each family were assessed, emphasizing the materials-oriented factors and accounting for the fact that the two most prevalent types of wastes for the FFCA/DDT&E Program are aqueous liquids and inorganic sludges and solids. Presently, no individual matrix is sufficiently developed to permit its immediate implementation as a baseline alternative. Three thermoplastic materials, sulfur-polymer cement (inorganic), bitumen (organic), and polyethylene (organic), are the most technologically developed candidates. Each warrants further study, emphasizing the engineering and economic factors, but each also has limitations that regulate it to a status of short-term alternative. The crystallinity and flexible processing of sulfur provide sulfur-polymer cement with the highest potential for short-term success via encapsulation. Long-term immobilization demands chemical stabilization, which the thermoplastic matrices do not offer. Among the properties of the remaining candidates, those of glass-ceramics (devitrified matrices) represent the best compromise for meeting the probable stricter disposal requirements in the future.« less

US Department of Energy Plutonium Stabilization and Immobilization Workshop, December 12-14, 1995: Final proceedings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1996-05-01

The purpose of the workshop was to foster communication within the technical community on issues surrounding stabilization and immobilization of the Department`s surplus plutonium and plutonium- contaminated wastes. The workshop`s objectives were to: build a common understanding of the performance, economics and maturity of stabilization and immobilization technologies; provide a system perspective on stabilization and immobilization technology options; and address the technical issues associated with technologies for stabilization and immobilization of surplus plutonium and plutonium- contaminated waste. The papers presented during this workshop have been indexed separately.

76 FR 37798 - DOE Response to Recommendation 2010-2 of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, Pulse Jet...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-28

... Safety Board, Pulse Jet Mixing at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant AGENCY: Department of... their Recommendation 2010-2, concerning Pulse Jet Mixing at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant... Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (Board) Recommendation 2010-2, Pulse Jet Mixing (PJM) at the Waste...

The nitrate to ammonia and ceramic (NAC) process for the denitration and immobilization of low-level radioactive liquid waste (LLW)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muguercia, Ivan

Hazardous radioactive liquid waste is the legacy of more than 50 years of plutonium production associated with the United States' nuclear weapons program. It is estimated that more than 245,000 tons of nitrate wastes are stored at facilities such as the single-shell tanks (SST) at the Hanford Site in the state of Washington, and the Melton Valley storage tanks at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee. In order to develop an innovative, new technology for the destruction and immobilization of nitrate-based radioactive liquid waste, the United State Department of Energy (DOE) initiated the research project which resulted in the technology known as the Nitrate to Ammonia and Ceramic (NAC) process. However, inasmuch as the nitrate anion is highly mobile and difficult to immobilize, especially in relatively porous cement-based grout which has been used to date as a method for the immobilization of liquid waste, it presents a major obstacle to environmental clean-up initiatives. Thus, in an effort to contribute to the existing body of knowledge and enhance the efficacy of the NAC process, this research involved the experimental measurement of the rheological and heat transfer behaviors of the NAC product slurry and the determination of the optimal operating parameters for the continuous NAC chemical reaction process. Test results indicate that the NAC product slurry exhibits a typical non-Newtonian flow behavior. Correlation equations for the slurry's rheological properties and heat transfer rate in a pipe flow have been developed; these should prove valuable in the design of a full-scale NAC processing plant. The 20-percent slurry exhibited a typical dilatant (shear thickening) behavior and was in the turbulent flow regime due to its lower viscosity. The 40-percent slurry exhibited a typical pseudoplastic (shear thinning) behavior and remained in the laminar flow regime throughout its experimental range. The reactions were found to be more efficient in the lower temperature range investigated. With respect to leachability, the experimental final NAC ceramic waste form is comparable to the final product of vitrification, the technology chosen by DOE to treat these wastes. As the NAC process has the potential of reducing the volume of nitrate-based radioactive liquid waste by as much as 70 percent, it not only promises to enhance environmental remediation efforts but also effect substantial cost savings.

Corrosion susceptibility of steel drums containing cemented intermediate level nuclear wastes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duffó, Gustavo S.; Farina, Silvia B.; Schulz, Fátima M.; Marotta, Francesca

2010-10-01

Cementation processes are used as immobilization techniques for low or intermediate level radioactive waste for economical and safety reasons and for being a simple operation. In particular, ion-exchange resins commonly used for purification of radioactive liquid waste from nuclear reactors are immobilized before being stored to improve the leach resistance of the waste matrix and to maintain mechanical stability. Combustible solid radioactive waste can be incinerated and the resulting ashes can also be immobilized before storage. The immobilized resins and ashes are then contained in steel drums that may undergo corrosion depending on the presence of certain contaminants. The work described in this paper was aimed at evaluating the corrosion susceptibility of steel drums in contact with cemented ion-exchange resins and incineration ashes containing different concentrations of aggressive species (mostly chloride and sulphate ions). A special type of specimen was designed to simulate the cemented waste in the drum. The evolution of the corrosion potential and the corrosion current density of the steel, as well as the electrical resistivity of the matrix were monitored over a time period of 1 year. The results show the deleterious effect of chloride on the expected lifespan of the waste containers.

76 FR 13397 - DOE Response to Recommendation 2010-2 of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, Pulse Jet...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-11

... Safety Board, Pulse Jet Mixing at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant AGENCY: Department of..., concerning Pulse Jet Mixing at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant was published in the Federal... Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (Board) Recommendation 2010-2, Pulse Jet Mixing at the Waste...

A Strategy for Maintenance of the Long-Term Performance Assessment of Immobilized Low-Activity Waste Glass

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ryan, Joseph V.; Freedman, Vicky L.

2016-09-28

Approximately 50 million gallons of high-level radioactive mixed waste has accumulated in 177 buried single- and double-shell tanks at the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State as a result of the past production of nuclear materials, primarily for defense uses. The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is proceeding with plans to permanently dispose of this waste. Plans call for separating the tank waste into high-level waste (HLW) and low-activity waste (LAW) fractions, which will be vitrified at the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). Principal radionuclides of concern in LAW are 99Tc, 129I, and U, while non-radioactive contaminantsmore » of concern are Cr and nitrate/nitrite. HLW glass will be sent off-site to an undetermined federal site for deep geological disposal while the much larger volume of immobilized low-activity waste will be placed in the on-site, near-surface Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF).« less

A Strategy to Conduct an Analysis of the Long-Term Performance of Low-Activity Waste Glass in a Shallow Subsurface Disposal System at Hanford

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Neeway, James J.; Pierce, Eric M.; Freedman, Vicky L.

2014-08-04

The federal facilities located on the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State have been used extensively by the U.S. government to produce nuclear materials for the U.S. strategic defense arsenal. Currently, the Hanford Site is under the stewardship of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM). A large inventory of radioactive and mixed waste resulting from the production of nuclear materials has accumulated, mainly in 177 underground single- and double-shell tanks located in the central plateau of the Hanford Site (Mann et al., 2001). The DOE-EM Office of River Protection (ORP) is proceeding with plans tomore » immobilize and permanently dispose of the low-activity waste (LAW) fraction onsite in a shallow subsurface disposal facility (the Integrated Disposal Facility [IDF]). Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) was contracted to provide the technical basis for estimating radionuclide release from the engineered portion of the IDF (the source term) as part of an immobilized low-activity waste (ILAW) glass testing program to support future IDF performance assessments (PAs).« less

Process for immobilizing radioactive boric acid liquid wastes

DOEpatents

Greenhalgh, Wilbur O.

1986-01-01

A method of immobilizing boric acid liquid wastes containing radionuclides by neutralizing the solution and evaporating the resulting precipitate to near dryness. The dry residue is then fused into a reduced volume, insoluble, inert, solid form containing substantially all the radionuclides.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cozzi, Alex D.; McCabe, Daniel J.

The Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) Low Activity Waste (LAW) vitrification facility will generate an aqueous condensate recycle stream (LAW Melter Off-Gas Condensate) from the off-gas system. The baseline plan for disposition of this stream during full WTP operations is to send it to the WTP Pretreatment Facility, where it will be blended with LAW, concentrated by evaporation and recycled to the LAW vitrification facility. However, during the Direct Feed LAW (DFLAW) scenario, planned disposition of this stream is to evaporate it in a new evaporator in the Effluent Management Facility (EMF) and then return it to themore » LAW melter. It is important to understand the composition of the effluents from the melter and new evaporator so that the disposition of these streams can be accurately planned and accommodated. Furthermore, alternate disposition of this stream would eliminate recycling of problematic components, and would enable less integrated operation of the LAW melter and the Pretreatment Facilities. Alternate disposition would also eliminate this stream from recycling within WTP when it begins operations and would decrease the LAW vitrification mission duration and quantity of glass waste. This LAW Melter Off-Gas Condensate stream will contain components that are volatile at melter temperatures and are problematic for the glass waste form, such as halides and sulfate, along with entrained, volatile, and semi-volatile metals, such as Hg, As, and Se. Because this stream will recycle within WTP, these components accumulate in the Melter Condensate stream, exacerbating their impact on the number of LAW glass containers that must be produced. Diverting the stream reduces the halides and sulfate that get recycled to the melter, and is a key objective of this work. This overall program examines the potential treatment and immobilization of this stream to enable alternative disposal. The objective of earlier tasks was to formulate and prepare a simulant of the LAW Melter Off-gas Condensate expected during DFLAW operations and use it in evaporator testing to predict the composition of the effluents from the Effluent Management Facility (EMF) evaporator to aid in planning for their disposition. The objective of this task was to test immobilization options for this evaporator bottoms aqueous stream. This document describes the method used to formulate a simulant of this EMF evaporator bottoms stream, immobilize it, and determine if the immobilized waste forms meet disposal criteria.« less

Nuclear fuel cycle waste stream immobilization with cermets for improved thermal properties and waste consolidation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortega, Luis H.; Kaminski, Michael D.; Zeng, Zuotao; Cunnane, James

2013-07-01

In the pursuit of methods to improve nuclear waste form thermal properties and combine potential nuclear fuel cycle wastes, a bronze alloy was combined with an alkali, alkaline earth metal bearing ceramic to form a cermet. The alloy was prepared from copper and tin (10 mass%) powders. Pre-sintered ceramic consisting of cesium, strontium, barium and rubidium alumino-silicates was mixed with unalloyed bronze precursor powders and cold pressed to 300 × 103 kPa, then sintered at 600 °C and 800 °C under hydrogen. Cermets were also prepared that incorporated molybdenum, which has a limited solubility in glass, under similar conditions. The cermet thermal conductivities were seven times that of the ceramic alone. These improved thermal properties can reduce thermal gradients within the waste forms thus lowering internal temperature gradients and thermal stresses, allowing for larger waste forms and higher waste loadings. These benefits can reduce the total number of waste packages necessary to immobilize a given amount of high level waste and immobilize troublesome elements.

Process for immobilizing radioactive boric acid liquid wastes

DOEpatents

Greenhalgh, W.O.

1984-05-10

Disclosed is a method of immobilizing boric acid liquid wastes containing radionuclides by neutralizing the solution and evaporating the resulting precipitate to near dryness. The dry residue is then fused into a reduced volume, insoluble, inert, solid form containing substantially all the radionuclides.

Nuclear waste forms for actinides

PubMed Central

Ewing, Rodney C.

1999-01-01

The disposition of actinides, most recently 239Pu from dismantled nuclear weapons, requires effective containment of waste generated by the nuclear fuel cycle. Because actinides (e.g., 239Pu and 237Np) are long-lived, they have a major impact on risk assessments of geologic repositories. Thus, demonstrable, long-term chemical and mechanical durability are essential properties of waste forms for the immobilization of actinides. Mineralogic and geologic studies provide excellent candidate phases for immobilization and a unique database that cannot be duplicated by a purely materials science approach. The “mineralogic approach” is illustrated by a discussion of zircon as a phase for the immobilization of excess weapons plutonium. PMID:10097054

Energy from biomass and wastes V; Proceedings of the Fifth Symposium, Lake Buena Vista, FL, January 26-30, 1981

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papers are presented in the areas of biomass production and procurement, biomass and waste combustion, gasification processes, liquefaction processes, environmental effects and government programs. Specific topics include a water hyacinth wastewater treatment system with biomass production, the procurement of wood as an industrial fuel, the cofiring of densified refuse-derived fuel and coal, the net energy production in anaerobic digestion, photosynthetic hydrogen production, the steam gasification of manure in a fluidized bed, and biomass hydroconversion to synthetic fuels. Attention is also given to the economics of deriving alcohol for power applications from grain, ethanol fermentation in a yeast-immobilized column fermenter, a solar-fired biomass flash pyrolysis reactor, particulate emissions from controlled-air modular incinerators, and the DOE program for energy recovery from urban wastes.

Behavior of radioactive iodine and technetium in the spray calcination of high-level waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knox, C. A.; Farnsworth, R. K.

1981-08-01

The Remote Laboratory-Scale Waste Treatment Facility (RLSWTF) was designed and built as a part of the High-Level Waste Immobilization Program (now the High-Level Waste Process Development Program) at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory. In facility, installed in a radiochemical cell, is described in which installed in a radiochemical cell is described in which small volumes of radioactive liquid wastes can be solidified, the process off gas can be analyzed, and the methods for decontaminating this off gas can be tested. During the spray calcination of commercial high-level liquid waste spiked with Tc-99 and I-131 and 31 wt% loss of I-131 past the sintered-metal filters. These filters and venturi scrubber were very efficient in removing particulates and Tc-99 from the the off-gas stream. Liquid scrubbers were not efficient in removing I-131 as 25% of the total lost went to the building off-gas system. Therefore, solid adsorbents are needed to remove iodine. For all future operations where iodine is present, a silver zeolite adsorber is to be used.

Enzymatic conversion of waste cooking oils into alternative fuel--biodiesel.

PubMed

Chen, Guanyi; Ying, Ming; Li, Weizhun

2006-01-01

Production of biodiesel from pure oils through chemical conversion may not be applicable to waste oils/fats. Therefore, enzymatic conversion using immobilized lipase based on Rhizopus orzyae is considered in this article. This article studies this technological process, focusing on optimization of several process parameters, including the molar ratio of methanol to waste oils, biocatalyst load, and adding method, reaction temperature, and water content. The results indicate that methanol/oils ratio of 4, immobilized lipase/oils of 30 wt% and 40 degrees C are suitable for waste oils under 1 atm. The irreversible inactivation of the lipase is presumed and a stepwise addition of methanol to reduce inactivation of immobilized lipases is proposed. Under the optimum conditions the yield of methyl esters is around 88-90%.

Method of immobilizing weapons plutonium to provide a durable, disposable waste product

DOEpatents

Ewing, Rodney C.; Lutze, Werner; Weber, William J.

1996-01-01

A method of atomic scale fixation and immobilization of plutonium to provide a durable waste product. Plutonium is provided in the form of either PuO.sub.2 or Pu(NO.sub.3).sub.4 and is mixed with and SiO.sub.2. The resulting mixture is cold pressed and then heated under pressure to form (Zr,Pu)SiO.sub.4 as the waste product.

Cast Stone Formulation for Nuclear Waste Immobilization at Higher Sodium Concentrations

DOE PAGES

Fox, Kevin; Cozzi, Alex; Roberts, Kimberly; ...

2014-11-01

Low activity radioactive waste at U.S. Department of Energy sites can be immobilized for permanent disposal using cementitious waste forms. This study evaluated waste forms produced with simulated wastes at concentrations up to twice that of currently operating processes. The simulated materials were evaluated for their fresh properties, which determine processability, and cured properties, which determine waste form performance. The results show potential for greatly reducing the volume of material. Fresh properties were sufficient to allow for processing via current practices. Cured properties such as compressive strength meet disposal requirements. Leachability indices provide an indication of expected long-term performance.

Improvement of Leaching Resistance of Low-level Waste Form in Korea

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, J.Y.; Lee, B.C.; Kim, C.L.

2006-07-01

Low-level liquid concentrate wastes including boric acid have been immobilized with paraffin wax using concentrate waste drying system in Korean nuclear power plants since 1995. Small amount of low density polyethylene (LDPE) was added to increase the leaching resistance of the existing paraffin waste form and the influence of LDPE on the leaching behavior of waste form was investigated. It was observed that the leaching of nuclides immobilized within paraffin waste form remarkably reduced as the content of LDPE increased. The acceptance criteria of paraffin waste form associated with leachability index and compressive strength after the leaching test were successfullymore » satisfied with the help of LDPE. (authors)« less

Improved method and composition for immobilization of waste in cement-based material

DOEpatents

Tallent, O.K.; Dodson, K.E.; McDaniel, E.W.

1987-10-01

A composition and method for fixation or immobilization of aqueous hazardous waste material in cement-based materials (grout) is disclosed. The amount of drainable water in the cured grout is reduced by the addition of an ionic aluminum compound to either the waste material or the mixture of waste material and dry-solid cement- based material. This reduction in drainable water in the cured grout obviates the need for large, expensive amounts of gelling clays in grout materials and also results in improved consistency and properties of these cement-based waste disposal materials.

Evaluation of Technetium Getters to Improve the Performance of Cast Stone

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Neeway, James J.; Qafoku, Nikolla P.; Serne, R. Jeffrey

2015-11-01

Cast Stone has been selected as the preferred waste form for solidification of aqueous secondary liquid effluents from the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) process condensates and low-activity waste (LAW) melter off-gas caustic scrubber effluents. Cast Stone is also being evaluated as a supplemental immobilization technology to provide the necessary LAW treatment capacity to complete the Hanford tank waste cleanup mission in a timely and cost effective manner. One of the major radionuclides that Cast Stone has the potential to immobilize is technetium (Tc). The mechanism for immobilization is through the reduction of the highly mobile Tc(VII)more » species to the less mobile Tc(IV) species by the blast furnace slag (BFS) used in the Cast Stone formulation. Technetium immobilization through this method would be beneficial because Tc is one of the most difficult contaminants to address at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site due to its complex chemical behavior in tank waste, limited incorporation in mid- to high-temperature immobilization processes (vitrification, steam reformation, etc.), and high mobility in subsurface environments. In fact, the Tank Closure and Waste Management Environmental Impact Statement for the Hanford Site, Richland, Washington (TC&WM EIS) identifies technetium-99 ( 99Tc) as one of the radioactive tank waste components contributing the most to the environmental impact associated with the cleanup of the Hanford Site. The TC&WM EIS, along with an earlier supplemental waste-form risk assessment, used a diffusion-limited release model to estimate the release of different contaminants from the WTP process waste forms. In both of these predictive modeling exercises, where effective diffusivities based on grout performance data available at the time, groundwater at the 100-m down-gradient well exceeded the allowable maximum permissible concentrations for 99Tc. (900 pCi/L). Recent relatively short-term (63 day) leach tests conducted on both LAW and secondary waste Cast Stone monoliths indicated that 99Tc diffusivities were at or near diffusivities where the groundwater at the 100-m down-gradient well would exceed the allowable maximum permissible 99Tc concentrations. There is, therefore, a need and an opportunity to improve the retention of Tc in the Cast Stone waste form. One method to improve the performance of the Cast Stone waste form is through the addition of “getters” that selectively sequester Tc inside Cast Stone.« less

Technical Status Report: Preliminary Glass Formulation Report for INEEL HAW. Revision 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peeler, D.; Reamer, I.; Vienna, J.

1998-03-01

Preliminary glass formulation work has been initiated at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and the Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) to support immobilization efforts of Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) high activity waste (HAW). Based on current pretreatment flow sheet assumptions, several glasses were fabricated and tested using an average `All Blend` waste stream composition which is dominated by the presence of ZrO{sub 2} (i.e., approximately 80 wt percent). The results of this initial work show that immobilization via vitrification is a viable option for a specific INEEL HAW waste stream. Waste loadings of at least 19 wtmore » percent can be achieved for the `All Blend` stream while maintaining targeted processing and product performance criteria. This waste loading translates into a ZrO{sub 2} content in excess of 15 wt percent in the final glass waste form. Frits developed for this work are based in the alkali borosilicate system. Although the results indicate that vitrification can be used to immobilize the `All Blend` waste stream, the glass compositions are by no means optimized.« less

Glass former composition and method for immobilizing nuclear waste using the same

DOEpatents

Cadoff, Laurence H.; Smith-Magowan, David B.

1988-01-01

An alkoxide glass former composition has silica-containing constituents present as solid particulates of a particle size of 0.1 to 0.7 micrometers in diameter in a liquid carrier phase substantially free of dissolved silica. The glass former slurry is resistant to coagulation and may contain other glass former metal constituents. The immobilization of nuclear waste employs the described glass former by heating the same to reduce the volume, mixing the same with the waste, and melting the resultant mixture to encapsulate the waste in the resultant glass.

Advanced technologies for maintenance of electrical systems and equipment at the Savannah River Site Defense Waste Processing Facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Husler, R.O.; Weir, T.J.

1991-01-01

An enhanced maintenance program is being established to characterize and monitor cables, components, and process response at the Savannah River Site, Defense Waste Processing Facility. This facility was designed and constructed to immobilize the radioactive waste currently stored in underground storage tanks and is expected to begin operation in 1993. The plant is initiating the program to baseline and monitor instrument and control (I C) and electrical equipment, remote process equipment, embedded instrument and control cables, and in-cell jumper cables used in the facility. This program is based on the electronic characterization and diagnostic (ECAD) system which was modified tomore » include process response analysis and to meet rigid Department of Energy equipment requirements. The system consists of computer-automated, state-of-the-art electronics. The data that are gathered are stored in a computerized database for analysis, trending, and troubleshooting. It is anticipated that the data which are gathered and trended will aid in life extension for the facility.« less

Advanced technologies for maintenance of electrical systems and equipment at the Savannah River Site Defense Waste Processing Facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Husler, R.O.; Weir, T.J.

1991-12-31

An enhanced maintenance program is being established to characterize and monitor cables, components, and process response at the Savannah River Site, Defense Waste Processing Facility. This facility was designed and constructed to immobilize the radioactive waste currently stored in underground storage tanks and is expected to begin operation in 1993. The plant is initiating the program to baseline and monitor instrument and control (I&C) and electrical equipment, remote process equipment, embedded instrument and control cables, and in-cell jumper cables used in the facility. This program is based on the electronic characterization and diagnostic (ECAD) system which was modified to includemore » process response analysis and to meet rigid Department of Energy equipment requirements. The system consists of computer-automated, state-of-the-art electronics. The data that are gathered are stored in a computerized database for analysis, trending, and troubleshooting. It is anticipated that the data which are gathered and trended will aid in life extension for the facility.« less

Experimental study on cesium immobilization in struvite structures.

PubMed

Wagh, Arun S; Sayenko, S Y; Shkuropatenko, V A; Tarasov, R V; Dykiy, M P; Svitlychniy, Y O; Virych, V D; Ulybkina, Е А

2016-01-25

Ceramicrete, a chemically bonded phosphate ceramic, was developed for nuclear waste immobilization and nuclear radiation shielding. Ceramicrete products are fabricated by an acid-base reaction between magnesium oxide and mono potassium phosphate that has a struvite-K mineral structure. In this study, we demonstrate that this crystalline structure is ideal for incorporating radioactive Cs into a Ceramicrete matrix. This is accomplished by partially replacing K by Cs in the struvite-K structure, thus forming struvite-(K, Cs) mineral. X-ray diffraction and thermo-gravimetric analyses are used to confirm such a replacement. The resulting product is non-leachable and stable at high temperatures, and hence it is an ideal matrix for immobilizing Cs found in high-activity nuclear waste streams. The product can also be used for immobilizing secondary waste streams generated during glass vitrification of spent fuel, or the method described in this article can be used as a pretreatment method during glass vitrification of high level radioactive waste streams. Furthermore, it suggests a method of producing safe commercial radioactive Cs sources. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Liquid secondary waste. Waste form formulation and qualification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cozzi, A. D.; Dixon, K. L.; Hill, K. A.

The Hanford Site Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF) currently treats aqueous waste streams generated during Site cleanup activities. When the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) begins operations, a liquid secondary waste (LSW) stream from the WTP will need to be treated. The volume of effluent for treatment at the ETF will increase significantly. Washington River Protection Solutions is implementing a Secondary Liquid Waste Immobilization Technology Development Plan to address the technology needs for a waste form and solidification process to treat the increased volume of waste planned for disposal at the Integrated Disposal Facility IDF). Waste form testingmore » to support this plan is composed of work in the near term to demonstrate the waste form will provide data as input to a performance assessment (PA) for Hanford’s IDF.« less

Test Report for Permanganate and Cold Strontium Strike for Tank 241-AN-102

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Duncan, James B.; Huber, Heinz J.; Smalley, Colleen S.

Tanks 241-AN-102 and 241-AN-107 supernatants contain soluble Sr-90 and transuranic elements that require removal prior to vitrification to comply with the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant immobilized low-activity waste specification (WTP Contract, DE-AC27-01RV 14136, Specification 2.2.2.8, "Radionuclide Concentration Limitations") and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission provisional agreement on waste incidental to reprocessing (letter, Paperiello, C. J., "Classification of Hanford Low-Activity Tank Waste Fraction"). These two tanks have high concentrations of organics and organic complexants and are referred to as complexant concentrate tanks. A precipitation process using sodium permanganate (NaMnO{sub 4}) and strontium nitrate (Sr(NO{sub 3}){sub 2}) was developed and testedmore » with tank waste samples to precipitate Sr-90 and transuranic elements from the supernate (PNWD-3141, Optimization of Sr/TRU Removal Conditions with Samples of AN-102 Tank Waste). Testing documented in this report was conducted to further evaluate the use of the strontium nitrate/sodium permanganate process in tank farms with a retention time of up to 12 months. Previous testing was focused on developing a process for deployment in the ultrafiltration vessels in the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant. This environment is different from tank farms in two important ways: the waste is diluted in the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant to ~5.5 M sodium, whereas the supernate in the tank farms is ~9 M Na. Secondly, while the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant allows for a maximum treatment time of hours to days, the in-tank farms treatment of tanks 241-AN102 and 241-AN-107 will result in a retention time of months (perhaps up to12 months) before processing. A comparative compilation of separation processes for Sr/transuranics has been published as RPP-RPT-48340, Evaluation of Alternative Strontium and Transuranic Separation Processes. This report also listed the testing needs for the permanganate precipitation process to be field-deployable. A more comprehensive listing of future testing needs to allow the process to be field deployable are contained in RPP-PLAN-51288, Development Test Plan for Sr/TRU Precipitation Process.« less

Tank waste remediation system multi-year work plan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) Multi-Year Work Plan (MYWP) documents the detailed total Program baseline and was constructed to guide Program execution. The TWRS MYWP is one of two elements that comprise the TWRS Program Management Plan. The TWRS MYWP fulfills the Hanford Site Management System requirement for a Multi-Year Program Plan and a Fiscal-Year Work Plan. The MYWP addresses program vision, mission, objectives, strategy, functions and requirements, risks, decisions, assumptions, constraints, structure, logic, schedule, resource requirements, and waste generation and disposition. Sections 1 through 6, Section 8, and the appendixes provide program-wide information. Section 7 includes a subsectionmore » for each of the nine program elements that comprise the TWRS Program. The foundation of any program baseline is base planning data (e.g., defendable product definition, logic, schedules, cost estimates, and bases of estimates). The TWRS Program continues to improve base data. As data improve, so will program element planning, integration between program elements, integration outside of the TWRS Program, and the overall quality of the TWRS MYWP. The MYWP establishes the TWRS baseline objectives to store, treat, and immobilize highly radioactive Hanford waste in an environmentally sound, safe, and cost-effective manner. The TWRS Program will complete the baseline mission in 2040 and will incur costs totalling approximately 40 billion dollars. The summary strategy is to meet the above objectives by using a robust systems engineering effort, placing the highest possible priority on safety and environmental protection; encouraging {open_quotes}out sourcing{close_quotes} of the work to the extent practical; and managing significant but limited resources to move toward final disposition of tank wastes, while openly communicating with all interested stakeholders.« less

Tank waste remediation system multi-year work plan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1994-09-01

The Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) Multi-Year Work Plan (MYWP) documents the detailed total Program baseline and was constructed to guide Program execution. The TWRS MYWP is one of two elements that comprise the TWRS Program Management Plan. The TWRS MYWP fulfills the Hanford Site Management System requirement for a Multi-Year Program Plan and a Fiscal-Year Work Plan. The MYWP addresses program vision, mission, objectives, strategy, functions and requirements, risks, decisions, assumptions, constraints, structure, logic, schedule, resource requirements, and waste generation and disposition. Sections 1 through 6, Section 8, and the appendixes provide program-wide information. Section 7 includes a subsectionmore » for each of the nine program elements that comprise the TWRS Program. The foundation of any program baseline is base planning data (e.g., defendable product definition, logic, schedules, cost estimates, and bases of estimates). The TWRS Program continues to improve base data. As data improve, so will program element planning, integration between program elements, integration outside of the TWRS Program, and the overall quality of the TWRS MYWP. The MYWP establishes the TWRS baseline objectives to store, treat, and immobilize highly radioactive Hanford waste in an environmentally sound, safe, and cost-effective manner. The TWRS Program will complete the baseline mission in 2040 and will incur costs totalling approximately 40 billion dollars. The summary strategy is to meet the above objectives by using a robust systems engineering effort, placing the highest possible priority on safety and environmental protection; encouraging {open_quotes}out sourcing{close_quotes} of the work to the extent practical; and managing significant but limited resources to move toward final disposition of tank wastes, while openly communicating with all interested stakeholders.« less

Sintered bentonite ceramics for the immobilization of cesium- and strontium-bearing radioactive waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortega, Luis Humberto

The Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) is a Department of Energy (DOE) program, that has been investigating technologies to improve fuel cycle sustainability and proliferation resistance. One of the program's goals is to reduce the amount of radioactive waste requiring repository disposal. Cesium and strontium are two primary heat sources during the first 300 years of spent nuclear fuel's decay, specifically isotopes Cs-137 and Sr-90. Removal of these isotopes from spent nuclear fuel will reduce the activity of the bulk spent fuel, reducing the heat given off by the waste. Once the cesium and strontium are separated from the bulk of the spent nuclear fuel, the isotopes must be immobilized. This study is focused on a method to immobilize a cesium- and strontium-bearing radioactive liquid waste stream. While there are various schemes to remove these isotopes from spent fuel, this study has focused on a nitric acid based liquid waste. The waste liquid was mixed with the bentonite, dried then sintered. To be effective sintering temperatures from 1100 to 1200°C were required, and waste concentrations must be at least 25 wt%. The product is a leach resistant ceramic solid with the waste elements embedded within alumino-silicates and a silicon rich phase. The cesium is primarily incorporated into pollucite and the strontium into a monoclinic feldspar. The simulated waste was prepared from nitrate salts of stable ions. These ions were limited to cesium, strontium, barium and rubidium. Barium and rubidium will be co-extracted during separation due to similar chemical properties to cesium and strontium. The waste liquid was added to the bentonite clay incrementally with drying steps between each addition. The dry powder was pressed and then sintered at various temperatures. The maximum loading tested is 32 wt. percent waste, which refers to 13.9 wt. percent cesium, 12.2 wt. percent barium, 4.1 wt. percent strontium, and 2.0 wt. percent rubidium. Lower loadings of waste were also tested. The final solid product was a hard dense ceramic with a density that varied from 2.12 g/cm3 for a 19% waste loading with a 1200°C sintering temperature to 3.03 g/cm 3 with a 29% waste loading and sintered at 1100°C. Differential Scanning Calorimetry and Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (DSC-TGA) of the loaded bentonite displayed mass loss steps which were consistent with water losses in pure bentonite. Water losses were complete after dehydroxylation at ˜650°C. No mass losses were evident beyond the dehydroxylation. The ceramic melts at temperatures greater than 1300°C. Light flash analysis found heat capacities of the ceramic to be comparable to those of strontium and barium feldspars as well as pollucite. Thermal conductivity improved with higher sintering temperatures, attributed to lower porosity. Porosity was minimized in 1200°C sinterings. Ceramics with waste loadings less than 25 wt% displayed slump, the lowest waste loading, 15 wt% bloated at a 1200°C sintering. Waste loading above 25 wt% produced smooth uniform ceramics when sintered >1100°C. Sintered bentonite may provide a simple alternative to vitrification and other engineered radioactive waste-forms.

Immobilization of Candida rugosa lipase by adsorption-crosslinking onto corn husk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nuraliyah, A.; Wijanarko, A.; Hermansyah, H.

2018-04-01

Corn husk is one of the agricutural waste that has not been used optimally. corn husk waste allows to be used as immobilized support for biocatalyst because it is easy to obtain, available abundant, renewable and easy to decompose. This research was conducted in two phases, namely the adsorption of enzyme immobilization on the support, followed by cross- linking between the enzyme and support through the addition of glutaraldehyde. The optimum conditions for cross-linked adsorption immobilization using support of corn husk were achieved at concentrations of 0,75 mg / ml at 4 hour reaction time. The biggest unit activity value is obtained at 2,37 U / g support through 0.5% glutaraldehyde addition.

Supported liquid inorganic membranes for nuclear waste separation

DOEpatents

Bhave, Ramesh R; DeBusk, Melanie M; DelCul, Guillermo D; Delmau, Laetitia H; Narula, Chaitanya K

2015-04-07

A system and method for the extraction of americium from radioactive waste solutions. The method includes the transfer of highly oxidized americium from an acidic aqueous feed solution through an immobilized liquid membrane to an organic receiving solvent, for example tributyl phosphate. The immobilized liquid membrane includes porous support and separating layers loaded with tributyl phosphate. The extracted solution is subsequently stripped of americium and recycled at the immobilized liquid membrane as neat tributyl phosphate for the continuous extraction of americium. The sequestered americium can be used as a nuclear fuel, a nuclear fuel component or a radiation source, and the remaining constituent elements in the aqueous feed solution can be stored in glassified waste forms substantially free of americium.

The mechanisms of heavy metal immobilization by cementitious material treatments and thermal treatments: A review.

PubMed

Guo, Bin; Liu, Bo; Yang, Jian; Zhang, Shengen

2017-05-15

Safe disposal of solid wastes containing heavy metals is a significant task for environment protection. Immobilization treatment is an effective technology to achieve this task. Cementitious material treatments and thermal treatments are two types of attractive immobilization treatments due to that the heavy metals could be encapsulated in their dense and durable wasteforms. This paper discusses the heavy metal immobilization mechanisms of these methods in detail. Physical encapsulation and chemical stabilization are two fundamental mechanisms that occur simultaneously during the immobilization processes. After immobilization treatments, the wasteforms build up a low permeable barrier for the contaminations. This reduces the exposed surface of wastes. Chemical stabilization occurs when the heavy metals transform into more stable and less soluble metal bearing phases. The heavy metal bearing phases in the wasteforms are also reviewed in this paper. If the heavy metals are incorporated into more stable and less soluble metal bearing phases, the potential hazards of heavy metals will be lower. Thus, converting heavy metals into more stable phases during immobilization processes should be a common way to enhance the immobilization effect of these immobilization methods. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Options for the Separation and Immobilization of Technetium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Serne, R Jeffrey; Crum, Jarrod V.; Riley, Brian J.

Among radioactive constituents present in the Hanford tank waste, technetium-99 (Tc) presents a unique challenge in that it is significantly radiotoxic, exists predominantly in the liquid low-activity waste (LAW), and has proven difficult to effectively stabilize in a waste form for ultimate disposal. Within the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, the LAW fraction will be converted to a glass waste form in the LAW vitrification facility, but a significant fraction of Tc volatilizes at the high glass-melting temperatures and is captured in the off-gas treatment system. This necessitates recycle of the off-gas condensate solution to the LAW glassmore » melter feed. The recycle process is effective in increasing the loading of Tc in the immobilized LAW (ILAW), but it also disproportionately increases the sulfur and halides in the LAW melter feed, which have limited solubility in the LAW glass and thus significantly reduce the amount of LAW (glass waste loading) that can be vitrified and still maintain good waste form properties. This increases both the amount of LAW glass and either the duration of the LAW vitrification mission or requires the need for supplemental LAW treatment capacity. Several options are being considered to address this issue. Two approaches attempt to minimize the off-gas recycle by removing Tc at one of several possible points within the tank waste processing flowsheet. The separated Tc from these two approaches must then be dispositioned in a manner such that the Tc can be safely disposed. Alternative waste forms that do not have the Tc volatility issues associated with the vitrification process are being sought for immobilization of Tc for subsequent storage and disposal. The first objective of this report is to provide insights into the compositions and volumes of the Tc-bearing waste streams including the ion exchange eluate from processing LAW and the off-gas condensate from the melter. The first step to be assessed will be the processing of ion exchange eluate. The second objective of this report is to assess the compatibility of the available waste forms with the anticipated waste streams. Two major categories of Tc-specific waste forms are considered in this report including mineral and metal waste forms. Overall, it is concluded that a metal alloy waste form is the most promising and mature Tc-specific waste form and offers several benefits. One obvious advantage of the disposition of Tc in the metal alloy waste form is the significant reduction of the generated waste form volume, which leads to a reduction of the required storage facility footprint. Among mineral waste forms, glass-bonded sodalite and possibly goethite should also be considered for the immobilization of Tc.« less

Comparative risk assessments for the production and interim storage of glass and ceramic waste forms: Defense waste processing facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, J. C.; Wright, W. V.

1982-04-01

The Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) for immobilizing nuclear high level waste (HLW) is scheduled to be built. High level waste is produced when reactor components are subjected to chemical separation operations. Two candidates for immobilizing this HLW are borosilicate glass and crystalline ceramic, either being contained in weld sealed stainless steel canisters. A number of technical analyses are being conducted to support a selection between these two waste forms. The risks associated with the manufacture and interim storage of these two forms in the DWPF are compared. Process information used in the risk analysis was taken primarily from a DWPF processibility analysis. The DWPF environmental analysis provided much of the necessary environmental information.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kot, Wing K.; Pegg, Ian L.; Brandys, Marek

One of the primary roles of waste pretreatment at the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) is to separate the majority of the radioactive components from the majority of the nonradioactive components in retrieved tank wastes, producing a high level waste (HLW) stream and a low activity waste (LAW) stream. This separation process is a key element in the overall strategy to reduce the volume of HLW that requires vitrification and subsequent disposal in a national deep geological repository for high level nuclear waste. After removal of the radioactive constituents, the LAW stream, which has a much largermore » volume but smaller fraction of radioactivity than the HLW stream, will be immobilized and disposed of in near surface facilities at the Hanford site.« less

COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS MODELING OF SCALED HANFORD DOUBLE SHELL TANK MIXING - CFD MODELING SENSITIVITY STUDY RESULTS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

JACKSON VL

2011-08-31

The primary purpose of the tank mixing and sampling demonstration program is to mitigate the technical risks associated with the ability of the Hanford tank farm delivery and celtification systems to measure and deliver a uniformly mixed high-level waste (HLW) feed to the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) Uniform feed to the WTP is a requirement of 24590-WTP-ICD-MG-01-019, ICD-19 - Interface Control Document for Waste Feed, although the exact definition of uniform is evolving in this context. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling has been used to assist in evaluating scaleup issues, study operational parameters, and predict mixing performance atmore » full-scale.« less

Materials and processes for the effective capture and immobilization of radioiodine: A review

DOE PAGES

Riley, Brian J.; Vienna, John D.; Strachan, Denis M.; ...

2015-12-02

In this study, the immobilization of radioiodine produced from reprocessing used nuclear fuel is a growing priority for research and development of nuclear waste forms. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the current issues surrounding processing and containment of 129I, the isotope of greatest concern due to its long half-life of 1.6 × 10 7 y and potential incorporation into the human body. Strategies for disposal of radioiodine, captured by both wet scrubbing and solid sorbents, are discussed, as well as potential iodine waste streams for insertion into an immobilization process. Next, consideration of direct disposal of salts, incorporationmore » into glasses, ceramics, cements, and other phases is discussed. The bulk of the review is devoted to an assessment of various sorbents for iodine and of waste forms described in the literature, particularly inorganic minerals, ceramics, and glasses. This review also contains recommendations for future research needed to address radioiodine immobilization materials and processes.« less

Improvement of nuclide leaching resistance of paraffin waste form with low density polyethylene.

PubMed

Kim, Chang Lak; Park, Joo Wan; Kim, Ju Youl; Chung, Chang Hyun

2002-01-01

Low-level liquid borate wastes have been immobilized with paraffin wax using a concentrate waste drying system (CWDS) in Korean nuclear power plants. The possibility for improving chemical durability of paraffin waste form was suggested in this study. A small amount of low density polyethylene (LDPE) was added to increase the leaching resistance of the existing paraffin waste form. The influence of LDPE on the leaching behavior of waste form was investigated by performing leaching test according to ANSI/ANS-16.1 procedure during 325 days. It was observed that the leaching of nuclides immobilized within paraffin waste form made a marked reduction although little content of LDPE was added to waste form. The acceptance criteria of paraffin waste form associated with leachability index (LI) and compressive strength after the leaching test were fully satisfied with the help of LDPE.

Properties important to mixing and simulant recommendations for WTP full-scale vessel testing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Poirier, M. R.; Martino, C. J.

2015-12-01

Full Scale Vessel Testing (FSVT) is being planned by Bechtel National, Inc., to demonstrate the ability of the standard high solids vessel design (SHSVD) to meet mixing requirements over the range of fluid properties planned for processing in the Pretreatment Facility (PTF) of the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). Testing will use simulated waste rather than actual Hanford waste. Therefore, the use of suitable simulants is critical to achieving the goals of the test program. WTP personnel requested the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) to assist with development of simulants for use in FSVT. Among the tasks assignedmore » to SRNL was to develop a list of waste properties that are important to pulse-jet mixer (PJM) performance in WTP vessels with elevated concentrations of solids.« less

The removal of thermo-tolerant coliform bacteria by immobilized waste stabilization pond algae.

PubMed

Pearson, H W; Marcon, A E; Melo, H N

2011-01-01

This study investigated the potential of laboratory- scale columns of immobilized micro-algae to disinfect effluents using thermo-tolerant coliforms (TTC) as a model system. Cells of a Chlorella species isolated from a waste stabilization pond complex in Northeast Brazil were immobilized in calcium alginate, packed into glass columns and incubated in contact with TTC suspensions for up to 24 hours. Five to six log removals of TTC were achieved in 6 hours and 11 log removals in 12 hours contact time. The results were similar under artificial light and shaded sunlight. However little or no TTC removal occurred in the light in columns of alginate beads without immobilized algae present or when the immobilized algae were incubated in the dark suggesting that the presence of both algae and light were necessary for TTC decay. There was a positive correlation between K(b) values for TTC and increasing pH in the effluent from the immobilized algal columns within the range pH 7.2 and 8.9. The potential of immobilized algal technology for wastewater disinfection may warrant further investigation.

Immobilization of Fast Reactor First Cycle Raffinate

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Langley, K. F.; Partridge, B. A.; Wise, M.

This paper describes the results of work to bring forward the timing for the immobilization of first cycle raffinate from reprocessing fuel from the Dounreay Prototype Fast Reactor (PFR). First cycle raffinate is the liquor which contains > 99% of the fission products separated from spent fuel during reprocessing. Approximately 203 m3 of raffinate from the reprocessing of PFR fuel is held in four tanks at the UKAEA's site at Dounreay, Scotland. Two methods of immobilization of this high level waste (HLW) have been considered: vitrification and cementation. Vitrification is the standard industry practice for the immobilization of first cyclemore » raffinate, and many papers have been presented on this technique elsewhere. However, cementation is potentially feasible for immobilizing first cycle raffinate because the heat output is an order of magnitude lower than typical HLW from commercial reprocessing operations such as that at the Sellafield site in Cumbria, England. In fact, it falls within the upper end of the UK definition of intermediate level waste (ILW). Although the decision on which immobilization technique will be employed has yet to be made, initial development work has been undertaken to identify a suitable cementation formulation using inactive simulant of the raffinate. An approach has been made to the waste disposal company Nirex to consider the disposability of the cemented product material. The paper concentrates on the process development work that is being undertaken on cementation to inform the decision making process for selection of the immobilization method.« less

U.S. Department of Energy's initiatives for proliferation prevention program: solidification technologies for radioactive waste treatment in Russia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pokhitonov, Y.; Kelley, D.

Large amounts of liquid radioactive waste have existed in the U.S. and Russia since the 1950's as a result of the Cold War. Comprehensive action to treat and dispose of waste products has been lacking due to insufficient funding, ineffective technologies or no proven technologies, low priority by governments among others. Today the U.S. and Russian governments seek new, more reliable methods to treat liquid waste, in particular the legacy waste streams. A primary objective of waste generators and regulators is to find economical and proven technologies that can provide long-term stability for repository storage. In 2001, the V.G. Khlopinmore » Radium Institute (Khlopin), St. Petersburg, Russia, and Pacific Nuclear Solutions (PNS), Indianapolis, Indiana, began extensive research and test programs to determine the validity of polymer technology for the absorption and immobilization of standard and complex waste streams. Over 60 liquid compositions have been tested including extensive irradiation tests to verify polymer stability and possible degradation. With conclusive scientific evidence of the polymer's effectiveness in treating liquid waste, both parties have decided to enter the Russian market and offer the solidification technology to nuclear sites for waste treatment and disposal. In conjunction with these efforts, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will join Khlopin and PNS to explore opportunities for direct application of the polymers at predetermined sites and to conduct research for new product development. Under DOE's 'Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention'(IPP) program, funding will be provided to the Russian participants over a three year period to implement the program plan. This paper will present details of U.S. DOE's IPP program, the project structure and its objectives both short and long-term, training programs for scientists, polymer tests and applications for LLW, ILW and HLW, and new product development initiatives. (authors)« less

Utilization of immobilized urease for waste water treatment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Husted, R. R.

1974-01-01

The feasibility of using immobilized urease for urea removal from waste water for space system applications is considered, specifically the elimination of the urea toxicity problem in a 30-day Orbiting Frog Otolith (OFO) flight experiment. Because urease catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea to ammonia and carbon dioxide, control of their concentrations within nontoxic limits was also determined. The results of this study led to the use of free urease in lieu of the immobilized urease for controlling urea concentrations. An ion exchange resin was used which reduced the NH3 level by 94% while reducing the sodium ion concentration only 10%.

Hanford immobilized low-activity tank waste performance assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mann, F.M.

1998-03-26

The Hanford Immobilized Low-Activity Tank Waste Performance Assessment examines the long-term environmental and human health effects associated with the planned disposal of the vitrified low-level fraction of waste presently contained in Hanford Site tanks. The tank waste is the by-product of separating special nuclear materials from irradiated nuclear fuels over the past 50 years. This waste has been stored in underground single and double-shell tanks. The tank waste is to be retrieved, separated into low and high-activity fractions, and then immobilized by private vendors. The US Department of Energy (DOE) will receive the vitrified waste from private vendors and plansmore » to dispose of the low-activity fraction in the Hanford Site 200 East Area. The high-level fraction will be stored at Hanford until a national repository is approved. This report provides the site-specific long-term environmental information needed by the DOE to issue a Disposal Authorization Statement that would allow the modification of the four existing concrete disposal vaults to provide better access for emplacement of the immobilized low-activity waste (ILAW) containers; filling of the modified vaults with the approximately 5,000 ILAW containers and filler material with the intent to dispose of the containers; construction of the first set of next-generation disposal facilities. The performance assessment activity will continue beyond this assessment. The activity will collect additional data on the geotechnical features of the disposal sites, the disposal facility design and construction, and the long-term performance of the waste. Better estimates of long-term performance will be produced and reviewed on a regular basis. Performance assessments supporting closure of filled facilities will be issued seeking approval of those actions necessary to conclude active disposal facility operations. This report also analyzes the long-term performance of the currently planned disposal system as a basis to set requirements on the waste form and the facility design that will protect the long-term public health and safety and protect the environment.« less

Immobilization of copper flotation waste using red mud and clinoptilolite.

PubMed

Coruh, Semra

2008-10-01

The flash smelting process has been used in the copper industry for a number of years and has replaced most of the reverberatory applications, known as conventional copper smelting processes. Copper smelters produce large amounts of copper slag or copper flotation waste and the dumping of these quantities of copper slag causes economic, environmental and space problems. The aim of this study was to perform a laboratory investigation to assess the feasibility of immobilizing the heavy metals contained in copper flotation waste. For this purpose, samples of copper flotation waste were immobilized with relatively small proportions of red mud and large proportions of clinoptilolite. The results of laboratory leaching demonstrate that addition of red mud and clinoptilolite to the copper flotation waste drastically reduced the heavy metal content in the effluent and the red mud performed better than clinoptilolite. This study also compared the leaching behaviour of metals in copper flotation waste by short-time extraction tests such as the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP), deionized water (DI) and field leach test (FLT). The results of leach tests showed that the results of the FLT and DI methods were close and generally lower than those of the TCLP methods.

Hanford Immobilized Low Activity Waste (ILAW) Performance Assessment 2001 Version [Formerly DOE/RL-97-69] [SEC 1 & 2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

MANN, F.M.

2000-08-01

The Hanford Immobilized Low-Activity Waste Performance Assessment examines the long-term environmental and human health effects associated with the planned disposal of the vitrified low-activity fraction of waste presently contained in Hanford Site tanks. The tank waste is the byproduct of separating special nuclear materials from irradiated nuclear fuels over the past 50 years. This waste is stored in underground single- and double-shell tanks. The tank waste is to be retrieved, separated into low-activity and high-level fractions, and then immobilized by vitrification. The US. Department of Energy (DOE) plans to dispose of the low-activity fraction in the Hanford Site 200 Eastmore » Area. The high-level fraction will be stored at the Hanford Site until a national repository is approved. This report provides the site-specific long-term environmental information needed by the DOE to modify the current Disposal Authorization Statement for the Hanford Site that would allow the following: construction of disposal trenches; and filling of these trenches with ILAW containers and filler material with the intent to dispose of the containers.« less

Plutonium immobilization in glass and ceramics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Knecht, D.A.; Murphy, W.M.

1996-05-01

The Materials Research Society Nineteenth Annual Symposium on the Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management was held in Boston on November 27 to December 1, 1995. Over 150 papers were presented at the Symposium dealing with all aspects of nuclear waste management and disposal. Fourteen oral sessions and on poster session included a Plenary session on surplus plutonium dispositioning and waste forms. The proceedings, to be published in April, 1996, will provide a highly respected, referred compilation of the state of scientific development in the field of nuclear waste management. This paper provides a brief overview of the selected Symposiummore » papers that are applicable to plutonium immobilization and plutonium waste form performance. Waste forms that were described at the Symposium cover most of the candidate Pu immobilization options under consideration, including borosilicate glass with a melting temperature of 1150 {degrees}C, a higher temperature (1450 {degrees}C) lanthanide glass, single phase ceramics, multi-phase ceramics, and multi-phase crystal-glass composites (glass-ceramics or slags). These Symposium papers selected for this overview provide the current status of the technology in these areas and give references to the relevant literature.« less

Utilization of radiation technique on the saccharification and fermentation of biomass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaetsu, I.; Kumakura, M.; Fujimura, T.; Yoshii, F.; Kojima, T.; Tamada, M.

The application of irradiation technique to the process of saccharification and subsequent fermentation of cellulosic wastes such as chaff and rice straw to obtain ethanol, was investigated. It was found that when waste raw materials were irradiated by ?-ray or electron beam, they became accessible to the subsequent enzymatic saccharification reaction. Irradiation of 10 7-10 8 Rad was enough for this effect. Some kind of additives reduced necessary dosage for this pretreatment. Cellulase, Trichoderma reesei which produce cellulase, and yeast were immobilized as biocatalysts for biomass conversion by radiation-induced polymerization of glass-forming monomer at low temperature. The immobilized cellulase showed almost same activity of glucose production as the native cellulase. Continuous saccharification reaction was carried out by using the immobilized cellulase. The immobilized Trichoderma reesei and the immobilized yeast showed almost same activity as the intact biocatalysts. It was concluded that the continuous saccharification and subsequent fermentation could be carried out effectively by using the immobilized biocatalysts. Spinach chloroplasts were immobilized by the same method as the first step for the conversion of water into hydrogen gas using solar energy. The immobilized chloroplasts kept the O 2 evolution activity in storage more than 30 days at 4°C. Thermostatility of chloroplasts was also improved greatly by the immobilization.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cozzi, A.; Crawford, C.; Fox, K.

More than 56 million gallons of radioactive and hazardous waste are stored in 177 underground storage tanks at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Hanford Site in Washington State. The HLW will be vitrified in the HLW facility for ultimate disposal at an offsite federal repository. A portion (~35%) of the LAW will be vitrified in the LAW vitrification facility for disposal onsite at the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF). The pretreatment and HLW vitrification facilities will have the capacity to treat and immobilize all of the wastes destined for those facilities. However, a second facility will be needed for themore » expected volume of LAW requiring immobilization. Cast Stone, a cementitious waste form, is being considered to provide the required additional LAW immobilization capacity. The Cast Stone waste form must be acceptable for disposal in the IDF. The Cast Stone waste form and immobilization process must be tested to demonstrate that the final Cast Stone waste form can comply with the waste acceptance criteria for the disposal facility and that the immobilization processes can be controlled to consistently provide an acceptable waste form product. A testing program was developed in fiscal year (FY) 2012 describing in detail the work needed to develop and qualify Cast Stone as a waste form for the solidification of Hanford LAW. A statistically designed test matrix was used to evaluate the effects of key parameters on the properties of the Cast Stone as it is initially prepared and after curing. For the processing properties, the water-to-dry-blend mix ratio was the most significant parameter in affecting the range of values observed for each property. The single shell tank (SST) Blend simulant also showed differences in measured properties compared to the other three simulants tested. A review of the testing matrix and results indicated that an additional set of tests would be beneficial to improve the understanding of the impacts noted in the Screening Matrix tests. A set of Cast Stone formulations were devised to augment the original screening test matrix and focus on the range of the test conditions. Fly ash and blast furnace slag were limited to either northwest or southeast and the salt solutions were narrowed to the Average and the SST Blend at the 7.8M Na concentration. To fill in the matrix, a mix ratio of 0.5 was added. In addition, two admixtures, Xypex Admix C-500 and Rheomac SF100 (silica fume), were added as an additional dry material binder in select compositions. As in the Screening Matrix, both fresh and cured properties were evaluated for the formulations. In this study, properties that were influenced by the W/DM ratio in the Screening Matrix; flow diameter, plastic viscosity, density, and compressive strength, showed consistent behavior with respect to W/DM. The leach index for highly soluble components, sodium and nitrate, were not influenced by changes in formulation or the admixtures. The leach index for both iodine and Tc-99 show an influence from the addition of the admixture, Xypex Admix C-500. Additional testing should be performed to further evaluate the influence of Xypex Admix C-500 on the leach index over a range of admixture concentrations, Cast Stone formulations, and curing and storage conditions.« less

Low-Activity Waste Pretreatment System Additional Engineering-Scale Integrated Test Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Landon, Matt R.; Wilson, Robert A.

Washington River Protections Solutions, LLC’s (WRPS) Low Activity Waste Pretreatment System (LAWPS) Project provides for the early production of immobilized low-activity waste (ILAW) by feeding LAW directly from Tank Farms to the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) LAW Facility, bypassing the WTP Pretreatment Facility. Prior to the transfer of feed to the WTP LAW Vitrification Facility, tank supernatant waste will be pretreated in the LAWPS to meet the WTP LAW waste acceptance criteria (WAC). Full-scale and engineering-scale testing of critical technology elements, as part of the technology maturation process, are components of the overall LAWPS Project. WRPS awarded themore » engineering-scale integrated testing scope to AECOM via WRPS Subcontract 58349. This report is deliverable MSR-008 of the subcontract.« less

Waste Treatment And Immobilization Plant U. S. Department Of Energy Office Of River Protection Submerged Bed Scrubber Condensate Disposition Project - Abstract # 13460

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yanochko, Ronald M; Corcoran, Connie

The Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) will generate an off-gas treatment system secondary liquid waste stream [submerged bed scrubber (SBS) condensate], which is currently planned for recycle back to the WTP Low Activity Waste (LAW) melter. This SBS condensate waste stream is high in Tc-99, which is not efficiently captured in the vitrified glass matrix. A pre-conceptual engineering study was prepared in fiscal year 2012 to evaluate alternate flow paths for melter off-gas secondary liquid waste generated by the WTP LAW facility. This study evaluated alternatives for direct off-site disposal of this SBS without pre-treatment, which mitigates potentialmore » issues associated with recycling.« less

Advances in Glass Formulations for Hanford High-Aluminum, High-Iron and Enhanced Sulphate Management in HLW Streams - 13000

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kruger, Albert A.

2013-07-01

The current estimates and glass formulation efforts have been conservative in terms of achievable waste loadings. These formulations have been specified to ensure that the glasses are homogenous, contain essentially no crystalline phases, are processable in joule-heated, ceramic-lined melters and meet Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) Contract terms. The WTP's overall mission will require the immobilization of tank waste compositions that are dominated by mixtures of aluminum (Al), chromium (Cr), bismuth (Bi), iron (Fe), phosphorous (P), zirconium (Zr), and sulphur (S) compounds as waste-limiting components. Glass compositions for these waste mixtures have been developed based upon previousmore » experience and current glass property models. Recently, DOE has initiated a testing program to develop and characterize HLW glasses with higher waste loadings and higher throughput efficiencies. Results of this work have demonstrated the feasibility of increases in waste loading from about 25 wt% to 33-50 wt% (based on oxide loading) in the glass depending on the waste stream. In view of the importance of aluminum limited waste streams at Hanford (and also Savannah River), the ability to achieve high waste loadings without adversely impacting melt rates has the potential for enormous cost savings from reductions in canister count and the potential for schedule acceleration. Consequently, the potential return on the investment made in the development of these enhancements is extremely favorable. Glass composition development for one of the latest Hanford HLW projected compositions with sulphate concentrations high enough to limit waste loading have been successfully tested and show tolerance for previously unreported tolerance for sulphate. Though a significant increase in waste loading for high-iron wastes has been achieved, the magnitude of the increase is not as substantial as those achieved for high-aluminum, high-chromium, high-bismuth or sulphur. Waste processing rate increases for high-iron streams as a combined effect of higher waste loadings and higher melt rates resulting from new formulations have been achieved. (author)« less

Advances in Glass Formulations for Hanford High-Alumimum, High-Iron and Enhanced Sulphate Management in HLW Streams - 13000

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kruger, Albert A.

2013-01-16

The current estimates and glass formulation efforts have been conservative in terms of achievable waste loadings. These formulations have been specified to ensure that the glasses are homogenous, contain essentially no crystalline phases, are processable in joule-heated, ceramic-lined melters and meet Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) Contract terms. The WTP?s overall mission will require the immobilization of tank waste compositions that are dominated by mixtures of aluminum (Al), chromium (Cr), bismuth (Bi), iron (Fe), phosphorous (P), zirconium (Zr), and sulphur (S) compounds as waste-limiting components. Glass compositions for these waste mixtures have been developed based upon previousmore » experience and current glass property models. Recently, DOE has initiated a testing program to develop and characterize HLW glasses with higher waste loadings and higher throughput efficiencies. Results of this work have demonstrated the feasibility of increases in waste loading from about 25 wt% to 33-50 wt% (based on oxide loading) in the glass depending on the waste stream. In view of the importance of aluminum limited waste streams at Hanford (and also Savannah River), the ability to achieve high waste loadings without adversely impacting melt rates has the potential for enormous cost savings from reductions in canister count and the potential for schedule acceleration. Consequently, the potential return on the investment made in the development of these enhancements is extremely favorable. Glass composition development for one of the latest Hanford HLW projected compositions with sulphate concentrations high enough to limit waste loading have been successfully tested and show tolerance for previously unreported tolerance for sulphate. Though a significant increase in waste loading for high-iron wastes has been achieved, the magnitude of the increase is not as substantial as those achieved for high-aluminum, high-chromium, high-bismuth or sulphur. Waste processing rate increases for high-iron streams as a combined effect of higher waste loadings and higher melt rates resulting from new formulations have been achieved.« less

Setting and stiffening of cementitious components in Cast Stone waste form for disposal of secondary wastes from the Hanford waste treatment and immobilization plant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chung, Chul-Woo; Chun, Jaehun, E-mail: jaehun.chun@pnnl.gov; Um, Wooyong

2013-04-01

Cast Stone is a cementitious waste form, a viable option to immobilize secondary nuclear liquid wastes generated from the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant. However, no study has been performed to understand the flow and stiffening behavior, which is essential to ensure proper workability and is important to safety in a nuclear waste field-scale application. X-ray diffraction, rheology, and ultrasonic wave reflection methods were used to understand the specific phase formation and stiffening of Cast Stone. Our results showed a good correlation between rheological properties of the fresh mixture and phase formation in Cast Stone. Secondary gypsum formation wasmore » observed with low concentration simulants, and the formation of gypsum was suppressed in high concentration simulants. A threshold concentration for the drastic change in stiffening was found at 1.56 M Na concentration. It was found that the stiffening of Cast Stone was strongly dependent on the concentration of simulant. Highlights: • A combination of XRD, UWR, and rheology gives a better understanding of Cast Stone. • Stiffening of Cast Stone was strongly dependent on the concentration of simulant. • A drastic change in stiffening of Cast Stone was found at 1.56 M Na concentration.« less

Examples of Disposition Alternatives for WTP Solid Secondary Waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Seitz, R.

The Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant is planned to produce a variety of solid secondary wastes that will require disposal at the Integrated Disposal Facility on the Hanford Site. Solid secondary wastes include a variety of waste streams that are a result of waste treatment and processing activities.

Actinide Waste Forms and Radiation Effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ewing, R. C.; Weber, W. J.

Over the past few decades, many studies of actinides in glasses and ceramics have been conducted that have contributed substantially to the increased understanding of actinide incorporation in solids and radiation effects due to actinide decay. These studies have included fundamental research on actinides in solids and applied research and development related to the immobilization of the high level wastes (HLW) from commercial nuclear power plants and processing of nuclear weapons materials, environmental restoration in the nuclear weapons complex, and the immobilization of weapons-grade plutonium as a result of disarmament activities. Thus, the immobilization of actinides has become a pressing issue for the twenty-first century (Ewing, 1999), and plutonium immobilization, in particular, has received considerable attention in the USA (Muller et al., 2002; Muller and Weber, 2001). The investigation of actinides and

Secondary Waste Form Down-Selection Data Package—Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming Waste Form

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Qafoku, Nikolla; Westsik, Joseph H.; Strachan, Denis M.

2011-09-12

The Hanford Site in southeast Washington State has 56 million gallons of radioactive and chemically hazardous wastes stored in 177 underground tanks (ORP 2010). The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of River Protection (ORP), through its contractors, is constructing the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) to convert the radioactive and hazardous wastes into stable glass waste forms for disposal. Within the WTP, the pretreatment facility will receive the retrieved waste from the tank farms and separate it into two treated process streams. These waste streams will be vitrified, and the resulting waste canisters will be sentmore » to offsite (high-level waste [HLW]) and onsite (immobilized low-activity waste [ILAW]) repositories. As part of the pretreatment and ILAW processing, liquid secondary wastes will be generated that will be transferred to the Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF) on the Hanford Site for further treatment. These liquid secondary wastes will be converted to stable solid waste forms that will be disposed of in the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF). To support the selection of a waste form for the liquid secondary wastes from WTP, Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) has initiated secondary waste form testing work at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). In anticipation of a down-selection process for a waste form for the Solidification Treatment Unit to be added to the ETF, PNNL is developing data packages to support that down-selection. The objective of the data packages is to identify, evaluate, and summarize the existing information on the four waste forms being considered for stabilizing and solidifying the liquid secondary wastes. At the Hanford Site, the FBSR process is being evaluated as a supplemental technology for treating and immobilizing Hanford LAW radioactive tank waste and for treating secondary wastes from the WTP pretreatment and LAW vitrification processes.« less

Status of plutonium ceramic immobilization processes and immobilization forms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ebbinghaus, B.B.; Van Konynenburg, R.A.; Vance, E.R.

1996-05-01

Immobilization in a ceramic followed by permanent emplacement in a repository or borehole is one of the alternatives currently being considered by the Fissile Materials Disposition Program for the ultimate disposal of excess weapons-grade plutonium. To make Pu recovery more difficult, radioactive cesium may also be incorporated into the immobilization form. Valuable data are already available for ceramics form R&D efforts to immobilize high-level and mixed wastes. Ceramics have a high capacity for actinides, cesium, and some neutron absorbers. A unique characteristic of ceramics is the existence of mineral analogues found in nature that have demonstrated actinide immobilization over geologicmore » time periods. The ceramic form currently being considered for plutonium disposition is a synthetic rock (SYNROC) material composed primarily of zirconolite (CaZrTi{sub 2}O{sub 7}), the desired actinide host phase, with lesser amounts of hollandite (BaAl{sub 2}Ti{sub 6}O{sub 16}) and rutile (TiO{sub 2}). Alternative actinide host phases are also being considered. These include pyrochlore (Gd{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7}), zircon (ZrSiO{sub 4}), and monazite (CePO{sub 4}), to name a few of the most promising. R&D activities to address important technical issues are discussed. Primarily these include moderate scale hot press fabrications with plutonium, direct loading of PuO{sub 2} powder, cold press and sinter fabrication methods, and immobilization form formulation issues.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nichols, Ralph L.; Seitz, Roger R.; Dixon, Kenneth L.

The Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) at Hanford is being constructed to treat 56 million gallons of radioactive waste currently stored in underground tanks at the Hanford site. Operation of the WTP will generate several solid secondary waste (SSW) streams including used process equipment, contaminated tools and instruments, decontamination wastes, high-efficiency particulate air filters (HEPA), carbon adsorption beds, silver mordenite iodine sorbent beds, and spent ion exchange resins (IXr) all of which are to be disposed in the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF). An applied research and development program was developed using a phased approach to incrementally develop the informationmore » necessary to support the IDF PA with each phase of the testing building on results from the previous set of tests and considering new information from the IDF PA calculations. This report contains the results from the exploratory phase, Phase 1 and preliminary results from Phase 2. Phase 3 is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of FY17.« less

Method to synthesize dense crystallized sodalite pellet for immobilizing halide salt radioactive waste

DOEpatents

Koyama, Tadafumi

1994-01-01

A method for immobilizing waste chloride salts containing radionuclides such as cesium and strontium and hazardous materials such as barium. A sodalite intermediate is prepared by mixing appropriate amounts of silica, alumina and sodium hydroxide with respect to sodalite and heating the mixture to form the sodalite intermediate and water. Heating is continued to drive off the water to form a water-free intermediate. The water-free intermediate is mixed with either waste salt or waste salt which has been contacted with zeolite to concentrate the radionuclides and hazardous material. The waste salt-intermediate mixture is then compacted and heated under conditions of heat and pressure to form sodalite with the waste salt, radionuclides and hazardous material trapped within the sodalite cage structure. This provides a final product having excellent leach resistant capabilities.

Method to synthesize dense crystallized sodalite pellet for immobilizing halide salt radioactive waste

DOEpatents

Koyama, Tadafumi.

1994-08-23

A method is described for immobilizing waste chloride salts containing radionuclides such as cesium and strontium and hazardous materials such as barium. A sodalite intermediate is prepared by mixing appropriate amounts of silica, alumina and sodium hydroxide with respect to sodalite and heating the mixture to form the sodalite intermediate and water. Heating is continued to drive off the water to form a water-free intermediate. The water-free intermediate is mixed with either waste salt or waste salt which has been contacted with zeolite to concentrate the radionuclides and hazardous material. The waste salt-intermediate mixture is then compacted and heated under conditions of heat and pressure to form sodalite with the waste salt, radionuclides and hazardous material trapped within the sodalite cage structure. This provides a final product having excellent leach resistant capabilities.

Method to synthesize dense crystallized sodalite pellet for immobilizing halide salt radioactive waste

DOEpatents

Koyama, T.

1992-01-01

This report describes a method for immobilizing waste chloride salts containing radionuclides such as cesium and strontium and hazardous materials such as barium. A sodalite intermediate is prepared by mixing appropriate amounts of silica, alumina and sodium hydroxide with respect to sodalite and heating the mixture to form the sodalite intermediate and water. Heating is continued to drive off the water to form a water-free intermediate. The water-free intermediate is mixed with either waste salt or waste salt which has been contacted with zeolite to concentrate the radionuclides and hazardous material. The waste salt-intermediate mixture is then compacted and heated under conditions of heat and pressure to form sodalite with the waste salt, radionuclides and hazardous material trapped within the sodalite cage structure. This provides a final product having excellent leach resistant capabilities.

Effect of immobilized biosorbents on the heavy metals (Cu2+) biosorption with variations of temperature and initial concentration of waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siwi, W. P.; Rinanti, A.; Silalahi, M. D. S.; Hadisoebroto, R.; Fachrul, M. F.

2018-01-01

The aims of research is to studying the efficiency of copper removal by combining immobilized microalgae with optimizations of temperature and initial Copper concentration. The research was conducted in batch culture with temperature variations of 25°C, 30°C, and 35°C, as well as initial Cu2+ concentrations (mg/l) of 3, 5, 10, 15 and 20 using monoculture of S. cerevisiae, Chlorella sp., and mixed culture of them both as immobilized biosorbents. The optimum adsorption of 83.4% obtained in temperature of 30°C with an initial waste concentration of 17.62 mg/l, initial biomass concentration of 200 mg, pH of 4, and 120 minutes detention time by the immobilized mixed culture biosorbent. The cell morphology examined using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) has proved that the biosorbent surface was damaged after being in contact with copper (waste), implying that heavy metals (molecules) attach to different functional cell surfaces and change the biosorbent surface. The adsorption process of this research follows Langmuir Isotherm with the R2 value close to 1. The immobilized mixed culture biosorbent is capable of optimally removing copper at temperature of 30°C and initial Cu2+ concentration of 17.62 mg/l.

75 FR 41850 - Amended Notice of Intent to Modify the Scope of the Surplus Plutonium Disposition Supplemental...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-19

... immobilization). Also, DOE had identified a glass can-in-canister immobilization approach as its preferred... allow immobilization of some or all of the surplus plutonium in glass or ceramic material for disposal... in canisters to be filled with borosilicate glass containing intensely radioactive high-level waste...

One-step synthesis of high-yield biodiesel from waste cooking oils by a novel and highly methanol-tolerant immobilized lipase.

PubMed

Wang, Xiumei; Qin, Xiaoli; Li, Daoming; Yang, Bo; Wang, Yonghua

2017-07-01

This study reported a novel immobilized MAS1 lipase from marine Streptomyces sp. strain W007 for synthesizing high-yield biodiesel from waste cooking oils (WCO) with one-step addition of methanol in a solvent-free system. Immobilized MAS1 lipase was selected for the transesterification reactions with one-step addition of methanol due to its much more higher biodiesel yield (89.50%) when compared with the other three commercial immobilized lipases (<10%). The highest biodiesel yield (95.45%) was acquired with one-step addition of methanol under the optimized conditions. Moreover, it was observed that immobilized MAS1 lipase retained approximately 70% of its initial activity after being used for four batch cycles. Finally, the obtained biodiesel was further characterized using FT-IR, 1 H and 13 C NMR spectroscopy. These findings indicated that immobilized MAS1 lipase is a promising catalyst for biodiesel production from WCO with one-step addition of methanol under high methanol concentration. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cyprodinil retention on mixtures of soil and solid wastes from wineries. Effects of waste dose and ageing.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Salgado, Isabel; Paradelo-Pérez, Marcos; Pérez-Rodríguez, Paula; Cutillas-Barreiro, Laura; Fernández-Calviño, David; Nóvoa-Muñoz, Juan Carlos; Arias-Estévez, Manuel

2014-01-01

In spite of its wide-world economic relevance, wine production generates a huge amount of waste that threatens the environment. A batch experiment was designed to assess the effect of the amendment of an agricultural soil with two winery wastes (perlite and bentonite wastes) in the immobilization of cyprodinil. Waste addition (0, 10, 20, 40, and 80 Mg ha(-1)) and different times of incubation of soil-waste mixtures (1, 30, and 120 days) were tested. The addition of wastes improved the soil's ability to immobilize cyprodinil, which was significantly correlated to total C content in soil-waste mixtures. Longer incubation times decreased the cyprodinil sorption possibly due to the mineralization of organic matter but also as a consequence of the high pH values reached after bentonite waste addition (up to 10.0). Cyprodinil desorption increased as the amount of waste added to soil, and the incubation time increased. The use of these winery wastes contributes to a more sustainable agriculture preventing fungicide mobilization to groundwater.

Immobilization of simulated radioactive soil waste containing cerium by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Xianhe; Qin, Zhigui; Yuan, Xiaoning; Wang, Chunming; Cai, Xinan; Zhao, Weixia; Zhao, Kang; Yang, Ping; Fan, Xiaoling

2013-11-01

A simulated radioactive soil waste containing cerium as an imitator element has been immobilized by a thermite self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) process. The compositions, structures, and element leaching rates of products with different cerium contents have been characterized. To investigate the influence of iron on the chemical stability of the immobilized products, leaching tests of samples with different iron contents with different leaching solutions were carried out. The results showed that the imitator element cerium mainly forms the crystalline phases CeAl11O18 and Ce2SiO5. The leaching rate of cerium over a period of 28 days was 10-5-10-6 g/(m2 day). Iron in the reactants, the reaction products, and the environment has no significant effect on the chemical stability of the immobilized SHS products.

Production of an endoinulinase from Aspergillus niger AUMC 9375, by solid state fermentation of agricultural wastes, with purification and characterization of the free and immobilized enzyme.

PubMed

Housseiny, Manal M

2014-05-01

Two different substrates, sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) tubers and lettuce (Lactuca sativa) roots, were tested. Using a mixture of both wastes resulted in higher production of endoinulinase than either waste alone. Also, ten fungal species grown on these substrates as inexpensive, carbon sources were screened for the best production of endoinulinase activities. Of these, Aspergillus niger AUMC 9375 was the most productive, when grown on the mixture using a 6:1 w/w ratio of sun flower: lettuce, and yielded the highest levels of inulinase at 50% moisture, 30°C, pH 5.0, with seven days of incubation, and with yeast extract as the best nitrogen source. Inulinase was purified to homogeneity by ion-exchange chromatography and gel-filtration giving a 51.11 fold purification. The mixture of sunflower tubers and lettuce roots has potential to be an effective and economical substrate for inulinase production. Inulinase was successfully immobilized with an immobilization yield of 71.28%. After incubation for 2 h at 60°C, the free enzyme activity decreased markedly to 10%, whereas that of the immobilized form decreased only to 87%. A reusability test demonstrated the durability of the immobilized inulinase for 10 cycles and in addition, that it could be stored for 32 days at 4°C. These results indicate that this inulinase, in the immobilized form, is a potential candidate for large-scale production of high purity fructose syrups.

A novel step towards immobilization of biocatalyst using agro waste and its application for ester synthesis.

PubMed

Tomke, Prerana D; Rathod, Virendra K

2018-05-04

This work explains the utilization of agro-waste (coconut and peanut shell) to produce mesoporous activated carbon which further utilized as a support material for lipase immobilization (Candida antarctica B, CALB). Various parameters affecting the binding of enzyme to activated carbon with high surface area (1603 m 2  g -1 ) were optimized. Maximum 200 μg g -1 CALB has been loaded at 40 °C and pH 6.8 in 12 h by using glutaraldehyde as a cross-linker. The operational parameters such as pH (5.8-8.8) and temperature (30-70 °C) were optimized for free and immobilized form of lipase. In thermal stability (50-70 °C) study, immobilization of enzyme showed 2.35 folds increased half-life with respect to free enzyme. The samples, before and after immobilization, were characterized by specific surface area, FT-IR, SEM, XRD. This immobilized lipase was successfully used for the synthesis of cinnamyl acetate by transesterification reaction producing 94% conversion in 60 min. Catalytic efficiency (58 ± 1.08) was seen to be retained for more than five consecutive cycles of chemical reaction for repeated applications. Sequential results towards activity retention were obtained upto 30 days of storability study. In the context, this process constitutes a clean route for the development of sustainable biocatalysts from agro waste, capable of applications in various area. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Secondary Waste Form Down Selection Data Package – Ceramicrete

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cantrell, Kirk J.; Westsik, Joseph H.

2011-08-31

As part of high-level waste pretreatment and immobilized low activity waste processing, liquid secondary wastes will be generated that will be transferred to the Effluent Treatment Facility on the Hanford Site for further treatment. These liquid secondary wastes will be converted to stable solid waste forms that will be disposed in the Integrated Disposal Facility. Currently, four waste forms are being considered for stabilization and solidification of the liquid secondary wastes. These waste forms are Cast Stone, Ceramicrete, DuraLith, and Fluidized Bed Steam Reformer. The preferred alternative will be down selected from these four waste forms. Pacific Northwest National Laboratorymore » is developing data packages to support the down selection process. The objective of the data packages is to identify, evaluate, and summarize the existing information on the four waste forms being considered for stabilization and solidification of the liquid secondary wastes. The information included will be based on information available in the open literature and from data obtained from testing currently underway. This data package is for the Ceramicrete waste form. Ceramicrete is a relatively new engineering material developed at Argonne National Laboratory to treat radioactive and hazardous waste streams (e.g., Wagh 2004; Wagh et al. 1999a, 2003; Singh et al. 2000). This cement-like waste form can be used to treat solids, liquids, and sludges by chemical immobilization, microencapsulation, and/or macroencapsulation. The Ceramicrete technology is based on chemical reaction between phosphate anions and metal cations to form a strong, dense, durable, low porosity matrix that immobilizes hazardous and radioactive contaminants as insoluble phosphates and microencapsulates insoluble radioactive components and other constituents that do not form phosphates. Ceramicrete is a type of phosphate-bonded ceramic, which are also known as chemically bonded phosphate ceramics. The Ceramicrete binder is formed through an acid-base reaction between calcined magnesium oxide (MgO; a base) and potassium hydrogen phosphate (KH{sub 2}PO{sub 4}; an acid) in aqueous solution. The reaction product sets at room temperature to form a highly crystalline material. During the reaction, the hazardous and radioactive contaminants also react with KH{sub 2}PO{sub 4} to form highly insoluble phosphates. In this data package, physical property and waste acceptance data for Ceramicrete waste forms fabricated with wastes having compositions that were similar to those expected for secondary waste effluents, as well as secondary waste effluent simulants from the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant were reviewed. With the exception of one secondary waste form formulation (25FA+25 W+1B.A. fabricated with the mixed simulant did not meet the compressive strength requirement), all the Ceramicrete waste forms that were reviewed met or exceeded Integrated Disposal Facility waste acceptance criteria.« less

Fluidized bed steam reformed mineral waste form performance testing to support Hanford Supplemental Low Activity Waste Immobilization Technology Selection

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jantzen, C. M.; Pierce, E. M.; Bannochie, C. J.

This report describes the benchscale testing with simulant and radioactive Hanford Tank Blends, mineral product characterization and testing, and monolith testing and characterization. These projects were funded by DOE EM-31 Technology Development & Deployment (TDD) Program Technical Task Plan WP-5.2.1-2010-001 and are entitled “Fluidized Bed Steam Reformer Low-Level Waste Form Qualification”, Inter-Entity Work Order (IEWO) M0SRV00054 with Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) entitled “Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming Treatability Studies Using Savannah River Site (SRS) Low Activity Waste and Hanford Low Activity Waste Tank Samples”, and IEWO M0SRV00080, “Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming Waste Form Qualification Testing Using SRS Low Activity Wastemore » and Hanford Low Activity Waste Tank Samples”. This was a multi-organizational program that included Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), THOR® Treatment Technologies (TTT), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Office of River Protection (ORP), and Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS). The SRNL testing of the non-radioactive pilot-scale Fluidized Bed Steam Reformer (FBSR) products made by TTT, subsequent SRNL monolith formulation and testing and studies of these products, and SRNL Waste Treatment Plant Secondary Waste (WTP-SW) radioactive campaign were funded by DOE Advanced Remediation Technologies (ART) Phase 2 Project in connection with a Work-For-Others (WFO) between SRNL and TTT.« less

Department of Energy Technology Readiness Assessments - Process Guide and Training Plan

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-12

Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant ( WTP ) Analytical Laboratory, Low Activity Waste (LAW) Facility and Balance of Facilities (3 TRAs... WTP High-Level Waste (HLW) Facility – WTP Pre-Treatment (PT) Facility – Hanford River Protection Project Low Activity Waste Treatment Alternatives

AN EVALUATION OF FACTORS AFFECTING THE SOLIDIFICATION/STABILIZATION OF HEAVY METAL SLUDGE

EPA Science Inventory

Solidification/stabilization (SIS) of hazardous waste involves mixing the waste with a binder material to enhance the physical properties of the waste and to immobilize contaminants that may be detrimental to the environment. Many hazardous wastes contain materials that are know...

Solidification of Savannah River plant high level waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maher, R.; Shafranek, L. F.; Kelley, J. A.; Zeyfang, R. W.

1981-11-01

Authorization for construction of the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) is expected in FY-83. The optimum time for stage 2 authorization is about three years later. Detailed design and construction will require approximately five years for stage 1, with stage 2 construction completed about two to three years later. Production of canisters of waste glass would begin in 1988, and the existing backlog of high level waste sludge stored at SRP would be worked off by about the year 2000. Stage 2 operation could begin in 1990. The technology and engineering are ready for construction and eventual operation of the DWPF for immobilizing high level radioactive waste at Savannah River Plant (SRP). Proceeding with this project will provide the public, and the leadership of this country, with a crucial demonstration that a major quanitity of existing high level nuclear wastes can be safely and permanently immobilized.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Russell, Renee L.; Fiskum, Sandra K.; Smoot, Margaret R.

Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) is developing a Low-Activity Waste Pretreatment System (LAWPS) to provide low-activity waste (LAW) directly to the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) Low-Activity Waste Facility for immobilization. The pretreatment that will be conducted on tank waste supernate at the LAWPS facility entails filtration to remove entrained solids and cesium (Cs) ion exchange to remove Cs from the product sent to the WTP. Currently, spherical resorcinol-formaldehyde (sRF) resin (Microbeads AS, Skedsmokorset, Norway) is the Cs ion exchange resin of choice. Most work on Cs ion exchange efficacy in Hanford tank waste has been conductedmore » at nominally 5 M sodium (Na). WRPS is examining the possibility of processing supernatant at high Na concentrations—up to 8 M Na—to maximize processing efficiency through the LAWPS. Minimal Cs ion exchange work has been conducted at 6 M and 8 M Na concentrations..« less

Immobilization of metal wastes by reaction with H2S in anoxic basins: concept and elaboration.

PubMed

Schuiling, R D

2013-10-01

Metal wastes are produced in large quantities by a number of industries. Their disposal in isolated waste deposits is certain to cause many subsequent problems, because every material will sooner or later return to the geochemical cycle. The sealing of disposal sites usually starts to leak, often within a short time after the disposal site has been filled. The contained heavy metals are leached from the waste deposit and will contaminate the soil and the groundwater. It is evident that storage as metal sulfides in a permanently anoxic environment is the only safe way to handle metal wastes. The world's largest anoxic basin, the Black Sea, can serve as a georeactor. The metal wastes are sustainably transformed into harmless and immobile solids. These are incorporated in the lifeless bottom muds, where they are stored for millions of years.

Radioactive demonstration of final mineralized waste forms for Hanford waste treatment plant secondary waste (WTP-SW) by fluidized bed steam reforming (FBSR) using the bench scale reformer platform

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Crawford, C.; Burket, P.; Cozzi, A.

2014-08-01

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of River Protection (ORP) is responsible for the retrieval, treatment, immobilization, and disposal of Hanford’s tank waste. Currently there are approximately 56 million gallons of highly radioactive mixed wastes awaiting treatment. A key aspect of the River Protection Project (RPP) cleanup mission is to construct and operate the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). The WTP will separate the tank waste into high-level and low-activity waste (LAW) fractions, both of which will subsequently be vitrified. The projected throughput capacity of the WTP LAW Vitrification Facility is insufficient to complete the RPP mission in themore » time frame required by the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order, also known as the Tri-Party Agreement (TPA), i.e. December 31, 2047. Therefore, Supplemental Treatment is required both to meet the TPA treatment requirements as well as to more cost effectively complete the tank waste treatment mission. In addition, the WTP LAW vitrification facility off-gas condensate known as WTP Secondary Waste (WTP-SW) will be generated and enriched in volatile components such as 137Cs, 129I, 99Tc, Cl, F, and SO4 that volatilize at the vitrification temperature of 1150°C in the absence of a continuous cold cap (that could minimize volatilization). The current waste disposal path for the WTP-SW is to process it through the Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF). Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) is being considered for immobilization of the ETF concentrate that would be generated by processing the WTP-SW. The focus of this current report is the WTP-SW.« less

Degradation of immobilized azo dyes by Klebsiella sp. UAP-b5 isolated from maize bioadsorbent.

PubMed

Elizalde-González, M P; Fuentes-Ramírez, L E; Guevara-Villa, M R G

2009-01-30

The degradation of two immobilized dyes by Klebsiella sp. UAP-b5 was studied. In batch experiments, the azo dyestuffs Basic Blue 41 and Reactive Black 5 were immobilized onto corn cobs by adsorption, and the adsorption process was characterized by a pseudo-second-order kinetic equation. Klebsiella sp. UAP-b5 was previously isolated from the corn waste and shown to decolorize these dyes in liquid systems. Here, we demonstrate anaerobic decolorization and reductive biodegradation of these dyes by means of spectrophotometry, HPLC, and IR spectroscopy of the solid waste and desorption solutions. We also demonstrate adsorption of compounds that resemble known degradation products.

Immobilization of iodine in concrete

DOEpatents

Clark, Walter E.; Thompson, Clarence T.

1977-04-12

A method for immobilizing fission product radioactive iodine recovered from irradiated nuclear fuel comprises combining material comprising water, Portland cement and about 3-20 wt. % iodine as Ba(IO.sub.3).sub.2 to provide a fluid mixture and allowing the fluid mixture to harden, said Ba(IO.sub.3).sub.2 comprising said radioactive iodine. An article for solid waste disposal comprises concrete prepared by this method. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention was made in the course of, or under a contract with the Energy Research and Development Administration. It relates in general to reactor waste solidification and more specifically to the immobilization of fission product radioactive iodine recovered from irradiated nuclear fuel for underground storage.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vienna, John D.; Todd, Terry A.; Gray, Kimberly D.

The U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy has chartered an effort to develop technologies to enable safe and cost effective recycle of commercial used nuclear fuel (UNF) in the U.S. Part of this effort includes the evaluation of exiting waste management technologies for effective treatment of wastes in the context of current U.S. regulations and development of waste forms and processes with significant cost and/or performance benefits over those existing. This study summarizes the results of these ongoing efforts with a focus on the highly radioactive primary waste streams. The primary streams considered and the recommended waste formsmore » include: •Tritium separated from either a low volume gas stream or a high volume water stream. The recommended waste form is low-water cement in high integrity containers. •Iodine-129 separated from off-gas streams in aqueous processing. There are a range of potentially suitable waste forms. As a reference case, a glass composite material (GCM) formed by the encapsulation of the silver Mordenite (AgZ) getter material in a low-temperature glass is assumed. A number of alternatives with distinct advantages are also considered including a fused silica waste form with encapsulated nano-sized AgI crystals. •Carbon-14 separated from LWR fuel treatment off-gases and immobilized as a CaCO3 in a cement waste form. •Krypton-85 separated from LWR and SFR fuel treatment off-gases and stored as a compressed gas. •An aqueous reprocessing high-level waste (HLW) raffinate waste which is immobilized by the vitrification process in one of three forms: a single phase borosilicate glass, a borosilicate based glass ceramic, or a multi-phased titanate ceramic [e.g., synthetic rock (Synroc)]. •An undissolved solids (UDS) fraction from aqueous reprocessing of LWR fuel that is either included in the borosilicate HLW glass or is immobilized in the form of a metal alloy in the case of glass ceramics or titanate ceramics. •Zirconium-based LWR fuel cladding hulls and stainless steel (SS) fuel assembly hardware that are washed and super-compacted for disposal or as an alternative Zr purification and reuse (or disposal as low-level waste, LLW) by reactive gas separations. •Electrochemical process salt HLW which is immobilized in a glass bonded Sodalite waste form known as the ceramic waste form (CWF). •Electrochemical process UDS and SS cladding hulls which are melted into an iron based alloy waste form. Mass and volume estimates for each of the recommended waste forms based on the source terms from a representative flowsheet are reported.« less

Radioactive Demonstrations Of Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) With Hanford Low Activity Wastes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jantzen, C. M.; Crawford, C. L.; Burket, P. R.

Several supplemental technologies for treating and immobilizing Hanford low activity waste (LAW) are being evaluated. One immobilization technology being considered is Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) which offers a low temperature (700-750?C) continuous method by which wastes high in organics, nitrates, sulfates/sulfides, or other aqueous components may be processed into a crystalline ceramic (mineral) waste form. The granular waste form produced by co-processing the waste with kaolin clay has been shown to be as durable as LAW glass. The FBSR granular product will be monolithed into a final waste form. The granular component is composed of insoluble sodium aluminosilicate (NAS)more » feldspathoid minerals such as sodalite. Production of the FBSR mineral product has been demonstrated both at the industrial, engineering, pilot, and laboratory scales on simulants. Radioactive testing at SRNL commenced in late 2010 to demonstrate the technology on radioactive LAW streams which is the focus of this study.« less

Office of River Protection Integrated Safety Management System Description

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

CLARK, D.L.

Revision O was never issued. Finding safe and environmentally sound methods of storage and disposal of 54 million gallons of highly radioactive waste contained in 177 underground tanks is the largest challenge of Hanford cleanup. TWRS was established in 1991 and continues to integrate all aspects of the treatment and management of the high-level radioactive waste tanks. In fiscal Year 1997, program objectives were advanced in a number of areas. RL TWRS refocused the program toward retrieving, treating, and immobilizing the tank wastes, while maintaining safety as first priority. Moving from a mode of storing the wastes to getting themore » waste out of the tanks will provide the greatest cleanup return on the investment and eliminate costly mortgage continuance. There were a number of safety-related achievements in FY1997. The first high priority safety issue was resolved with the removal of 16 tanks from the ''Wyden Watch List''. The list, brought forward by Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, identified various Hanford safety issues needing attention. One of these issues was ferrocyanide, a chemical present in 24 tanks. Although ferrocyanide can ignite at high temperature, analysis found that the chemical has decomposed into harmless compounds and is no longer a concern.« less

Lipases Immobilization for Effective Synthesis of Biodiesel Starting from Coffee Waste Oils

PubMed Central

Ferrario, Valerio; Veny, Harumi; De Angelis, Elisabetta; Navarini, Luciano; Ebert, Cynthia; Gardossi, Lucia

2013-01-01

Immobilized lipases were applied to the enzymatic conversion of oils from spent coffee ground into biodiesel. Two lipases were selected for the study because of their conformational behavior analysed by Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations taking into account that immobilization conditions affect conformational behavior of the lipases and ultimately, their efficiency upon immobilization. The enzymatic synthesis of biodiesel was initially carried out on a model substrate (triolein) in order to select the most promising immobilized biocatalysts. The results indicate that oils can be converted quantitatively within hours. The role of the nature of the immobilization support emerged as a key factor affecting reaction rate, most probably because of partition and mass transfer barriers occurring with hydrophilic solid supports. Finally, oil from spent coffee ground was transformed into biodiesel with yields ranging from 55% to 72%. The synthesis is of particular interest in the perspective of developing sustainable processes for the production of bio-fuels from food wastes and renewable materials. The enzymatic synthesis of biodiesel is carried out under mild conditions, with stoichiometric amounts of substrates (oil and methanol) and the removal of free fatty acids is not required. PMID:24970178

Lipases immobilization for effective synthesis of biodiesel starting from coffee waste oils.

PubMed

Ferrario, Valerio; Veny, Harumi; De Angelis, Elisabetta; Navarini, Luciano; Ebert, Cynthia; Gardossi, Lucia

2013-08-13

Immobilized lipases were applied to the enzymatic conversion of oils from spent coffee ground into biodiesel. Two lipases were selected for the study because of their conformational behavior analysed by Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations taking into account that immobilization conditions affect conformational behavior of the lipases and ultimately, their efficiency upon immobilization. The enzymatic synthesis of biodiesel was initially carried out on a model substrate (triolein) in order to select the most promising immobilized biocatalysts. The results indicate that oils can be converted quantitatively within hours. The role of the nature of the immobilization support emerged as a key factor affecting reaction rate, most probably because of partition and mass transfer barriers occurring with hydrophilic solid supports. Finally, oil from spent coffee ground was transformed into biodiesel with yields ranging from 55% to 72%. The synthesis is of particular interest in the perspective of developing sustainable processes for the production of bio-fuels from food wastes and renewable materials. The enzymatic synthesis of biodiesel is carried out under mild conditions, with stoichiometric amounts of substrates (oil and methanol) and the removal of free fatty acids is not required.

Immobilization of radioactive and hazardous wastes in a developed sulfur polymer cement (SPC) matrix

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wagdy, M.; Azim, Abdel; El-Gammal, Belal

Available in abstract form only. Full text of publication follows: A process has been developed for the immobilization Cs, Sr, Ce, Pb, and Cr in forms that is non-dispersible and could be safely immobilized. The simulated radioactive wastes of Cs, Sr, and Ce, and the hazardous wastes of Cr, and Pb were immobilized in the stable form of sulfur polymer cement (SPC). In this process, the contaminants (in a single form) were added to the sulfur mixture of sulfur and aromatic /or aliphatic hydrocarbons that used as polymerizing agents for sulfur (95% S, and 5% organic polymer by weight). Durabilitymore » of the fabricated SPC matrices was assessed in terms of their water of immersion, porosity, and compressive strength. The water immersion, and open porosity were found to be less than 2.5% for all the prepared matrices, whereas the compressive strength was in the range between 62.4 and 142.3 Kg.cm{sup -2}, depending on the composition of the prepared matrix. The prepared SPC matrices that characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that the different added contaminants were stabilized during the solidification process during their reaction with sulfur and the organic polymer to form the corresponding metal sulfides. Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP), and the IAEA standard method have assessed the leachability of the prepared waste matrices. The TCLP results showed that most the concentration of the contaminants released were under their detection limit. The leach index for the investigated metals from the prepared SPC matrices was in the range of 9-11. The order of release of the investigated metals was Sr>Cs>Pb>Cr>Ce for the aliphatic polymer, and Sr>Cr>Pb>Cs>Ce for the aromatic one. The results obtained revealed a high performance for the prepared SPC matrices, as they are of low cost effect, highly available materials, and possessed good mechanical and leaching properties. Key Words: SPC/ Matrices/ Immobilization/ Wastes/ Leachability. (authors)« less

Assessment of waste oyster shells and coal mine drainage sludge for the stabilization of As-, Pb-, and Cu-contaminated soil.

PubMed

Moon, Deok Hyun; Cheong, Kyung Hoon; Koutsospyros, Agamemnon; Chang, Yoon-Young; Hyun, Seunghun; Ok, Yong Sik; Park, Jeong-Hun

2016-02-01

A novel treatment mix was designed for the simultaneous immobilization of As, Cu, and Pb in contaminated soils using natural (waste oyster shells (WOS)) and industrial (coal mine drainage sludge (CMDS)) waste materials. The treatments were conducted using the standard U.S. sieve size no. 20 (0.85 mm) calcined oyster shells (COS) and CMDS materials with a curing time of 1 and 28 days. The As immobilization treatments were evaluated using the 1-N HCl extraction fluid, whereas the Pb and Cu immobilization treatments were evaluated using the 0.1-N HCl extraction fluid based on the Korean leaching standards. The treatment results showed that the immobilization of As, Cu, and Pb was best achieved using a combination mix of 10 wt% COS and 10 wt% CMDS. This treatment mix was highly effective leading to superior leachability reductions for all three target contaminants (>93 % for As and >99 % for Cu and Pb) for a curing period of 28 days. The X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) results showed that As was present in the form of As(V) in the control sample and that no changes in As speciation were observed following the COS-CMDS treatments. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) sample treated with 10 wt% COS and 10 wt% CMDS indicated that As immobilization may be associated with the formation of Ca-As and Fe-As precipitates while Pb and Cu immobilization was most probably linked to calcium silicate hydrates (CSHs) and calcium aluminum hydrates (CAHs).

Hanford Waste Physical and Rheological Properties: Data and Gaps

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wells, Beric E.; Kurath, Dean E.; Mahoney, Lenna A.

2011-08-01

The Hanford Site in Washington State manages 177 underground storage tanks containing approximately 250,000 m3 of waste generated during past defense reprocessing and waste management operations. These tanks contain a mixture of sludge, saltcake and supernatant liquids. The insoluble sludge fraction of the waste consists of metal oxides and hydroxides and contains the bulk of many radionuclides such as the transuranic components and 90Sr. The saltcake, generated by extensive evaporation of aqueous solutions, consists primarily of dried sodium salts. The supernates consist of concentrated (5-15 M) aqueous solutions of sodium and potassium salts. The 177 storage tanks include 149 single-shellmore » tanks (SSTs) and 28 double -hell tanks (DSTs). Ultimately the wastes need to be retrieved from the tanks for treatment and disposal. The SSTs contain minimal amounts of liquid wastes, and the Tank Operations Contractor is continuing a program of moving solid wastes from SSTs to interim storage in the DSTs. The Hanford DST system provides the staging location for waste feed delivery to the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of River Protection’s (ORP) Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). The WTP is being designed and constructed to pretreat and then vitrify a large portion of the wastes in Hanford’s 177 underground waste storage tanks.« less

Technology Readiness Assessment of a Large DOE Waste Processing Facility

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-12

Waste Generation at Hanford – Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant ( WTP ) Project • Motivation to Conduct TRA • TRA Approach • Actions to ensure...Hanford’s WTP will be the world’s largest radioactive waste treatment plant to treat Hanford’s underground tank waste Waste Treatment Plant ( WTP ) Major...Mass Maximize Activity WTP Flow Sheet – Key Process Flows Hanford Tank Waste 10 How is the Vitrified Waste Dispositioned? High Level Waste Canisters

Phase 2 testing results of immobilization of WTP effluent management facility vaporator bottoms simulant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reigel, M.; Cozzi, A.; McCabe, D.

2017-09-08

The Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) Low Activity Waste (LAW) vitrification facility will generate an aqueous condensate recycle stream (LAW Melter Off-Gas Condensate) from the primary off-gas system. This work examined three waste form formulations based on previous testing with related simulants: 8 wt% ordinary portland cement (OPC), 47 wt% blast furnace slag (BFS), 45 wt% fly ash (FA) known as Cast Stone formulation; 20 wt% Aquaset® II-GH and 80 wt% BFS; 20 wt% OPC and 80 wt% BFS. These tests successfully produced one waste form that set within five days (Cast Stone formulation); however the other twomore » formulations, Aquaset® II-GH/BFS and OPC/BFS, took approximately eight and fourteen days to set, respectively.« less

Enzymatic transesterification of waste vegetable oil to produce biodiesel.

PubMed

Lopresto, C G; Naccarato, S; Albo, L; De Paola, M G; Chakraborty, S; Curcio, S; Calabrò, V

2015-11-01

An experimental study on enzymatic transesterification was performed to produce biodiesel from waste vegetable oils. Lipase from Pseudomonas cepacia was covalently immobilized on a epoxy-acrylic resin support. The immobilized enzyme exhibited high catalytic specific surface and allowed an easy recovery, regeneration and reutilisation of biocatalyst. Waste vegetable oils - such as frying oils, considered not competitive with food applications and wastes to be treated - were used as a source of glycerides. Ethanol was used as a short chain alcohol and was added in three steps with the aim to reduce its inhibitory effect on lipase activity. The effect of biocatalyst/substrate feed mass ratios and the waste oil quality have been investigated in order to estimate the process performances. Biocatalyst recovery and reuse have been also studied with the aim to verify the stability of the biocatalyst for its application in industrial scale. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Materials for Tc Capture to Increase Tc Retention in Glass Waste Form

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Luksic, Steven A.; Hrma, Pavel R.; Kruger, Albert A.

99Technetium is a long-lived fission product found in the tank waste at the Hanford site in Washington State. In its heptavalent species, it is volatile at the temperatures used in Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant vitrification melters, and thus is challenging to incorporate into waste glass. In order to decrease volatility and thereby increase retention, technetium can be converted into more thermally stable species. Several mineral phases, such as spinel, are able to incorporate tetravalent technetium in a chemically durable and thermally stable lattice, and these hosts may promote the decreased volatility that is desired. In order tomore » be usefully implemented, there must be a synthetic rout to these phases that is compatible with both technetium chemistry and current Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant design. Synthetic routes for spinel and other potential host phases are examined.« less

Benchmarking of DFLAW Solid Secondary Wastes and Processes with UK/Europe Counterparts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brown, Elvie E.; Swanberg, David J.; Surman, J.

This report provides information and background on UK solid wastes and waste processes that are similar to those which will be generated by the Direct-Feed Low Activity Waste (DFLAW) facilities at Hanford. The aim is to further improve the design case for stabilizing and immobilizing of solid secondary wastes, establish international benchmarking and review possibilities for innovation.

Ceramization of low and intermediate level radioactive wastes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fiquet, O.; Berson, X.

1993-12-31

A ceramic conditioning is studied for a large variety of low and intermediate level wastes. These wastes arise from several waste streams coming from all process steps of the fuel cycle. The physical properties of ceramics can advantageously be used for radioactive waste immobilization. Their chemical durability can offer a barrier against external aggression. More over, some minerals have possible host sites in their crystal structure for heavy elements which can confer the best immobilization mechanism. The general route for development studies is described giving compositions and process choices. Investigations have been conducted on clay materials and on the processmore » parameters which condition the final product properties. Two practical examples are described concerning chemical precipitation sludge resulting from liquid waste treatment and chamot used as a fluidized bed in a graphite incinerator. Important process parameters are put in evidence and the possibility of a pilot plant development is briefly mentioned. Results of investigations are promising to define a new route of conditioning.« less

Sustainable hybrid photocatalysts: titania immobilized on carbon materials derived from renewable and biodegradable resources

EPA Science Inventory

This review comprises the preparation, properties and heterogeneous photocatalytic applications of TiO2 immobilized on carbon materials derived from earth-abundant, renewable and biodegradable agricultural residues and sea food waste resources. The overview provides key scientifi...

Hanford Double-Shell Tank Inspection Annual Report Calendar Year 2012

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Petermann, Tasha M.; Boomer, Kayle D.; Washenfelder, D. J.

2013-12-02

The double-shell tanks (DSTs) were constructed between 1968 and 1986. They will have exceeded their design life before the waste can be removed and trasferred to the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant for vitrification. The Double-Shell Tank Integrity Project has been established to evaluate tank aging, and ensure that each tank is structurally sound for continued use. This is the first issue of the Double-Shell Tank Inspection Annual Report. The purpose of this issue is to summarize the results of DST inspections conducted from the beginnng of the inspection program through the end of CY2012. Hereafter, the report will bemore » updated annually with summaries of the past year's DST inspection activities.« less

In Situ Immobilization of Uranium in Structured Porous Media (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brooks, S. C.; Gu, B.; Wu, W.; Spalding, B. P.; Watson, D. B.; Jardine, P.

2009-12-01

Defense related activities have resulted in broad areas of uranium contaminated groundwater across the U. S. Department of Energy complex. For example, past waste disposal practices at the DOE’s Y-12 site generated a plume of uranium and nitrate contamination in the underlying vadose and saturated zones which extends more than 120 meters deep and thousands of meters along geologic strike. Several DOE sponsored research programs have enabled the study of multiple biotic and abiotic methods of immobilizing uranium in situ at the site. These include biostimulation of metal reducing bacteria to promote reduction of the more soluble U(VI) to the sparingly soluble U(IV) and pH manipulation to immobilize U(VI) through its interactions (e.g., sorption, coprecipitation) with incipient aluminum oxyhydroxide minerals. The application of laboratory based results to the field site must also account for (i) the structured media which can impose incomplete mixing conditions and (ii) steep geochemical gradients or transition zones which differ significantly from the typically well mixed laboratory conditions. In this presentation results of several of these studies will be reviewed and lessons learned summarized.

Pretreatment of Hanford medium-curie wastes by fractional crystallization.

PubMed

Nassif, Laurent; Dumont, George; Alysouri, Hatem; Rousseau, Ronald W

2008-07-01

Acceleration of the schedule for decontamination of the Hanford site using bulk vitrification requires implementation of a pretreatment operation. Medium-curie waste must be separated into two fractions: one is to go to a waste treatment and immobilization plant and a second, which is low-activity waste, is to be processed by bulk vitrification. The work described here reports research on using fractional crystallization for that pretreatment. Sodium salts are crystallized by evaporation of water from solutions simulating those removed from single-shell tanks, while leaving cesium in solution. The crystalline products are then recovered and qualified as low-activity waste, which is suitable upon redissolution for processing by bulk vitrification. The experimental program used semibatch operation in which a feed solution was continuously added to maintain a constant level in the crystallizer while evaporating water. The slurry recovered at the end of a run was filtered to recover product crystals, which were then analyzed to determine their composition. The results demonstrated that targets on cesium separation from the solids, fractional recovery of sodium salts, and sulfate content of the recovered salts can be achieved by the process tested.

Test plan for formulation and evaluation of grouted waste forms with shine process wastes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ebert, W. L.; Jerden, J. L.

2015-09-01

The objective of this experimental project is to demonstrate that waste streams generated during the production of Mo99 by the SHINE Medical Technologies (SHINE) process can be immobilized in cement-based grouted waste forms having physical, chemical, and radiological stabilities that meet regulatory requirements for handling, storage, transport, and disposal.

Impacts of biochar and oyster shells waste on the immobilization of arsenic in highly contaminated soils.

PubMed

Chen, Yongshan; Xu, Jinghua; Lv, Zhengyong; Xie, Ruijia; Huang, Liumei; Jiang, Jinping

2018-07-01

Soil contamination is a serious problem with deleterious impacts on global sustainability. Readily available, economic, and highly effective technologies are therefore urgently needed for the rehabilitation of contaminated sites. In this study, two readily available materials prepared from bio-wastes, namely biochar and oyster shell waste, were evaluated as soil amendments to immobilize arsenic in a highly As-contaminated soil (up to 15,000 mgAs/kg). Both biochar and oyster shell waste can effectively reduce arsenic leachability in acid soils. After application of the amendments (2-4% addition, w/w), the exchangeable arsenic fraction decreased from 105.8 to 54.0 mg/kg. The application of 2%biochar +2% oyster shell waste most effectively reduced As levels in the column leaching test by reducing the arsenic concentration in the porewater by 62.3% compared with the treatment without amendments. Biochar and oyster shell waste also reduced soluble As(III) from 374.9 ± 18.8 μg/L to 185.9 ± 16.8 μg/L and As(V) from 119.8 ± 13.0 μg/L to 56.4 ± 2.6 μg/L at a pH value of 4-5. The treatment using 4% (w/w) amendments did not result in sufficient As immobilization in highly contaminated soils; high soluble arsenic concentrations (upto193.0 μg/L)were found in the soil leachate, particularly in the form of As(III), indicating a significant potential to pollute shallow groundwater aquifers. This study provides valuable insights into the use of cost-effective and readily available materials for soil remediation and investigates the mechanisms underlying arsenic immobilization in acidic soils. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Process for whole cell saccharification of lignocelluloses to sugars using a dual bioreactor system

DOEpatents

Lu, Jue [Okemos, MI; Okeke, Benedict [Montgomery, AL

2012-03-27

The present invention describes a process for saccharification of lignocelluloses to sugars using whole microbial cells, which are enriched from cultures inoculated with paper mill waste water, wood processing waste and soil. A three-member bacterial consortium is selected as a potent microbial inocula and immobilized on inedible plant fibers for biomass saccharification. The present invention further relates the design of a dual bioreactor system, with various biocarriers for enzyme immobilization and repeated use. Sugars are continuously removed eliminating end-product inhibition and consumption by cell.

Electron beam-induced immobilization of laccase on porous supports for waste water treatment applications.

PubMed

Jahangiri, Elham; Reichelt, Senta; Thomas, Isabell; Hausmann, Kristin; Schlosser, Dietmar; Schulze, Agnes

2014-08-08

The versatile oxidase enzyme laccase was immobilized on porous supports such as polymer membranes and cryogels with a view of using such biocatalysts in bioreactors aiming at the degradation of environmental pollutants in wastewater. Besides a large surface area for supporting the biocatalyst, the aforementioned porous systems also offer the possibility for simultaneous filtration applications in wastewater treatment. Herein a "green" water-based, initiator-free, and straightforward route to highly reactive membrane and cryogel-based bioreactors is presented, where laccase was immobilized onto the porous polymer supports using a water-based electron beam-initiated grafting reaction. In a second approach, the laccase redox mediators 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) and syringaldehyde were cross-linked instead of the enzyme via electron irradiation in a frozen aqueous poly(acrylate) mixture in a one pot set-up, yielding a mechanical stable macroporous cryogel with interconnected pores ranging from 10 to 50 µm in size. The membranes as well as the cryogels were characterized regarding their morphology, chemical composition, and catalytic activity. The reactivity towards waste- water pollutants was demonstrated by the degradation of the model compound bisphenol A (BPA). Both membrane- and cryogel-immobilized laccase remained highly active after electron beam irradiation. Apparent specific BPA removal rates were higher for cryogel- than for membrane-immobilized and free laccase, whereas membrane-immobilized laccase was more stable with respect to maintenance of enzymatic activity and prevention of enzyme leakage from the carrier than cryogel-immobilized laccase. Cryogel-immobilized redox mediators remained functional in accelerating the laccase-catalyzed BPA degradation, and especially ABTS was found to act more efficiently in immobilized than in freely dissolved state.

Secondary Waste Form Screening Test Results—THOR® Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming Product in a Geopolymer Matrix

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pires, Richard P.; Westsik, Joseph H.; Serne, R. Jeffrey

2011-07-14

Screening tests are being conducted to evaluate waste forms for immobilizing secondary liquid wastes from the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). Plans are underway to add a stabilization treatment unit to the Effluent Treatment Facility to provide the needed capacity for treating these wastes from WTP. The current baseline is to use a Cast Stone cementitious waste form to solidify the wastes. Through a literature survey, DuraLith alkali-aluminosilicate geopolymer, fluidized-bed steam reformation (FBSR) granular product encapsulated in a geopolymer matrix, and a Ceramicrete phosphate-bonded ceramic were identified both as candidate waste forms and alternatives to the baseline.more » These waste forms have been shown to meet waste disposal acceptance criteria, including compressive strength and universal treatment standards for Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) metals (as measured by the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure [TCLP]). Thus, these non-cementitious waste forms should also be acceptable for land disposal. Information is needed on all four waste forms with respect to their capability to minimize the release of technetium. Technetium is a radionuclide predicted to be in the secondary liquid wastes in small quantities, but the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF) risk assessment analyses show that technetium, even at low mass, produces the largest contribution to the estimated IDF disposal impacts to groundwater.« less

Rhenium Solubility in Borosilicate Nuclear Waste Glass: Implications for the Processing and Immobilization of Technetium-99

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McCloy, John S.; Riley, Brian J.; Goel, Ashutosh

2012-10-26

The immobilization of 99Tc in a suitable host matrix has proved to be an arduous task for the researchers in nuclear waste community around the world. At the Hanford site in Washington State, the total amount of 99Tc in low-activity waste (LAW) is ~1300 kg and the current strategy is to immobilize the 99Tc in borosilicate glass with vitrification. In this context, the present article reports on the solubility/retention of rhenium, a nonradioactive surrogate for 99Tc, in a LAW borosilicate glass. Due to the radioactive nature of technetium, rhenium was chosen as a simulant because of the similarity between theirmore » ionic radii and other chemical aspects. The glasses containing Re (0 – 10,000 ppm by mass) were synthesized in vacuum-sealed quartz ampoules in order to minimize the loss of Re by volatilization during melting at 1000 °C. The rhenium was found to predominantly exist as Re (VII) in all the glasses as observed by X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES). The solubility of Re in borosilicate glasses was determined to be ~3000 ppm (by mass) with inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). At higher rhenium concentrations, some additional material was retained in the glasses in the form of crystalline inclusions that were detected by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and laser ablation-ICP mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The implications of these results on the immobilization of 99Tc from radioactive wastes in borosilicate glasses have been discussed.« less

Stability studies of immobilized lipase on rice husk and eggshell membrane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdulla, R.; Sanny, S. A.; Derman, E.

2017-06-01

Lipase immobilization for biodiesel production is gaining importance day by day. In this study, lipase from Burkholderia cepacia was immobilized on activated support materials namely rice husk and egg shell membrane. Both rice husk and eggshell membrane are natural wastes that holds a lot of potential as immobilization matrix. Rice husk and eggshell membrane were activated with glutaraldehyde. Lipase was immobilized on the glutaraldehyde-activated support material through adsorption. Immobilization efficiency together with enzyme activity was observed to choose the highest enzyme loading for further stability studies. Immobilization efficiency of lipase on rice husk was 81 as compared to an immobilization efficiency of 87 on eggshell membrane. Immobilized lipase on eggshell membrane exhibited higher enzyme activity as compared to immobilized lipase on rice husk. Eggshell membrane also reported higher stability than rice husk as immobilization matrix. Both types of immobilized lipase retatined its activity after ten cycles of reuse. In short, eggshell membrane showed to be a better immobilization platform for lipase as compared to rice husk. However, with further improvement in technique of immobilization, the stability of both types of immobilized lipase can be improved to a greater extent.

APOLLO: A computer program for the calculation of chemical equilibrium and reaction kinetics of chemical systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nguyen, H.D.

1991-11-01

Several of the technologies being evaluated for the treatment of waste material involve chemical reactions. Our example is the in situ vitrification (ISV) process where electrical energy is used to melt soil and waste into a ``glass like`` material that immobilizes and encapsulates any residual waste. During the ISV process, various chemical reactions may occur that produce significant amounts of products which must be contained and treated. The APOLLO program was developed to assist in predicting the composition of the gases that are formed. Although the development of this program was directed toward ISV applications, it should be applicable tomore » other technologies where chemical reactions are of interest. This document presents the mathematical methodology of the APOLLO computer code. APOLLO is a computer code that calculates the products of both equilibrium and kinetic chemical reactions. The current version, written in FORTRAN, is readily adaptable to existing transport programs designed for the analysis of chemically reacting flow systems. Separate subroutines EQREACT and KIREACT for equilibrium ad kinetic chemistry respectively have been developed. A full detailed description of the numerical techniques used, which include both Lagrange multiplies and a third-order integrating scheme is presented. Sample test problems are presented and the results are in excellent agreement with those reported in the literature.« less

APOLLO: A computer program for the calculation of chemical equilibrium and reaction kinetics of chemical systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nguyen, H.D.

1991-11-01

Several of the technologies being evaluated for the treatment of waste material involve chemical reactions. Our example is the in situ vitrification (ISV) process where electrical energy is used to melt soil and waste into a glass like'' material that immobilizes and encapsulates any residual waste. During the ISV process, various chemical reactions may occur that produce significant amounts of products which must be contained and treated. The APOLLO program was developed to assist in predicting the composition of the gases that are formed. Although the development of this program was directed toward ISV applications, it should be applicable tomore » other technologies where chemical reactions are of interest. This document presents the mathematical methodology of the APOLLO computer code. APOLLO is a computer code that calculates the products of both equilibrium and kinetic chemical reactions. The current version, written in FORTRAN, is readily adaptable to existing transport programs designed for the analysis of chemically reacting flow systems. Separate subroutines EQREACT and KIREACT for equilibrium ad kinetic chemistry respectively have been developed. A full detailed description of the numerical techniques used, which include both Lagrange multiplies and a third-order integrating scheme is presented. Sample test problems are presented and the results are in excellent agreement with those reported in the literature.« less

IN SITU LEAD IMMOBILIZATION BY APATITE

EPA Science Inventory

Lead contamination is of environmental concern due to its effect on human health. The purpose of this study was to develop a technology to immobilize Pb in situ in contaminated soils and wastes using apatite. Hydroxyapatite [Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(O...

Process for immobilizing plutonium into vitreous ceramic waste forms

DOEpatents

Feng, Xiangdong; Einziger, Robert E.

1997-01-01

Disclosed is a method for converting spent nuclear fuel and surplus plutonium into a vitreous ceramic final waste form wherein spent nuclear fuel is bound in a crystalline matrix which is in turn bound within glass.

Process for immobilizing plutonium into vitreous ceramic waste forms

DOEpatents

Feng, X.; Einziger, R.E.

1997-08-12

Disclosed is a method for converting spent nuclear fuel and surplus plutonium into a vitreous ceramic final waste form wherein spent nuclear fuel is bound in a crystalline matrix which is in turn bound within glass.

Process for immobilizing plutonium into vitreous ceramic waste forms

DOEpatents

Feng, X.; Einziger, R.E.

1997-01-28

Disclosed is a method for converting spent nuclear fuel and surplus plutonium into a vitreous ceramic final waste form wherein spent nuclear fuel is bound in a crystalline matrix which is in turn bound within glass.

Characterization and Leaching Tests of the Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) Waste Form for LAW Immobilization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Neeway, James J.; Qafoku, Nikolla; Brown, Christopher F.

2013-10-01

Several supplemental technologies for treating and immobilizing Hanford low activity waste (LAW) have been evaluated. One such immobilization technology is the Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) granular product. The FBSR granular product is composed of insoluble sodium aluminosilicate (NAS) feldspathoid minerals. Production of the FBSR mineral product has been demonstrated both at the industrial and laboratory scale. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) was involved in an extensive characterization campaign. This goal of this campaign was study the durability of the FBSR mineral product and the mineral product encapsulated in a monolith to meet compressive strength requirements. This paper gives anmore » overview of results obtained using the ASTM C 1285 Product Consistency Test (PCT), the EPA Test Method 1311 Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP), and the ASTMC 1662 Single-Pass Flow-Through (SPFT) test. Along with these durability tests an overview of the characteristics of the waste form has been collected using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), microwave digestions for chemical composition, and surface area from Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) theory.« less

Characterization and Leaching Tests of the Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) Waste Form for LAW Immobilization - 13400

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Neeway, James J.; Qafoku, Nikolla P.; Peterson, Reid A.

2013-07-01

Several supplemental technologies for treating and immobilizing Hanford low activity waste (LAW) have been evaluated. One such immobilization technology is the Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) granular product. The FBSR granular product is composed of insoluble sodium aluminosilicate (NAS) feldspathoid minerals. Production of the FBSR mineral product has been demonstrated both at the industrial and laboratory scale. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) was involved in an extensive characterization campaign. The goal of this campaign was to study the durability of the FBSR mineral product and the encapsulated FBSR product in a geo-polymer monolith. This paper gives an overview of resultsmore » obtained using the ASTM C 1285 Product Consistency Test (PCT), the EPA Test Method 1311 Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP), and the ASTMC 1662 Single-Pass Flow-Through (SPFT) test. Along with these durability tests an overview of the characteristics of the waste form has been collected using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), microwave digestions for chemical composition, and surface area from Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) theory. (authors)« less

Biohydrogen production from food waste hydrolysate using continuous mixed immobilized sludge reactors.

PubMed

Han, Wei; Liu, Da Na; Shi, Yi Wen; Tang, Jun Hong; Li, Yong Feng; Ren, Nan Qi

2015-03-01

A continuous mixed immobilized sludge reactor (CMISR) using activated carbon as support carrier for dark fermentative hydrogen production from enzymatic hydrolyzed food waste was developed. The effects of immobilized sludge packing ratio (10-20%, v/v) and substrate loading rate (OLR) (8-40kg/m(3)/d) on biohydrogen production were examined, respectively. The hydrogen production rates (HPRs) with packing ratio of 15% were significantly higher than the results obtained from packing ratio of 10% and 20%. The best HPR of 353.9ml/h/L was obtained at the condition of packing ratio=15% and OLR=40kg/m(3)/d. The Minitab was used to elicit the effects of OLR and packing ratio on HPR (Y) which could be expressed as Y=5.31 OLR+296 packing ratio+40.3 (p=0.003). However, the highest hydrogen yield (85.6ml/g food waste) was happened at OLR of 16kg/m(3)/d because of H2 partial pressure and oxidization/reduction of NADH. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A bioreactor system for the nitrogen loop in a Controlled Ecological Life Support System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saulmon, M. M.; Reardon, K. F.; Sadeh, W. Z.

1996-01-01

As space missions become longer in duration, the need to recycle waste into useful compounds rises dramatically. This problem can be addressed by the development of Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems (CELSS) (i.e., Engineered Closed/Controlled Eco-Systems (ECCES)), consisting of human and plant modules. One of the waste streams leaving the human module is urine. In addition to the reclamation of water from urine, recovery of the nitrogen is important because it is an essential nutrient for the plant module. A 3-step biological process for the recycling of nitrogenous waste (urea) is proposed. A packed-bed bioreactor system for this purpose was modeled, and the issues of reaction step segregation, reactor type and volume, support particle size, and pressure drop were addressed. Based on minimization of volume, a bioreactor system consisting of a plug flow immobilized urease reactor, a completely mixed flow immobilized cell reactor to convert ammonia to nitrite, and a plug flow immobilized cell reactor to produce nitrate from nitrite is recommended. It is apparent that this 3-step bioprocess meets the requirements for space applications.

Immobilization of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans on Cotton Gauze for the Bioleaching of Waste Printed Circuit Boards.

PubMed

Nie, Hongyan; Zhu, Nengwu; Cao, Yanlan; Xu, Zhiguo; Wu, Pingxiao

2015-10-01

The bioleaching parameters of metal concentrates from waste printed circuit boards by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans immobilized on cotton gauze in a two-step reactor were investigated in this study. The results indicated that an average ferrous iron oxidation rate of 0.54 g/(L·h) and a ferrous iron oxidation ratio of 96.90 % were obtained after 12 h at aeration rate of 1 L/min in bio-oxidation reactor. After 96 h, the highest leaching efficiency of copper reached 91.68 % under the conditions of the content of the metal powder 12 g/L, the retention time 6 h, and the aeration rate 1 L/min. The bioleaching efficiency of copper could be above 91.12 % under repeated continuous batch operation. Meanwhile, 95.32 % of zinc, 90.32 % of magnesium, 86.31 % of aluminum, and 59.07 % of nickel were extracted after 96 h. All the findings suggested that the recovery of metal concentrates from waste printed circuit boards via immobilization of A. ferrooxidans on cotton gauze was feasible.

Drug product immobilization in recycled polyethylene/polypropylene reclaimed from municipal solid waste: experimental and numerical assessment.

PubMed

Saad, Walid; Slika, Wael; Mawla, Zara; Saad, George

2017-12-01

Recently, there has been a growing interest in identifying suitable routes for the disposal of pharmaceutical wastes. This study investigates the potential of matrix materials composed of recycled polyethylene/polypropylene reclaimed from municipal solid wastes at immobilizing pharmaceutical solid wastes. Diclofenac (DF) drug product was embedded in boards of recycled plastic material, and leaching in water was assessed at various temperatures. DF concentrations were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography and revealed a maximum leachable fraction of 4% under accelerated conditions of 70°C, and less than 0.3% following 39 days of exposure at 20°C. The Ensemble Kalman Filter was employed to characterize the leaching behavior of DF. The filter verified the occurrence of leaching through diffusion, and was successful in predicting the leaching behavior of DF at 50°C and 70°C.

One step bioconversion of waste precious metals into Serratia biofilm-immobilized catalyst for Cr(VI) reduction.

PubMed

Yong, P; Liu, W; Zhang, Z; Beauregard, D; Johns, M L; Macaskie, L E

2015-11-01

For reduction of Cr(VI) the Pd-catalyst is excellent but costly. The objectives were to prove the robustness of a Serratia biofilm as a support for biogenic Pd-nanoparticles and to fabricate effective catalyst from precious metal waste. Nanoparticles (NPs) of palladium were immobilized on polyurethane reticulated foam and polypropylene supports via adhesive biofilm of a Serratia sp. The biofilm adhesion and cohesion strength were unaffected by palladization and catalytic biofilm integrity was also shown by magnetic resonance imaging. Biofilm-Pd and mixed precious metals on biofilm (biofilm-PM) reduced 5 mM Cr(VI) to Cr(III) when immobilized in a flow-through column reactor, at respective flow rates of 9 and 6 ml/h. The lower activity of the latter was attributed to fewer, larger, metal deposits on the bacteria. Activity was lost in each case at pH 7 but was restored by washing with 5 mM citrate solution or by exposure of columns to solution at pH 2, suggesting fouling by Cr(III) hydroxide product at neutral pH. A 'one pot' conversion of precious metal waste into new catalyst for waste decontamination was shown in a continuous flow system based on the use of Serratia biofilm to manufacture and support catalytic Pd-nanoparticles.

Apatite and sodalite based glass-bonded waste forms for immobilization of 129I and mixed halide radioactive wastes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goel, Ashutosh; McCloy, John S.; Riley, Brian J.

The goal of the project was to utilize the knowledge accumulated by the team, in working with minerals for chloride wastes and biological apatites, toward the development of advanced waste forms for immobilizing 129I and mixed-halide wastes. Based on our knowledge, experience, and thorough literature review, we had selected two minerals with different crystal structures and potential for high chemical durability, sodalite and CaP/PbV-apatite, to form the basis of this project. The focus of the proposed effort was towards: (i) low temperature synthesis of proposed minerals (iodine containing sodalite and apatite) leading to the development of monolithic waste forms, (ii)more » development of a fundamental understanding of the atomic-scale to meso-scale mechanisms of radionuclide incorporation in them, and (iii) understanding of the mechanism of their chemical corrosion, alteration mechanism, and rates. The proposed work was divided into four broad sections. deliverables. 1. Synthesis of materials 2. Materials structural and thermal characterization 3. Design of glass compositions and synthesis glass-bonded minerals, and 4. Chemical durability testing of materials.« less

Impact of secondary generated minerals on toxic element immobilization for air pollution control fly ash of a municipal solid waste incinerator.

PubMed

Kitamura, Hiroki; Dahlan, Astryd Viandila; Tian, Yu; Shimaoka, Takayuki; Yamamoto, Takashi; Takahashi, Fumitake

2018-05-12

Impacts of secondary generated minerals on mineralogical and physical immobilization of toxic elements were investigated for chelate-treated air pollution control (APC) fly ash of a municipal solid waste incinerator. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation showed that ettringite was generated after the moistening treatment with/without chelate. Although ettringite can incorporate toxic elements into its structure, elemental analysis by energy dispersive X-ray could not find concentrated points of toxic elements in ettringite structure. This implies that mineralogical immobilization of toxic element by the encapsulation to ettringite structure seems to be limited. Physical immobilization was also investigated by SEM observation of the same APC fly ash particles before and after the moistening treatment. The transfer of soluble elements was inhibited only when insoluble minerals such as gypsum were generated and covered the surface of fly ash particles. Neoformed insoluble minerals prevented soluble elements from leaching and transfer. However, such physical immobilization seems to be limited because insoluble mineral formation with surface coverage was monitored only one time of more than 20 observations. Although uncertainty owing to limited samples with limited observations should be considered, this study concludes that mineralogical and physical immobilization of toxic elements by secondary minerals is limited although secondary minerals are always generated on the surface of APC fly ash particles during chelate treatment.

Epsilon Metal Waste Form for Immobilization of Noble Metals from Used Nuclear Fuel

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Crum, Jarrod V.; Strachan, Denis M.; Rohatgi, Aashish

2013-10-01

Epsilon metal (ε-metal), an alloy of Mo, Pd, Rh, Ru, and Tc, is being developed as a waste form to treat and immobilize the undissolved solids and dissolved noble metals from aqueous reprocessing of commercial used nuclear fuel. Epsilon metal is an attractive waste form for several reasons: increased durability relative to borosilicate glass, it can be fabricated without additives (100% waste loading), and in addition it also benefits borosilicate glass waste loading by eliminating noble metals from the glass and thus the processing problems related there insolubility in glass. This work focused on the processing aspects of the epsilonmore » metal waste form development. Epsilon metal is comprised of refractory metals resulting in high reaction temperatures to form the alloy, expected to be 1500 - 2000°C making it a non-trivial phase to fabricate by traditional methods. Three commercially available advanced technologies were identified: spark-plasma sintering, microwave sintering, and hot isostatic pressing, and investigated as potential methods to fabricate this waste form. Results of these investigations are reported and compared in terms of bulk density, phase assemblage (X-ray diffraction and elemental analysis), and microstructure (scanning electron microscopy).« less

Epsilon metal waste form for immobilization of noble metals from used nuclear fuel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crum, Jarrod V.; Strachan, Denis; Rohatgi, Aashish; Zumhoff, Mac

2013-10-01

Epsilon metal (ɛ-metal), an alloy of Mo, Pd, Rh, Ru, and Tc, is being developed as a waste form to treat and immobilize the undissolved solids and dissolved noble metals from aqueous reprocessing of commercial used nuclear fuel. Epsilon metal is an attractive waste form for several reasons: increased durability relative to borosilicate glass, it can be fabricated without additives (100% waste loading), and in addition it also benefits borosilicate glass waste loading by eliminating noble metals from the glass, thus the processing problems related to their insolubility in glass. This work focused on the processing aspects of the epsilon metal waste form development. Epsilon metal is comprised of refractory metals resulting in high alloying temperatures, expected to be 1500-2000 °C, making it a non-trivial phase to fabricate by traditional methods. Three commercially available advanced technologies were identified: spark-plasma sintering, microwave sintering, and hot isostatic pressing, and investigated as potential methods to fabricate this waste form. Results of these investigations are reported and compared in terms of bulk density, phase assemblage (X-ray diffraction and elemental analysis), and microstructure (scanning electron microscopy).

Method and article for primary containment of cesium wastes. [DOE patent application

DOEpatents

Angelini, P.; Lackey, W.J.; Stinton, D.P.; Blanco, R.E.; Bond, W.D.; Arnold, W.D. Jr.

1981-09-03

A method for producing a cesium-retentive waste form, characterized by a high degree of compositional stability and mechanical integrity, is provided by subjecting a cesium-loaded zeolite to heat under conditions suitable for stabilizing the zeolite and immobilizing the cesium, and coating said zeolite for sufficient duration within a suitable environment with at least one dense layer of pyrolytic carbon to seal therein said cesium to produce a final, cesium-bearing waste form. Typically, the zolite is stabilized and the cesium immobilized in less than four hours by confinement within an air environment maintained at about 600/sup 0/C. Coatings are thereafter applied by confining the calcined zeolite within a coating environment comprising inert fluidizing and carbon donor gases maintained at 1000/sup 0/C for a suitable duration.

Method for primary containment of cesium wastes

DOEpatents

Angelini, Peter; Lackey, Walter J.; Stinton, David P.; Blanco, Raymond E.; Bond, Walter D.; Arnold, Jr., Wesley D.

1983-01-01

A method for producing a cesium-retentive waste form, characterized by a high degree of compositional stability and mechanical integrity, is provided by subjecting a cesium-loaded zeolite to heat under conditions suitable for stabilizing the zeolite and immobilizing the cesium, and coating said zeolite for sufficient duration within a suitable environment with at least one dense layer of pyrolytic carbon to seal therein said cesium to produce a final, cesium-bearing waste form. Typically, the zeolite is stabilized and the cesium immobilized in less than four hours by confinement within an air environment maintained at about 600.degree. C. Coatings are thereafter applied by confining the calcined zeolite within a coating environment comprising inert fluidizing and carbon donor gases maintained at 1,000.degree. C. for a suitable duration.

Immobilization of Iron Nanoparticles on Multi Substrates and Its Reduction Removal of Chromium (VI) from Waste Streams

EPA Science Inventory

This article describes the in-situ synthesis and immobilization of iron nanoparticles on several substrates at room temperature using NaBH4 as a reducing agent and ascorbic acid as capping agent. The method is very effective in protecting iron nanoparticles from air oxidation for...

Recycling soil nitrate nitrogen by amending agricultural lands with oily food waste.

PubMed

Rashid, M T; Voroney, R P

2003-01-01

With current agricultural practices the amounts of fertilizer N applied are frequently more than the amounts removed by the crop. Excessive N application may result in short-term accumulation of nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) in soil, which can easily be leached from the root zone and into the ground water. A management practice suggested for conserving accumulated NO3-N is the application of oily food waste (FOG; fat + oil + greases) to agricultural soils. A two-year field study (1995-1996 and 1996-1997) was conducted at Elora Research Center (43 degrees 38' N, 80 degrees W; 346 m above mean sea level), University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada to determine the effect of FOG application in fall and spring on soil NO3-N contents and apparent N immobilization-mineralization of soil N in the 0- to 60-cm soil layer. The experiment was planned under a randomized complete block design with four replications. An unamended control and a reference treatment [winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cover crop] were included in the experiment to compare the effects of fall and spring treatment of oily food waste on soil NO3-N contents and apparent N immobilization-mineralization. Oily food waste application at 10 Mg ha(-1) in the fall decreased soil NO3-N by immobilization and conserved 47 to 56 kg NO3-N ha(-1), which would otherwise be subject to leaching. Nitrogen immobilized due to FOG application in the fall was subsequently remineralized by the time of fertilizer N sidedress, whereas no net mineralization was observed in spring-amended plots at the same time.

RHENIUM SOLUBILITY IN BOROSILICATE NUCLEAR WASTE GLASS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROCESSING AND IMMOBILIZATION OF TECHNETIUM-99 (AND SUPPORTING INFORMATION WITH GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

AA KRUGER; A GOEL; CP RODRIGUEZ

2012-08-13

The immobilization of 99Tc in a suitable host matrix has proved a challenging task for researchers in the nuclear waste community around the world. At the Hanford site in Washington State in the U.S., the total amount of 99Tc in low-activity waste (LAW) is {approx} 1,300 kg and the current strategy is to immobilize the 99Tc in borosilicate glass with vitrification. In this context, the present article reports on the solubility and retention of rhenium, a nonradioactive surrogate for 99Tc, in a LAW sodium borosilicate glass. Due to the radioactive nature of technetium, rhenium was chosen as a simulant becausemore » of previously established similarities in ionic radii and other chemical aspects. The glasses containing target Re concentrations varying from 0 to10,000 ppm by mass were synthesized in vacuum-sealed quartz ampoules to minimize the loss of Re by volatilization during melting at 1000 DC. The rhenium was found to be present predominantly as Re7 + in all the glasses as observed by X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES). The solubility of Re in borosilicate glasses was determined to be {approx}3,000 ppm (by mass) using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). At higher rhenium concentrations, some additional material was retained in the glasses in the form of alkali perrhenate crystalline inclusions detected by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and laser ablation-ICP mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Assuming justifiably substantial similarities between Re7 + and Tc 7+ behavior in this glass system, these results implied that the processing and immobilization of 99Tc from radioactive wastes should not be limited by the solubility of 99Tc in borosilicate LAW glasses.« less

Sequential application of waste whey as a medium component for Kluyveromyces lactis cultivation and a co-feeder for lipase immobilization by CLEA method.

PubMed

Veteikytė, Aušra; Šiekštelė, Rimantas; Tvaska, Bronius; Matijošytė, Inga

2017-05-01

Currently, much attention is paid to technologies which can be drivers of the circular economy across different sectors, in particular, to develop technologies for utilization or reusability of biocompatible materials from industrial waste. One of such is the milk whey, which is a cheap biobased raw material, the disposal of which is a major problem for the dairy industry. Our proposed and investigated technology is based on a continuous exploitation of the whey combining microbiology and biotechnology. Primarily, whey was used as a nutrition source for the cultivation of Kluyveromyces lactis with the aim to produce the targeted biocatalyst-lipase. During cultivation, the whey was transformed into the hydrolyzed form, which was further successfully applied as a protein feeder (external linker) for immobilization of lipase by cross-linked enzyme aggregate (CLEA) method. The first time use of whey as a co-feeder for immobilization of enzymes by CLEA method has shown promising results and increased the stability of lipases for temperature and organic solvents. Hydrolysis of rapeseed oil catalyzed with immobilized derivatives was obtained with 45-96% efficiency at non-optimized conditions. Additionally, the determined kinetic parameters indicated that the rate of p-nitrophenyl palmitate hydrolysis was not changed drastically after immobilization.

WTP Waste Feed Qualification: Glass Fabrication Unit Operation Testing Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stone, M. E.; Newell, J. D.; Johnson, F. C.

The waste feed qualification program is being developed to protect the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) design, safety basis, and technical basis by assuring waste acceptance requirements are met for each staged waste feed campaign prior to transfer from the Tank Operations Contractor to the feed receipt vessels inside the Pretreatment Facility. The Waste Feed Qualification Program Plan describes the three components of waste feed qualification: 1. Demonstrate compliance with the waste acceptance criteria 2. Determine waste processability 3. Test unit operations at laboratory scale. The glass fabrication unit operation is the final step in the processmore » demonstration portion of the waste feed qualification process. This unit operation generally consists of combining each of the waste feed streams (high-level waste (HLW) and low-activity waste (LAW)) with Glass Forming Chemicals (GFCs), fabricating glass coupons, performing chemical composition analysis before and after glass fabrication, measuring hydrogen generation rate either before or after glass former addition, measuring rheological properties before and after glass former addition, and visual observation of the resulting glass coupons. Critical aspects of this unit operation are mixing and sampling of the waste and melter feeds to ensure representative samples are obtained as well as ensuring the fabrication process for the glass coupon is adequate. Testing was performed using a range of simulants (LAW and HLW simulants), and these simulants were mixed with high and low bounding amounts of GFCs to evaluate the mixing, sampling, and glass preparation steps in shielded cells using laboratory techniques. The tests were performed with off-the-shelf equipment at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) that is similar to equipment used in the SRNL work during qualification of waste feed for the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) and other waste treatment facilities at the Savannah River Site. It is not expected that the exact equipment used during this testing will be used during the waste feed qualification testing for WTP, but functionally similar equipment will be used such that the techniques demonstrated would be applicable. For example, the mixing apparatus could use any suitable mixer capable of being remoted and achieving similar mixing speeds to those tested.« less

Concrete and cement composites used for radioactive waste deposition.

PubMed

Koťátková, Jaroslava; Zatloukal, Jan; Reiterman, Pavel; Kolář, Karel

2017-11-01

This review article presents the current state-of-knowledge of the use of cementitious materials for radioactive waste disposal. An overview of radwaste management processes with respect to the classification of the waste type is given. The application of cementitious materials for waste disposal is divided into two main lines: i) as a matrix for direct immobilization of treated waste form; and ii) as an engineered barrier of secondary protection in the form of concrete or grout. In the first part the immobilization mechanisms of the waste by cement hydration products is briefly described and an up-to date knowledge about the performance of different cementitious materials is given, including both traditional cements and alternative binder systems. The advantages, disadvantages as well as gaps in the base of information in relation to individual materials are stated. The following part of the article is aimed at description of multi-barrier systems for intermediate level waste repositories. It provides examples of proposed concepts by countries with advanced waste management programmes. In the paper summary, the good knowledge of the material durability due to its vast experience from civil engineering is highlighted however with the urge for specific approach during design and construction of a repository in terms of stringent safety requirements. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

EFFECTS OF LEACHING ON PORE SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF SOLIDIFIED/STABILIZED WASTES

EPA Science Inventory

Chemical solidification/stabilization processes are commonly used to immobilize metals in fly ash and flue gas desulfurization (FGD) sludges and to convert these wastes into monolithic or granular materials with better handling properties and reduced permeabilities. his study eva...

Development of immobilized cellulase through functionalized gold nano-particles for glucose production by continuous hydrolysis of waste bamboo chopsticks.

PubMed

Cheng, Cheanyeh; Chang, Kuo-Chung

2013-12-10

Cellulase immobilized on silica through the assistance of l-cysteine functionalized gold nano-particle was applied for the continuous hydrolysis of waste bamboo chopsticks powder to produce glucose. The optimal conditions for the continuous hydrolysis were pH 8.0, 50°C. A 4-day reaction with an initial 0.3 gL⁻¹ waste bamboo chopsticks powder, a feed containing 0.2 gL⁻¹ waste bamboo chopsticks powder at a continuous feed and draw rate of 0.5 mLmin⁻¹, and an enzyme loading of 40 mgcellulase(gsilica)⁻¹, has 72.0-76.6% conversion rates of repeated hydrolyses that correspond to a total production of 630.5-671.2mg glucose and are much better than batch hydrolyses. At higher enzyme loading (117 mgcellulase(gsilica)⁻¹), higher initial concentration (0.5 gL⁻¹), and higher feed concentration (0.42 gL⁻¹) the conversion rate increases to 82.9% and a total amount of 1418 mgglucose. The immobilized cellulase can be recovered easily by filtration and used repeatedly at least 6 times over a period more than 90 days with a recovered activity approximately the same as or better than previous reactions. Thus the process is promising for scaling up. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ageing of a phosphate ceramic used to immobilize chloride contaminated actinide waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Metcalfe, Brian L.; Donald, Ian W.; Fong, Shirley K.

2009-03-31

AWE has developed a process for the immobilization of ILW waste containing a significant quantity of chloride using Ca3(PO4)2 as the host material. Waste ions are incorporated into two phosphate based phases, chlorapatite, Ca5(PO4)3Cl, and spodiosite, Ca2(PO4)Cl. Non-active trials performed at AWE using samarium as the actinide surrogate demonstrated the durability of these phases in aqueous solution. Trials of the process using actinide-doped material were performed at PNNL which confirmed the immobilized wasteform resistant to aqueous leaching. Initial leach trials conducted on 239Pu /241Am loaded ceramic at 40°C/28 days gave normalized mass losses of 1.2 x 10-5 g.m-2 and 2.7more » x 10-3 g.m-2 for Pu and Cl respectively. In order to assess the response of the phases to radiation-induced damage, accelerated ageing trials were performed on samples in which the 239Pu was replaced by 238Pu. No changes to the crystalline structure of the waste were detected using XRD after the samples had experienced a radiation dose of 4 x 1018 α.g-1. Leach trials showed that there had been an increase in the P and Ca release rates but no change in the Pu release rate.« less

Method for immobilizing mixed waste chloride salts containing radionuclides and other hazardous wastes

DOEpatents

Lewis, Michele A.; Johnson, Terry R.

1993-01-01

The invention is a method for the encapsulation of soluble radioactive waste chloride salts containing radionuclides such as strontium, cesium and hazardous wastes such as barium so that they may be permanently stored without future threat to the environment. The process consists of contacting the salts containing the radionuclides and hazardous wastes with certain zeolites which have been found to ion exchange with the radionuclides and to occlude the chloride salts so that the resulting product is leach resistant.

Method for immobilizing mixed waste chloride salts containing radionuclides and other hazardous wastes

DOEpatents

Lewis, Michele A.; Johnson, Terry R.

1993-09-07

The invention is a method for the encapsulation of soluble radioactive waste chloride salts containing radionuclides such as strontium, cesium and hazardous wastes such as barium so that they may be permanently stored without future threat to the environment. The process consists of contacting the salts containing the radionuclides and hazardous wastes with certain zeolites which have been found to ion exchange with the radionuclides and to occlude the chloride salts so that the resulting product is leach resistant.

Assessment of lead tellurite glass for immobilizing electrochemical salt wastes from used nuclear fuel reprocessing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riley, Brian J.; Kroll, Jared O.; Peterson, Jacob A.; Pierce, David A.; Ebert, William L.; Williams, Benjamin D.; Snyder, Michelle M. V.; Frank, Steven M.; George, Jaime L.; Kruska, Karen

2017-11-01

This paper provides an overview of research evaluating the use of lead tellurite glass as a waste form for salt wastes from electrochemical reprocessing of used nuclear fuel. The efficacy of using lead tellurite glass to immobilize three different salt compositions was evaluated: a LiCl-Li2O oxide reduction salt containing fission products from oxide fuel, a LiCl-KCl eutectic salt containing fission products from metallic fuel, and SrCl2. Physical and chemical properties of glasses made with these salts were characterized with X-ray diffraction, bulk density measurements, differential thermal analysis, chemical durability tests, scanning and transmission electron microscopies, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. These glasses were found to accommodate high salt concentrations and have high densities, but further development is needed to improve chemical durability.

Refining and Mutual Separation of Rare Earths Using Biomass Wastes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inoue, Katsutoshi; Alam, Shafiq

2013-10-01

Two different types of adsorption gels were prepared from biomass wastes. The first gel was produced from astringent persimmon peel rich in persimmon tannin, a polyphenol compound, which was prepared by means of simple dehydration condensation reaction using concentrated sulfuric acid for crosslinking. This adsorption gel was intended to be employed for the removal of radioactive elements, uranium (U(VI)) and thorium (Th(IV)), from rare earths. The second gel was prepared from chitosan, a basic polysaccharide, produced from shells of crustaceans such as crabs, shrimps, prawns, and other biomass wastes generated in marine product industry, by immobilizing functional groups of complexanes such as ethylendiaminetetraacetic acid and diethylentriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA). This gel was developed for the mutual separation of rare earths. Of the two adsorption gels evaluated, the DTPA immobilized chitosan exhibited the most effective mutual separation among light rare earths.

Radioactive nuclear waste stabilization - Aspects of solid-state molecular engineering and applied geochemistry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haggerty, S. E.

1983-01-01

Stabilization techniques for the storage of radioactive wastes are surveyed, with emphasis on immobilization in a primary barrier of synthetic rock. The composition, half-life, and thermal-emission characteristics of the wastes are shown to require thermally stable immobilization enduring at least 100,000 years. Glass materials are determined to be incapable of withstanding the expected conditions, average temperatures of 100-500 C for the first 100 years. The geological-time stability of crystalline materials, ceramics or synthetic rocks, is examined in detail by comparing their components with similar naturally occurring minerals, especially those containing the same radioactive elements. The high-temperature environment over the first 100 years is seen as stabilizing, since it can recrystallize radiation-induced metamicts. The synthetic-rock stabilization technique is found to be essentially feasible, and improvements are suggested, including the substitution of nepheline with freudenbergite and priderite for alkaline-waste stabilization, the maintenance of low oxygen fugacity, and the dilution of the synthetic-rock pellets into an inert medium.

Phosphate glasses for radioactive, hazardous and mixed waste immobilization

DOEpatents

Cao, H.; Adams, J.W.; Kalb, P.D.

1998-11-24

Lead-free phosphate glass compositions are provided which can be used to immobilize low level and/or high level radioactive wastes in monolithic waste forms. The glass composition may also be used without waste contained therein. Lead-free phosphate glass compositions prepared at about 900 C include mixtures from about 1--6 mole % iron (III) oxide, from about 1--6 mole % aluminum oxide, from about 15--20 mole % sodium oxide or potassium oxide, and from about 30--60 mole % phosphate. The invention also provides phosphate, lead-free glass ceramic glass compositions which are prepared from about 400 C to about 450 C and which includes from about 3--6 mole % sodium oxide, from about 20--50 mole % tin oxide, from about 30--70 mole % phosphate, from about 3--6 mole % aluminum oxide, from about 3--8 mole % silicon oxide, from about 0.5--2 mole % iron (III) oxide and from about 3--6 mole % potassium oxide. Method of making lead-free phosphate glasses are also provided. 8 figs.

Cement-based stabilization/solidification of oil refinery sludge: Leaching behavior of alkanes and PAHs.

PubMed

Karamalidis, Athanasios K; Voudrias, Evangelos A

2007-09-05

Stabilization/solidification is a process widely applied for the immobilization of inorganic constituents of hazardous wastes, especially for metals. Cement is usually one of the most common binders for that purpose. However, limited results have been presented on immobilization of hydrocarbons in cement-based stabilized/solidified petroleum solid waste. In this study, real oil refinery sludge samples were stabilized and solidified with various additions of I42.5 and II42.5 cement (Portland and blended cement, respectively) and subject to leaching. The target analytes were total petroleum hydrocarbons, alkanes and 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons of the EPA priority pollutant list. The experiments showed that the waste was confined in the cement matrix by macroencapsulation. The rapture of the cement structure led to the increase of leachability for most of the hydrocarbons. Leaching of n-alkanes from II42.5 cement-solidified samples was lower than that from I42.5 solidified samples. Leaching of alkanes in the range of n-C(10) to n-C(27) was lower than that of long chain alkanes (>n-C(27)), regardless the amount of cement addition. Generally, increasing the cement content in the solidified waste samples, increased individual alkane leachability. This indicated that cement addition resulted in destabilization of the waste. Addition of I42.5 cement favored immobilization of anthracene, benzo[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoroanthene, benzo[k]fluoroanthene, benzo[a]pyrene and dibenzo[a,h]anthracene. However, addition of II42.5 favored 5 out of 16, i.e., naphthalene, anthracene, benzo[b]fluoroanthene, benzo[k]fluoroanthene and dibenzo[a,h]anthracene.

Setting and Stiffening of Cementitious Components in Cast Stone Waste Form for Disposal of Secondary Wastes from the Hanford waste treatment and immobilization plant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chung, Chul-Woo; Chun, Jaehun; Um, Wooyong

2013-04-01

Cast stone is a cementitious waste form, a viable option to immobilize secondary nuclear liquid wastes generated from Hanford vitrification plant. While the strength and radioactive technetium leaching of different waste form candidates have been reported, no study has been performed to understand the flow and stiffening behavior of Cast Stone, which is essential to ensure the proper workability, especially considering necessary safety as a nuclear waste form in a field scale application. The rheological and ultrasonic wave reflection (UWR) measurements were used to understand the setting and stiffening Cast Stone batches. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to find themore » correlation between specific phase formation and the stiffening of the paste. Our results showed good correlation between rheological properties of the fresh Cast Stone mixture and phase formation during hydration of Cast Stone. Secondary gypsum formation originating from blast furnace slag was observed in Cast Stone made with low concentration simulants. The formation of gypsum was suppressed in high concentration simulants. It was found that the stiffening of Cast Stone was strongly dependent on the concentration of simulant. A threshold concentration for the drastic change in stiffening was found at 1.56 M Na concentration.« less

Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant U. S. Department of Energy Office of River Protection Submerged Bed Scrubber Condensate Disposition Project - 13460

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yanochko, Ronald M.; Corcoran, Connie

The Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) will generate an off-gas treatment system secondary liquid waste stream [submerged bed scrubber (SBS) condensate], which is currently planned for recycle back to the WTP Low Activity Waste (LAW) melter. This SBS condensate waste stream is high in Tc-99, which is not efficiently captured in the vitrified glass matrix [1]. A pre-conceptual engineering study was prepared in fiscal year 2012 to evaluate alternate flow paths for melter off-gas secondary liquid waste generated by the WTP LAW facility [2]. This study evaluated alternatives for direct off-site disposal of this SBS without pre-treatment, whichmore » mitigates potential issues associated with recycling. This study [2] concluded that SBS direct disposal is a viable option to the WTP baseline. The results show: - Off-site transportation and disposal of the SBS condensate is achievable and cost effective. - Reduction of approximately 4,325 vitrified WTP Low Activity Waste canisters could be realized. - Positive WTP operational impacts; minimal WTP construction impacts are realized. - Reduction of mass flow from the LAW Facility to the Pretreatment Facility by 66%. - Improved Double Shell Tank (DST) space management is a benefit. (authors)« less

Environmental assessment of cement/foundry sludge products.

PubMed

Ruiz, M C; Andrés, A; Irabien, A

2003-05-01

This work deals with the environmental assessment of products based on cement and a waste from a cast iron activity. The waste is a foundry sludge from wastewater treatment previously characterized. This industrial waste shows a high water content (62.4%) and a hazardous behavior due to its metallic content mainly Zn (16.5%), together with a low fraction of organic pollutants, mainly phenolic compounds. The feasibility of immobilizing both typs of contaminants was studied using Portland cement as binder at different cement/waste ratios. The parameters of environmental control were the ecotoxicity and mobilization of zinc and phenolic compounds, all determined on the basis of compliance leaching tests. The acid neutralization capacity of the cement/waste products was measured in order to obtain information on their buffering capacity. Experimental results from chemical analysis of leachates led to a non ecotoxic character of cement/waste products Although the metallic ions were mobilized within the cement mattices, the organic matter did not allow the formation of monolithic forms and an efficient immobilization of phenolic compounds. Concerning the acid neutralization capacity, this parameter was shown to depend mainly on the quantity of cement, although a decrease in alkalinity was observed when the amount of water in the cement/waste products increased.

CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES FOR REMEDIATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL AND WASTE DEPOSITS AT SUPERFUND LEAD BATTERY SITES

EPA Science Inventory

This paper primarily addresses remediation of contaminated soils and waste deposits at defunct lead-acid battery recycling sites (LBRS) via immobilization and separation processes. efunct LBRS is a facility at which battery breaking, secondary lead smelting, or both operations we...

The influence of Pb addition on the properties of fly ash-based geopolymers.

PubMed

Nikolić, Violeta; Komljenović, Miroslav; Džunuzović, Nataša; Miladinović, Zoran

2018-05-15

Preventing or reducing negative effects on the environment from the waste landfilling is the main goal defined by the European Landfill Directive. Generally geopolymers can be considered as sustainable binders for immobilization of hazardous wastes containing different toxic elements. In this paper the influence of addition of high amount of lead on structure, strength, and leaching behavior (the effectiveness of Pb immobilization) of fly ash-based geopolymers depending on the geopolymer curing conditions was investigated. Lead was added during the synthesis of geopolymers in the form of highly soluble salt - lead-nitrate. Structural changes of geopolymers as a result of lead addition/immobilization were assessed by means of XRD, SEM/EDS, and 29 Si MAS NMR analysis. Investigated curing conditions significantly influenced structure, strength and leaching behavior of geopolymers. High addition of lead caused a sizeable decrease in compressive strength of geopolymers and promoted formation of aluminum-deficient aluminosilicate gel (depolymerization of aluminosilicate gel), regardless of the curing conditions investigated. According to the EUWAC limitations, 4% of lead was successfully immobilized by fly ash-based geopolymers cured for 28 days in a humid chamber at room temperature. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Combined removal of a BTEX, TCE, and cis-DCE mixture using Pseudomonas sp. immobilized on scrap tyres.

PubMed

Lu, Qihong; de Toledo, Renata Alves; Xie, Fei; Li, Junhui; Shim, Hojae

2015-09-01

The simultaneous aerobic removal of a mixture of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and o,m,p-xylene (BTEX); cis-dichloroethylene (cis-DCE); and trichloroethylene (TCE) from the artificially contaminated water using an indigenous bacterial isolate identified as Pseudomonas plecoglossicida immobilized on waste scrap tyres was investigated. Suspended and immobilized conditions were compared for the removal of these volatile organic compounds. For the immobilized system, toluene, benzene, and ethylbenzene were completely removed, while the highest removal efficiencies of 99.0 ± 0.1, 96.8 ± 0.3, 73.6 ± 2.5, and 61.6 ± 0.9% were obtained for o-xylene, m,p-xylene, TCE, and cis-DCE, respectively. The sorption kinetics of contaminants towards tyre surface was also evaluated, and the sorption capacity generally followed the order of toluene > benzene > m,p-xylene > o-xylene > ethylbenzene > TCE > cis-DCE. Scrap tyres showed a good capability for the simultaneous sorption and bioremoval of BTEX/cis-DCE/TCE mixture, implying a promising waste material for the removal of contaminant mixture from industrial wastewater or contaminated groundwater.

Effects of various calcined ash and sludge waste loadings on the durability of a soda-lime-silica glass

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kramer, D.P.; Lewis, E.L.; Armstrong, K.M.

1982-01-01

A commercially available joule-heated glass furnace system is currently being evaluated at Mound as a means of reducing the volume of low-level radioactive waste similar to that found in light water reactor facilities. The furnace utilizes molten soda-lime-silica to initiate and support combustion of the waste feed and to serve as an immobilization matrix. First, corrosion studies were performed to determine the result that various waste loadings of glass would have on the refractory lining the furnace. Second, the chemical durability of soda-lime-silica under various waste loadings was assessed to determine its resistance to leaching under conditions similar to thosemore » encountered at waste disposal sites. Results proved that, although corrosion was quite significant for pure soda-lime-silica and a 10% waste loading, by the time a waste loading of 40% was achieved, the effects of corrosion were virtually nil. The temperature dependence of the corrosion caused by a 0% waste loading of soda-lime-silica on the refractory was also investigated. With an increase in temperature to 2650/sup 0/F, corrosion more than tripled. As a result, incineration and idle temperature is being maintained at, or below, 2400/sup 0/F. In conclusion, from the fact that the higher waste loading of soda-lime glass produced both increased chemical durability and increased refractory life, waste loadings in excess of 40%, and as high as 80%, may be achieved without adverse effect to the glass furnace system or its effectiveness for immobilizing radioactive waste.« less

Inhibition of acid mine drainage and immobilization of heavy metals from copper flotation tailings using a marble cutting waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tozsin, Gulsen

2016-01-01

Acid mine drainage (AMD) with high concentrations of sulfates and metals is generated by the oxidation of sulfide bearing wastes. CaCO3-rich marble cutting waste is a residual material produced by the cutting and polishing of marble stone. In this study, the feasibility of using the marble cutting waste as an acid-neutralizing agent to inhibit AMD and immobilize heavy metals from copper flotation tailings (sulfide- bearing wastes) was investigated. Continuous-stirring shake-flask tests were conducted for 40 d, and the pH value, sulfate content, and dissolved metal content of the leachate were analyzed every 10 d to determine the effectiveness of the marble cutting waste as an acid neutralizer. For comparison, CaCO3 was also used as a neutralizing agent. The average pH value of the leachate was 2.1 at the beginning of the experiment ( t = 0). In the experiment employing the marble cutting waste, the pH value of the leachate changed from 6.5 to 7.8, and the sulfate and iron concentrations decreased from 4558 to 838 mg/L and from 536 to 0.01 mg/L, respectively, after 40 d. The marble cutting waste also removed more than 80wt% of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) from AMD generated by copper flotation tailings.

CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES FOR REMEDIATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL AND WASTE DEPOSITS AT SUPERFUND LEAD BATTERY RECYCLING SITES

EPA Science Inventory

This paper primarily addresses remediation of contaminated soils and waste deposits at defunct lead-acid battery recycling sites (LBRS) via immobilization and separation processes. A defunct LBRS is a facility at which battery breaking, secondary lead smelting, or both operations...

Assessment of lead tellurite glass for immobilizing electrochemical salt wastes from used nuclear fuel reprocessing

DOE PAGES

Riley, Brian J.; Kroll, Jared O.; Peterson, Jacob A.; ...

2017-08-30

Here, this paper provides an overview of research evaluating the use of lead tellurite glass as a waste form for salt wastes from electrochemical reprocessing of used nuclear fuel. The efficacy of using lead tellurite glass to immobilize three different salt compositions was evaluated: a LiCl-Li 2O oxide reduction salt containing fission products from oxide fuel, a LiCl-KCl eutectic salt containing fission products from metallic fuel, and SrCl 2. Physical and chemical properties of glasses made with these salts were characterized with X-ray diffraction, bulk density measurements, differential thermal analysis, chemical durability tests, scanning and transmission electron microscopies, and energy-dispersivemore » X-ray spectroscopy. These glasses were found to accommodate high salt concentrations and have high densities, but further development is needed to improve chemical durability.« less

Destructive testings: dry drilling operations with TruPro system to collect samples in a powder form, from two hulls containing immobilized wastes in a hydraulic binder

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pombet, Denis; Desnoyers, Yvon; Charters, Grant

2013-07-01

The TruPro{sup R} process enables to collect a significant number of samples to characterize radiological materials. This innovative and alternative technique is experimented for the ANDRA quality-control inspection of cemented packages. It proves to be quicker and more prolific than the current methodology. Using classical statistics and geo-statistics approaches, the physical and radiological characteristics of two hulls containing immobilized wastes (sludges or concentrates) in a hydraulic binder are assessed in this paper. The waste homogeneity is also evaluated in comparison to ANDRA criterion. Sensibility to sample size (support effect), presence of extreme values, acceptable deviation rate and minimum number ofmore » data are discussed. The final objectives are to check the homogeneity of the two characterized radwaste packages and also to validate and reinforce this alternative characterization methodology. (authors)« less

Washing and caustic leaching of Hanford tank sludges: results of FY 1996 studies. Revision

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lumetta, G.J.; Rapko, B.M.; Wagner, M.J.

During the past few years, the primary mission at the US Department of Energy`s Hanford Site has changed from producing plutonium to restoring the environment. Large volumes of high-level radioactive wastes (HLW), generated during past Pu production and other operations, are stored in underground tanks on site. The current plan for remediating the Hanford tank farms consists of waste retrieval, pretreatment, treatment (immobilization), and disposal. The HLW will be immobilized in a borosilicate glass matrix and then disposed of in a geologic repository. Because of the expected high cost of HLW vitrification and geologic disposal, pretreatment processes will be implementedmore » to reduce the volume of borosilicate glass produced in disposing of the tank wastes. On this basis, a pretreatment plan is being developed. This report describes the sludge washing and caustic leaching test conducted to create a Hanford tank sludge pretreatment flowsheet.« less

Immobilization of LiCl-Li2O pyroprocessing salt wastes in chlorosodalite using glass-bonded hydrothermal and salt-occlusion methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riley, Brian J.; Peterson, Jacob A.; Kroll, Jared O.; Frank, Steven M.

2018-04-01

In this study, hydrothermal and salt-occlusion processes were used to make chlorosodalite through reactions with a high-LiCl salt simulating a waste stream generated from pyrochemical treatment of oxide-based used nuclear fuel. Some products were reacted with glass binders to increase chlorosodalite yield through alkali ion exchange and to aid in densification. Hydrothermal processes included reaction of the salt simulant in an autoclave with either zeolite 4A or sodium aluminate and colloidal silica. Chlorosodalite yields in the crystalline products were nearly complete in the glass-bonded materials at values of 100 mass% for the salt-occlusion method, up to 99.0 mass% for the hydrothermal synthesis with zeolite 4A, and up to 96 mass% for the hydrothermal synthesis with sodium aluminate and colloidal silica. These results show promise for using chemically stable chlorosodalite to immobilize oxide reduction salt wastes.

Production of biodiesel by enzymatic transesterification of waste sardine oil and evaluation of its engine performance.

PubMed

Arumugam, A; Ponnusami, V

2017-12-01

Waste sardine oil, a byproduct of fish industry, was employed as a low cost feedstock for biodiesel production. It has relatively high free fatty acid (FFA) content (32 mg KOH/g of oil). Lipase enzyme immobilized on activated carbon was used as the catalyst for the transesterification reaction. Process variables viz. reaction temperature, water content and oil to methanol molar ratio were optimized. Optimum methanol to oil molar ratio, water content and temperature were found to be 9:1, 10 v/v% and 30 °C respectively. Reusability of immobilized lipase was studied and it was found after 5 cycles of reuse there was about 13% drop in FAME yield. Engine performance of the produced biodiesel was studied in a Variable Compression Engine and the results confirm that waste sardine oil is a potential alternate and low-cost feedstock for biodiesel production.

Enzyme Immobilization: An Overview on Methods, Support Material, and Applications of Immobilized Enzymes.

PubMed

Sirisha, V L; Jain, Ankita; Jain, Amita

Immobilized enzymes can be used in a wide range of processes. In recent years, a variety of new approaches have emerged for the immobilization of enzymes that have greater efficiency and wider usage. During the course of the last two decades, this area has rapidly expanded into a multidisciplinary field. This current study is a comprehensive review of a variety of literature produced on the different enzymes that have been immobilized on various supporting materials. These immobilized enzymes have a wide range of applications. These include applications in the sugar, fish, and wine industries, where they are used for removing organic compounds from waste water. This study also reviews their use in sophisticated biosensors for metabolite control and in situ measurements of environmental pollutants. Immobilized enzymes also find significant application in drug metabolism, biodiesel and antibiotic production, bioremediation, and the food industry. The widespread usage of immobilized enzymes is largely due to the fact that they are cheaper, environment friendly, and much easier to use when compared to equivalent technologies. © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

RPP-PRT-58489, Revision 1, One Systems Consistent Safety Analysis Methodologies Report. 24590-WTP-RPT-MGT-15-014

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gupta, Mukesh; Niemi, Belinda; Paik, Ingle

2015-09-02

In 2012, One System Nuclear Safety performed a comparison of the safety bases for the Tank Farms Operations Contractor (TOC) and Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) (RPP-RPT-53222 / 24590-WTP-RPT-MGT-12-018, “One System Report of Comparative Evaluation of Safety Bases for Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant Project and Tank Operations Contract”), and identified 25 recommendations that required further evaluation for consensus disposition. This report documents ten NSSC approved consistent methodologies and guides and the results of the additional evaluation process using a new set of evaluation criteria developed for the evaluation of the new methodologies.

[Microbiological Aspects of Radioactive Waste Storage].

PubMed

Safonov, A V; Gorbunova, O A; German, K E; Zakharova, E V; Tregubova, V E; Ershov, B G; Nazina, T N

2015-01-01

The article gives information about the microorganisms inhabiting in surface storages of solid radioactive waste and deep disposal sites of liquid radioactive waste. It was shown that intensification of microbial processes can lead to significant changes in the chemical composition and physical state of the radioactive waste. It was concluded that the biogeochemical processes can have both a positive effect on the safety of radioactive waste storages (immobilization of RW macrocomponents, a decreased migration ability of radionuclides) and a negative one (biogenic gas production in subterranean formations and destruction of cement matrix).

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Petersen, C.A., Westinghouse Hanford

The overall objective of this report is to provide a technical basis to support a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission determination to classify the low-activity waste from the Hanford Site single-shell and double-shell tanks as `incidental` wastes after removal of additional radionuclides and immobilization.The proposed processing method, in addition to the previous radionuclide removal efforts, will remove the largest practical amount of total site radioactivity, attributable to high-level wastes, for disposal in a deep geologic repository. The remainder of the waste would be considered `incidental` waste and could be disposed onsite.

Saccharification of citrus wastes by immobilized polygalacturonase in an improved alginate matrix.

PubMed

Ramírez-Tapias, Yuly A; Lapasset Laumann, Aldana S; Britos, Claudia N; Rivero, Cintia W; Trelles, Jorge A

2017-12-01

Enzyme immobilization using hydrogels is a low-cost and effective system for the degradation of bulk pectin derived from orange industry residues. Polygalacturonases obtained from four different bacterial strains of Streptomyces genus were immobilized in alginate gel and assayed for pectin hydrolysis. The enzyme from Streptomyces halstedii ATCC 10897 proved to be superior and more stable within the alginate matrix. Furthermore, a new strategy to improve alginate bead stability using a mixture of calcium and strontium is reported; this technique allowed enhancing the mechanical properties by combining different amounts of these cations for ionotropic gelation. The developed biocatalyst showed maximum hydrolysis at 2 h, generating 1.54 mg/mL of reducing sugars and decreasing the viscosity of polygalacturonic acid by 98.9%. Reusability up to 29 successive reactions (58 h) demonstrated a very stable performance. The heterogeneous biocatalyst was used in the enzymatic saccharification of orange peel albedo (2.23 mg/mL) for adding value to this agro-waste by industrial exploitation.

Carbonization of heavy metal impregnated sewage sludge oriented towards potential co-disposal.

PubMed

Dou, Xiaomin; Chen, Dezhen; Hu, Yuyan; Feng, Yuheng; Dai, Xiaohu

2017-01-05

Sewage sludge (SS) is adopted as a stabilizer to immobilize externally impregnated heavy metals through carbonization oriented towards the co-disposal of SS and some hazardous wastes. Firstly Cu and Pb were impregnated into SS to ascertain the impregnating capacity and leaching behaviours of heavy metals in the resulting sewage sludge char (SSC). Meanwhile, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were employed to detect the heavy metal phase in the SSC. The results showed that within 400-800°C and an impregnating concentration ≨0.5wt%, more than 90% of the externally impregnated Cu and Pb were remained in the SSC and immobilized. And higher temperatures helped produce non-hazardous SSC. In addition, SEM and XRD analyses revealed that externally impregnated heavy metals could be converted into stable forms and evenly distributed throughout the SSC. In the second step municipal solid waste incineration fly ash (FA) was kneaded into SS and subjected to carbonization; it has been proved that the heavy metals in FA can be well immobilized in the resulting char when FA: SS mass ratio is 1:5. Those results show that sewage sludge can be co-carbonized with wastes contaminated with heavy metals to achieve co-disposal. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Liquidus temperature and chemical durability of selected glasses to immobilize rare earth oxides waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mohd Fadzil, Syazwani Binti; Hrma, Pavel R.; Schweiger, Michael J.

Pyroprocessing is a reprocessing method for managing and reusing used nuclear fuel (UNF) by dissolving it in an electrorefiner with a molten alkali or alkaline earth chloride salt mixture while avoiding wet reprocessing. Pyroprocessing UNF with a LiCl-KCl eutectic salt releases the fission products from the fuel and generates a variety of metallic and salt-based species, including rare earth (RE) chlorides. If the RE-chlorides are converted to oxides, borosilicate glass is a prime candidate for their immobilization because of its durability and ability to dissolve almost any RE waste component into the matrix at high loadings. Crystallization that occurs inmore » waste glasses as the waste loading increases may complicate glass processing and affect the product quality. This work compares three types of borosilicate glasses in terms of liquidus temperature (TL): the International Simple Glass designed by the International Working Group, sodium borosilicate glass developed by Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power, and the lanthanide aluminoborosilicate (LABS) glass established in the United States. The LABS glass allows the highest waste loadings (over 50 mass% RE2O3) while possessing an acceptable chemical durability.« less

Liquidus temperature and chemical durability of selected glasses to immobilize rare earth oxides waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohd Fadzil, Syazwani; Hrma, Pavel; Schweiger, Michael J.; Riley, Brian J.

2015-10-01

Pyroprocessing is are processing method for managing and reusing used nuclear fuel (UNF) by dissolving it in an electrorefiner with a molten alkali or alkaline earth chloride salt mixture while avoiding wet reprocessing. Pyroprocessing UNF with a LiCl-KCl eutectic salt releases the fission products from the fuel and generates a variety of metallic and salt-based species, including rare earth (RE) chlorides. If the RE-chlorides are converted to oxides, borosilicate glass is a prime candidate for their immobilization because of its durability and ability to dissolve almost any RE waste component into the glass matrix at high loadings. Crystallization that occurs in waste glasses as the waste loading increases may complicate glass processing and affect the product quality. This work compares three types of borosilicate glasses in terms of liquidus temperature (TL): the International Simple Glass designed by the International Working Group, sodium borosilicate glass developed by Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power, and the lanthanide aluminoborosilicate (LABS) glass established in the United States. The LABS glass allows the highest waste loadings (over 50 mass% RE2O3) while possessing an acceptable chemical durability.

Immobilization of metals in contaminated soil from E-waste recycling site by dairy-manure-derived biochar.

PubMed

Chen, Zhiliang; Zhang, Jianqiang; Liu, Minchao; Wu, Yingxin; Yuan, Zhihui

2017-08-24

E-waste is a growing concern around the world and varieties of abandoned E-waste recycling sites, especially in urban area, need to remediate immediately. The impacts of dairy-manure-derived biochars (BCs) on the amelioration of soil properties, the changes in the morphologies as well as the mobility of metals were studied to test their efficacy in immobilization of metals for a potential restoration of vegetation landscape in abandoned E-waste recycling site. The amendment with BCs produced positive effects on bioavailability and mobility reduction for Pb, Cd, Zn and Cu depending on BC ratio and incubation time. The BCs promoted the transformation of species of heavy metals to a more stable fraction, and the metals concentrations in Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure extract declined significantly, especially Pb and Cu. Besides, the BCs ameliorated the substrate with increasing the soil pH, cations exchangeable capacity and available phosphorous, which suggested BC as a potential amendment material for abandoned E-waste recycling sites before restoration of vegetation landscape. Generally, the BC modified by alkaline treatment has a higher efficacy, probably due to increase of specific surface area and porosity as well as the functional groups after alkaline treatment.

FY2017 ILAW Glass Corrosion Testing with the Single-Pass Flow-Through Method

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Neeway, James J.; Asmussen, Robert M.; Cordova, Elsa

The inventory of immobilized low-activity waste (ILAW) produced at the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) will be disposed of at the near-surface, on-site Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF). When groundwater comes into contact with the waste form, the glass will corrode and radionuclides will be released into the near-field environment. Because the release of the radionuclides is dependent on the dissolution rate of the glass, it is important that the performance assessment (PA) model accounts for the dissolution rate of the glass as a function of various conditions. To accomplish this, an IDF PA glass dissolution model basedmore » on Transition State Theory (TST) can be employed. The model is able to account for changes in temperature, exposed surface area, and pH of the contacting solution as well as the effect of silicon solution concentrations, specifically the activity of orthosilicic acid (H4SiO4), whose concentration is directly linked to the glass dissolution rate. In addition, the IDF PA model accounts for the ion exchange process. The effect of temperature, pH, H4SiO4 activity, and the rate of ion exchange can be parameterized and implemented directly into the PA rate model. The rate model parameters are derived from laboratory tests with the single-pass flow-through (SPFT) method. The provided data can be used by glass researchers to further the understanding of ILAW glass behavior, by IDF PA modelers to use the rate model parameters in PA modeling efforts, and by Department of Energy (DOE) contractors and decision makers as they assess the IDF PA program.« less

75 FR 81250 - Pulse Jet Mixing at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-27

... DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD [Recommendation 2010-2] Pulse Jet Mixing at the Waste... Board has made a recommendation to the Secretary of Energy concerning the use of pulse jet mixing at the..., 2010. Peter S. Winokur, Chairman. Recommendation 2010-2 to the Secretary of Energy Pulse Jet Mixing at...

Scenarios for the Hanford immobilized Low-Activity waste (ILAW) performance assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

MANN, F.M.

The purpose of the next version of the Hanford Immobilized Low-Activity Tank Waste (ILAW) Performance Assessment (ILAW PA) is to provide an updated estimate of the long-term human health and environmental impact of the disposal of ILAW and to compare these estimates against performance objectives displayed in Tables 1,2, and 3 (Mann 1999a). Such a radiological performance assessment is required by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Orders on radioactive waste management (DOE 1988a and DOE 1999a). This document defines the scenarios that will be used for the next update of the PA that is scheduled to be issued in 2001.more » Since the previous performance assessment (Mann 1998) was issued, considerable additional data on waste form behavior and site-specific soil geotechnical properties have been collected. In addition, the 2001 ILAW PA will benefit from improved computer models and the experience gained from the previous performance assessment. However, the scenarios (that is, the features, events, and processes analyzed in the Performance assessment) for the next PA are very similar to the ones in the 1998 PA.« less

Stabilization/solidification of an alkyd paint waste by carbonation of waste-lime based formulations.

PubMed

Arce, R; Galán, B; Coz, A; Andrés, A; Viguri, J R

2010-05-15

The application of solvent-based paints by spraying in paint booths is extensively used in a wide range of industrial activities for the surface treatment of a vast array of products. The wastes generated as overspray represent an important environmental and managerial problem mainly due to the hazardous characteristics of the organic solvent, rendering it necessary to appropriately manage this waste. In this paper a solidification/stabilization (S/S) process based on accelerated carbonation was investigated as an immobilization pre-treatment prior to the disposal, via landfill, of an alkyd solvent-based paint waste coming from the automotive industry; the purpose of this S/S process was to immobilize the contaminants and reduce their release into the environment. Different formulations of paint waste with lime, lime-coal fly-ash and lime-Portland cement were carbonated to study the effect of the water/solid ratio and carbonation time on the characteristics of the final product. To assess the efficiency of the studied S/S process, metals, anions and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were analyzed in the leachates obtained from a battery of compliance and characterization leaching tests. Regarding the carbonation of paint waste-lime formulations, a mathematical expression has been proposed to predict the results of the leachability of DOC from carbonated mixtures working at water/solid ratios from 0.2 to 0.6. However, lower DOC concentrations in leachates (400mg/kg DOC in L/S=10 batch leaching test) were obtained when carbonation of paint waste-lime-fly-ash mixtures was used at 10h carbonation and water to solid ratio of 0.2. The flammability characteristics, the total contents of contaminants and the contaminant release rate in compliance leaching tests provide evidence for a final product suitable for deposition in non-hazardous landfills. The characterization of this carbonated sample using a dynamic column leaching test shows a high stabilization of metals, partial immobilization of Cl(-), SO(4)(2-), F(-) and limited retention of DOC. However, the obtained results improve the previous findings obtained after the paint waste S/S using uncarbonated formulations and would be a useful pre-treatment technique of the alkyd paint waste prior to its disposal in a landfill. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ion Exchange Distribution Coefficient Tests and Computer Modeling at High Ionic Strength Supporting Technetium Removal Resin Maturation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nash, Charles A.; Hamm, L. Larry; Smith, Frank G.

2014-12-19

The primary treatment of the tank waste at the DOE Hanford site will be done in the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) that is currently under construction. The baseline plan for this facility is to treat the waste, splitting it into High Level Waste (HLW) and Low Activity Waste (LAW). Both waste streams are then separately vitrified as glass and poured into canisters for disposition. The LAW glass will be disposed onsite in the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF). There are currently no plans to treat the waste to remove technetium, so its disposition path is the LAW glass. Duemore » to the water solubility properties of pertechnetate and long half-life of 99Tc, effective management of 99Tc is important to the overall success of the Hanford River Protection Project mission. To achieve the full target WTP throughput, additional LAW immobilization capacity is needed, and options are being explored to immobilize the supplemental LAW portion of the tank waste. Removal of 99Tc, followed by off-site disposal, would eliminate a key risk contributor for the IDF Performance Assessment (PA) for supplemental waste forms, and has potential to reduce treatment and disposal costs. Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) is developing some conceptual flow sheets for supplemental LAW treatment and disposal that could benefit from technetium removal. One of these flowsheets will specifically examine removing 99Tc from the LAW feed stream to supplemental immobilization. To enable an informed decision regarding the viability of technetium removal, further maturation of available technologies is being performed. This report contains results of experimental ion exchange distribution coefficient testing and computer modeling using the resin SuperLig ® 639 a to selectively remove perrhenate from high ionic strength simulated LAW. It is advantageous to operate at higher concentration in order to treat the waste stream without dilution and to minimize the volume of the final wasteform. This work examined the impact of high ionic strength, high density, and high viscosity if higher concentration LAW feed solution is used. Perrhenate (ReO 4 -) has been shown to be a good nonradioactive surrogate for pertechnetate in laboratory testing for this ion exchange resin, and the performance bias is well established. Equilibrium contact testing with 7.8 M [Na +] average simulant concentrations indicated that the SuperLig ® 639 resin average perrhenate distribution coefficient was 368 mL/g at a 100:1 phase ratio. Although this indicates good performance at high ionic strength, an equilibrium test cannot examine the impact of liquid viscosity, which impacts the diffusivity of ions and therefore the loading kinetics. To get an understanding of the effect of diffusivity, modeling was performed, which will be followed up with column tests in the future.« less

Evaluation of agrowastes as immobilizers for probiotics in soy milk.

PubMed

Teh, Sue-Siang; Ahmad, Rosma; Wan-Abdullah, Wan-Nadiah; Liong, Min-Tze

2009-11-11

The objective of this study was to evaluate agricultural wastes as immobilizers for probiotics in liquid foods, such as soy milk. Probiotic strains were initially evaluated for acid and bile tolerance and the ability to produce alpha-galactosidase. Rinds of durian, mangosteen, and jackfruit were dried, ground, and sterilized prior to immobilization of selected strains ( Lactobacillus acidophilus FTDC 1331, L. acidophilus FTDC 2631, L. acidophilus FTDC 2333, L. acidophilus FTDC 1733, and Lactobacillus bulgaricus FTCC 0411). Immobilized cells were inoculated into soy milk, and growth properties were evaluated over 168 h at 37 degrees C. Soy milk containing free cells without agrowastes was used as the control. Immobilized probiotics showed increased growth, greater reduction of stachyose, sucrose, and glucose, higher production of lactic and acetic acids, and lower pH in soy milk compared to the control. The results illustrated that agrowastes could be used for the immobilization of probiotics with enhanced growth, utilization of substrates, and production of organic acids.

Enhanced production of alkaline thermostable keratinolytic protease from calcium alginate immobilized cells of thermoalkalophilic Bacillus halodurans JB 99 exhibiting dehairing activity.

PubMed

Shrinivas, Dengeti; Kumar, Raghwendra; Naik, G R

2012-01-01

The thermoalkalophilic Bacillus halodurans JB 99 cells known for production of novel thermostable alkaline keratinolytic protease were immobilized in calcium alginate matrix. Batch and repeated batch cultivation using calcium alginate immobilized cells were studied for alkaline protease production in submerged fermentation. Immobilized cells with 2.5% alginate and 350 beads/flask of initial cell loading showed enhanced production of alkaline protease by 23.2% (5,275 ± 39.4 U/ml) as compared to free cells (4,280 ± 35.4 U/ml) after 24 h. In the semicontinuous mode of cultivation, immobilized cells under optimized conditions produced an appreciable level of alkaline protease in up to nine cycles and reached a maximal value of 5,975 U/ml after the seventh cycle. The enzyme produced from immobilized cells efficiently degraded chicken feathers in the presence of a reducing agent which can help the poultry industry in the management of keratin-rich waste and obtaining value-added products.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fox, K. M.; Edwards, T. B.; Riley, W. T.

In this report, the Savannah River National Laboratory provides chemical analyses and Product Consistency Test (PCT) results for several simulated low activity waste (LAW) glasses (designated as the January, March, and April 2015 LAW glasses) fabricated by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The results of these analyses will be used as part of efforts to revise or extend the validation regions of the current Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant glass property models to cover a broader span of waste compositions.

Conversion of radioactive ferrocyanide compounds to immobile glasses

DOEpatents

Schulz, Wallace W.; Dressen, A. Louise

1977-04-26

Complex radioactive ferrocyanide compounds result from the scavenging of cesium from waste products produced in the chemical reprocessing of nuclear fuel. These ferrocyanides, in accordance with this process, are converted to an immobile glass, resistant to leaching by water, by fusion together with sodium carbonate and a mixture of (a) basalt and boron trioxide (B.sub.2 O.sub.3) or (b) silica (SiO.sub.2) and lime (CaO).

Immobilization of plutonium from solutions on porous matrices by the method of high temperature sorption

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nardova, A.K.; Filippov, E.A.; Glagolenko, Y.B.

1996-05-01

This report presents the results of investigations of plutonium immobilization from solutions on inorganic matrices with the purpose of producing a solid waste form. High-temperature sorption is described which entails the adsorption of radionuclides from solutions on porous, inorganic matrices, as for example silica gel. The solution is brought to a boil with additional thermal process (calcination) of the saturated granules.

Method for synthesizing pollucite from chabazite and cesium chloride

DOEpatents

Pereira, C.

1999-02-23

A method is described for immobilizing waste chlorides salts containing radionuclides and hazardous nuclear material for permanent disposal, and in particular, a method is described for immobilizing waste chloride salts containing cesium, in a synthetic form of pollucite. The method for synthesizing pollucite from chabazite and cesium chloride includes mixing dry, non-aqueous cesium chloride with chabazite and heating the mixture to a temperature greater than the melting temperature of the cesium chloride, or above about 700 C. The method further comprises significantly improving the rate of retention of cesium in ceramic products comprised of a salt-loaded zeolite by adding about 10% chabazite by weight to the salt-loaded zeolite prior to conversion at elevated temperatures and pressures to the ceramic composite. 3 figs.

Method for synthesizing pollucite from chabazite and cesium chloride

DOEpatents

Pereira, Candido

1999-01-01

A method for immobilizing waste chlorides salts containing radionuclides and hazardous nuclear material for permanent disposal, and in particular, a method for immobilizing waste chloride salts containing cesium, in a synthetic form of pollucite. The method for synthesizing pollucite from chabazite and cesium chloride includes mixing dry, non-aqueous cesium chloride with chabazite and heating the mixture to a temperature greater than the melting temperature of the cesium chloride, or above about 700.degree. C. The method further comprises significantly improving the rate of retention of cesium in ceramic products comprised of a salt-loaded zeolite by adding about 10% chabazite by weight to the salt-loaded zeolite prior to conversion at elevated temperatures and pressures to the ceramic composite.

Vitrification of waste

DOEpatents

Wicks, G.G.

1999-04-06

A method is described for encapsulating and immobilizing waste for disposal. Waste, preferably, biologically, chemically and radioactively hazardous, and especially electronic wastes, such as circuit boards, are placed in a crucible and heated by microwaves to a temperature in the range of approximately 300 C to 800 C to incinerate organic materials, then heated further to a temperature in the range of approximately 1100 C to 1400 C at which temperature glass formers present in the waste will cause it to vitrify. Glass formers, such as borosilicate glass, quartz or fiberglass can be added at the start of the process to increase the silicate concentration sufficiently for vitrification.

Secondary Waste Form Development and Optimization—Cast Stone

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sundaram, S. K.; Parker, Kent E.; Valenta, Michelle M.

2011-07-14

Washington River Protection Services is considering the design and construction of a Solidification Treatment Unit (STU) for the Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF) at Hanford. The ETF is a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act-permitted, multi-waste, treatment and storage unit and can accept dangerous, low-level, and mixed wastewaters for treatment. The STU needs to be operational by 2018 to receive secondary liquid wastes generated during operation of the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). The STU to ETF will provide the additional capacity needed for ETF to process the increased volume of secondary wastes expected to be produced by WTP.

Closed Fuel Cycle Waste Treatment Strategy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vienna, J. D.; Collins, E. D.; Crum, J. V.

This study is aimed at evaluating the existing waste management approaches for nuclear fuel cycle facilities in comparison to the objectives of implementing an advanced fuel cycle in the U.S. under current legal, regulatory, and logistical constructs. The study begins with the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) Integrated Waste Management Strategy (IWMS) (Gombert et al. 2008) as a general strategy and associated Waste Treatment Baseline Study (WTBS) (Gombert et al. 2007). The tenets of the IWMS are equally valid to the current waste management study. However, the flowsheet details have changed significantly from those considered under GNEP. In addition, significantmore » additional waste management technology development has occurred since the GNEP waste management studies were performed. This study updates the information found in the WTBS, summarizes the results of more recent technology development efforts, and describes waste management approaches as they apply to a representative full recycle reprocessing flowsheet. Many of the waste management technologies discussed also apply to other potential flowsheets that involve reprocessing. These applications are occasionally discussed where the data are more readily available. The report summarizes the waste arising from aqueous reprocessing of a typical light-water reactor (LWR) fuel to separate actinides for use in fabricating metal sodium fast reactor (SFR) fuel and from electrochemical reprocessing of the metal SFR fuel to separate actinides for recycle back into the SFR in the form of metal fuel. The primary streams considered and the recommended waste forms include; Tritium in low-water cement in high integrity containers (HICs); Iodine-129: As a reference case, a glass composite material (GCM) formed by the encapsulation of the silver Mordenite (AgZ) getter material in a low-temperature glass is assumed. A number of alternatives with distinct advantages are also considered including a fused silica waste form with encapsulated nano-sized AgI crystals; Carbon-14 immobilized as a CaCO3 in a cement waste form; Krypton-85 stored as a compressed gas; An aqueous reprocessing high-level waste (HLW) raffinate waste immobilized by the vitrification process; An undissolved solids (UDS) fraction from aqueous reprocessing of LWR fuel either included in the borosilicate HLW glass or immobilized in the form of a metal alloy or titanate ceramics; Zirconium-based LWR fuel cladding hulls and stainless steel (SS) fuel assembly hardware super-compacted for disposal or purified for reuse (or disposal as low-level waste, LLW) of Zr by reactive gas separations; Electrochemical process salt HLW incorporated into a glass bonded Sodalite waste form; and Electrochemical process UDS and SS cladding hulls melted into an iron based alloy waste form. Mass and volume estimates for each of the recommended waste forms based on the source terms from a representative flowsheet are reported. In addition to the above listed primary waste streams, a range of secondary process wastes are generated by aqueous reprocessing of LWR fuel, metal SFR fuel fabrication, and electrochemical reprocessing of SFR fuel. These secondary wastes have been summarized and volumes estimated by type and classification. The important waste management data gaps and research needs have been summarized for each primary waste stream and selected waste process.« less

Development of iron phosphate ceramic waste form to immobilize radioactive waste solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Jongkwon; Um, Wooyong; Choung, Sungwook

2014-09-01

The objective of this research was to develop an iron phosphate ceramic (IPC) waste form using converter slag obtained as a by-product of the steel industry as a source of iron instead of conventional iron oxide. Both synthetic off-gas scrubber solution containing technetium-99 (or Re as a surrogate) and LiCl-KCl eutectic salt, a final waste solution from pyrochemical processing of spent nuclear fuel, were used as radioactive waste streams. The IPC waste form was characterized for compressive strength, reduction capacity, chemical durability, and contaminant leachability. Compressive strengths of the IPC waste form prepared with different types of waste solutions were 16 MPa and 19 MPa for LiCl-KCl eutectic salt and the off-gas scrubber simulant, respectively, which meet the minimum compressive strength of 3.45 MPa (500 psi) for waste forms to be accepted into the radioactive waste repository. The reduction capacity of converter slag, a main dry ingredient used to prepare the IPC waste form, was 4136 meq/kg by the Ce(IV) method, which is much higher than those of the conventional Fe oxides used for the IPC waste form and the blast furnace slag materials. Average leachability indexes of Tc, Li, and K for the IPC waste form were higher than 6.0, and the IPC waste form demonstrated stable durability even after 63-day leaching. In addition, the Toxicity Characteristic Leach Procedure measurements of converter slag and the IPC waste form with LiCl-KCl eutectic salt met the universal treatment standard of the leachability limit for metals regulated by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. This study confirms the possibility of development of the IPC waste form using converter slag, showing its immobilization capability for radionuclides in both LiCl-KCl eutectic salt and off-gas scrubber solutions with significant cost savings.

Development of iron phosphate ceramic waste form to immobilize radioactive waste solution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Choi, Jongkwon; Um, Wooyong; Choung, Sungwook

The objective of this research was to develop an iron phosphate ceramic (IPC) waste form using converter slag obtained as a by-product of the steel industry as a source of iron instead of conventional iron oxide. Both synthetic off-gas scrubber solution containing technetium-99 (or Re as a surrogate) and LiCl-KCl eutectic salt, a final waste solution from pyrochemical processing of spent nuclear fuel, were used as radioactive waste streams. The IPC waste form was characterized for compressive strength, reduction capacity, chemical durability, and contaminant leachability. Compressive strengths of the IPC waste form prepared with different types of waste solutions weremore » 16 MPa and 19 MPa for LiCl-KCl eutectic salt and the off-gas scrubber simulant, respectively, which meet the minimum compressive strength of 3.45 MPa (500 psi) for waste forms to be accepted into the radioactive waste repository. The reduction capacity of converter slag, a main dry ingredient used to prepare the IPC waste form, was 4,136 meq/kg by the Ce(IV) method, which is much higher than those of the conventional Fe oxides used for the IPC waste form and the blast furnace slag materials. Average leachability indexes of Tc, Li, and K for the IPC waste form were higher than 6.0, and the IPC waste form demonstrated stable durability even after 63-day leaching. In addition, the Toxicity Characteristic Leach Procedure measurements of converter slag and the IPC waste form with LiCl-KCl eutectic salt met the universal treatment standard of the leachability limit for metals regulated by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. This study confirms the possibility of development of the IPC waste form using converter slag, showing its immobilization capability for radionuclides in both LiCl-KCl eutectic salt and off-gas scrubber solutions with significant cost savings.« less

Thermal treatment of toxic metals of industrial hazardous wastes with fly ash and clay.

PubMed

Singh, I B; Chaturvedi, K; Morchhale, R K; Yegneswaran, A H

2007-03-06

Waste generated from galvanizing and metal finishing processes is considered to be a hazardous due to the presence of toxic metals like Pb, Cu, Cr, Zn, etc. Thermal treatment of such types of wastes in the presence of clay and fly ash can immobilizes their toxic metals to a maximum level. After treatment solidified mass can be utilized in construction or disposed off through land fillings without susceptibility of re-mobilization of toxic metals. In the present investigation locally available clay and fly ash of particular thermal power plant were used as additives for thermal treatment of both of the wastes in their different proportions at 850, 900 and 950 degrees C. Observed results indicated that heating temperature to be a key factor in the immobilization of toxic metals of the waste. It was noticed that the leachability of metals of the waste reduces to a negligible level after heating at 950 degrees C. Thermally treated solidified specimen of 10% waste and remaining clay have shown comparatively a higher compressive strength than clay fired bricks used in building construction. Though, thermally heated specimens made of galvanizing waste have shown much better strength than specimen made of metal finishing waste. The lechability of toxic metals like Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn became far below from their regulatory threshold after heating at 950 degrees C. Addition of fly ash did not show any improvement either in engineering property or in leachability of metals from the solidified mass. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the solidified product confirmed the presence of mixed phases of oxides of metals.

Ion Exchange Column Tests Supporting Technetium Removal Resin Maturation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nash, C.; McCabe, D.; Hamm, L.

2013-12-20

The primary treatment of the tank waste at the DOE Hanford site will be done in the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, currently under construction. The baseline plan for this facility is to treat the waste, splitting it into High Level Waste (HLW) and Low Activity Waste (LAW). Both waste streams are then separately vitrified as glass and sealed in canisters. The LAW glass will be disposed on site. There are currently no plans to treat the waste to remove technetium, so its disposition path is the LAW glass. Due to the soluble properties of pertechnetate and long half-life ofmore » 99Tc, effective management of 99Tc is important. Options are being explored to immobilize the supplemental LAW portion of the tank waste, as well as to examine the volatility of 99Tc during the vitrification process. Removal of 99Tc, followed by off-site disposal has potential to reduce treatment and disposal costs. A conceptual flow sheets for supplemental LAW treatment and disposal that could benefit from technetium removal will specifically examine removing 99Tc from the LAW feed stream to supplemental immobilization. SuperLig® 639 is an elutable ion exchange resin. In the tank waste, 99Tc is predominantly found in the tank supernate as pertechnetate (TcO 4 -). Perrhenate (ReO 4 -) has been shown to be a good non-radioactive surrogate for pertechnetate in laboratory testing for this ion exchange resin. This report contains results of experimental ion exchange distribution coefficient and column resin maturation kinetics testing using the resin SuperLig® 639a to selectively remove perrhenate from simulated LAW. This revision includes results from testing to determine effective resin operating temperature range. Loading tests were performed at 45°C, and the computer modeling was updated to include the temperature effects. Equilibrium contact testing indicated that this batch of SuperLig® 639 resin has good performance, with an average perrhenate distribution coefficient of 291 mL/g at a 100:1 phase ratio. This slightly exceeds the computer-modeled equilibrium distribution. The modeling agreed well with the experimental data for perrhenate removal with minor adjustments. Predicted breakthrough performance was on average within about 20% of measured values.« less

Chemical composition analysis and product consistency tests to support Enhanced Hanford Waste Glass Models. Results for the Augusta and October 2014 LAW Glasses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fox, K. M.; Edwards, T. B.; Best, D. R.

2015-07-07

In this report, the Savannah River National Laboratory provides chemical analyses and Product Consistency Test (PCT) results for several simulated low activity waste (LAW) glasses (designated as the August and October 2014 LAW glasses) fabricated by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The results of these analyses will be used as part of efforts to revise or extend the validation regions of the current Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant glass property models to cover a broader span of waste compositions.

I-NERI-2007-004-K, DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NEW HIGH-LEVEL WASTE FORMS FOR ACHIEVING WASTE MINIMIZATION FROM PYROPROCESSING

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

S.M. Frank

Work describe in this report represents the final year activities for the 3-year International Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (I-NERI) project: Development and Characterization of New High-Level Waste Forms for Achieving Waste Minimization from Pyroprocessing. Used electrorefiner salt that contained actinide chlorides and was highly loaded with surrogate fission products was processed into three candidate waste forms. The first waste form, a high-loaded ceramic waste form is a variant to the CWF produced during the treatment of Experimental Breeder Reactor-II used fuel at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The two other waste forms were developed by researchers at the Korean Atomicmore » Energy Research Institute (KAERI). These materials are based on a silica-alumina-phosphate matrix and a zinc/titanium oxide matrix. The proposed waste forms, and the processes to fabricate them, were designed to immobilize spent electrorefiner chloride salts containing alkali, alkaline earth, lanthanide, and halide fission products that accumulate in the salt during the processing of used nuclear fuel. This aspect of the I-NERI project was to demonstrate 'hot cell' fabrication and characterization of the proposed waste forms. The outline of the report includes the processing of the spent electrorefiner salt and the fabrication of each of the three waste forms. Also described is the characterization of the waste forms, and chemical durability testing of the material. While waste form fabrication and sample preparation for characterization must be accomplished in a radiological hot cell facility due to hazardous radioactivity levels, smaller quantities of each waste form were removed from the hot cell to perform various analyses. Characterization included density measurement, elemental analysis, x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and the Product Consistency Test, which is a leaching method to measure chemical durability. Favorable results from this demonstration project will provide additional options for fission product immobilization and waste management associated the electrochemical/pyrometallurgical processing of used nuclear fuel.« less

Analysis of Hanford Cast Stone Supplemental LAW using Composition Adjusted SRS Tank 50 Salt Solution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Crawford, C.; Cozzi, A.; Hill, K.

Vitrification is the primary disposition path for Low Activity Waste (LAW) at the Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site. A cementitious waste form is one of the alternatives being considered for the supplemental immobilization of the LAW that will not be treated by the primary vitrification facility. Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) has been directed to generate and collect data on cementitious or pozzolanic waste forms such as Cast Stone.

Immobilization of LiCl-Li 2 O pyroprocessing salt wastes in chlorosodalite using glass-bonded hydrothermal and salt-occlusion methods

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Riley, Brian J.; Peterson, Jacob A.; Kroll, Jared O.

In this study, salt occlusion and hydrothermal processes were used to make chlorosodalite through reaction with a high-LiCl salt simulating a waste stream following pyrochemical treatment of oxide-based used nuclear fuel. Some products were reacted with glass binders to increase chlorosodalite yield through alkali ion exchange and aide in densification. Hydrothermal processes included reaction of the salt simulant in an acid digestion vessel with either zeolite 4A or sodium aluminate and colloidal silica. Chlorosodalite yields in the crystalline products were nearly complete in the glass-bonded materials at values of 100 mass% for the salt-occlusion method, up to 99.0 mass% formore » the hydrothermal synthesis with zeolite 4A, and up to 96 mass% for the hydrothermal synthesis with sodium aluminate and colloidal silica. These results show promise for using chemically stable chlorosodalite to immobilize oxide reduction salt wastes.« less

Optimized Production of Biodiesel from Waste Cooking Oil by Lipase Immobilized on Magnetic Nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Yu, Chi-Yang; Huang, Liang-Yu; Kuan, I-Ching; Lee, Shiow-Ling

2013-01-01

Biodiesel, a non-toxic and biodegradable fuel, has recently become a major source of renewable alternative fuels. Utilization of lipase as a biocatalyst to produce biodiesel has advantages over common alkaline catalysts such as mild reaction conditions, easy product separation, and use of waste cooking oil as raw material. In this study, Pseudomonas cepacia lipase immobilized onto magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) was used for biodiesel production from waste cooking oil. The optimal dosage of lipase-bound MNP was 40% (w/w of oil) and there was little difference between stepwise addition of methanol at 12 h- and 24 h-intervals. Reaction temperature, substrate molar ratio (methanol/oil), and water content (w/w of oil) were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). The optimal reaction conditions were 44.2 °C, substrate molar ratio of 5.2, and water content of 12.5%. The predicted and experimental molar conversions of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) were 80% and 79%, respectively. PMID:24336109

Utilization of natural hematite as reactive barrier for immobilization of radionuclides from radioactive liquid waste.

PubMed

El Afifi, E M; Attallah, M F; Borai, E H

2016-01-01

Potential utilization of hematite as a natural material for immobilization of long-lived radionuclides from radioactive liquid waste was investigated. Hematite ore has been characterized by different analytical tools such as Fourier transformer infrared (FTIR), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry (TG) and differential thermal (DT) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and BET-surface area. In this study, europium was used as REEs(III) and as a homolog of Am(III)-isotopes (such as (241)Am of 432.6 y, (242m)Am of 141 y and (243)Am of 7370 y). Micro particles of the hematite ore were used for treatment of radioactive waste containing (152+154)Eu(III). The results indicated that 96% (4.1 × 10(4) Bq) of (152+154)Eu(III) was efficiently retained onto hematite ore. Kinetic experiments indicated that the processes could be simulated by a pseudo-second-order model and suggested that the process may be chemisorption in nature. The applicability of Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin models was investigated. It was found that Langmuir isotherm exhibited the best fit with the experimental results. It can be concluded that hematite is an economic and efficient reactive barrier for immobilization of long-lived radio isotopes of actinides and REEs(III). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of organic loading rate on dark fermentative hydrogen production in the continuous stirred tank reactor and continuous mixed immobilized sludge reactor from waste pastry hydrolysate.

PubMed

Han, Wei; Hu, Yunyi; Li, Shiyi; Nie, Qiulin; Zhao, Hongting; Tang, Junhong

2016-12-01

Waste pastry (6%, w/v) was hydrolyzed by the produced glucoamylase and protease to obtain the glucose (19.8g/L) and free amino nitrogen (179mg/L) solution. Then, the effect of organic loading rate (OLR) (8-40kgCOD/(m 3 d)) on dark fermentative hydrogen production in the continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) and continuous mixed immobilized sludge reactor (CMISR) from waste pastry hydrolysate was investigated and compared. The maximum hydrogen production rate of CSTR (277.76mL/(hL)) and CMISR (320.2mL/(hL)) were achieved at OLR of 24kgCOD/(m 3 d) and 32kgCOD/(m 3 d), respectively. Carbon recovery ranged from 75.2-84.1% in the CSTR and CMISR with the balance assumed to be converted to biomass. One gram waste pastry could produce 0.33g (1.83mmol) glucose which could be further converted to 79.24mL (3.54mmol) hydrogen in the CMISR or 91.66mL (4.09mmol) hydrogen in the CSTR. This is the first study which reports dark fermentative hydrogen production from waste pastry. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recovery and safer disposal of phosphate coating sludge by solidification/stabilization.

PubMed

Ucaroglu, Selnur; Talinli, Ilhan

2012-08-30

Solidification/stabilization (S/S) of automotive phosphate coating sludge (PS) containing potentially toxic heavy metals was studied. The hazardous characteristics of this waste were assessed according to both Turkish and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations for hazardous solid waste. Unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and leaching behavior tests of the solidified/stabilized product were performed. Solidification studies were conducted using Portland cement (PC) as the binder. UCS was found to decrease with increasing waste content. It was found that recovery of the waste for construction applications was possible when the waste content of the mortar was 20% and below, but solidification for safe disposal was achieved only when higher waste concentrations were added. Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn were found to be significantly immobilized by the solidification/stabilization process. Ni and Zn, which were present at particularly high concentrations (2.281 and 135.318 g/kg respectively) in the PS, had highest the retention levels (94.87% and 98.74%, respectively) in the PC mortars. The organic contaminants and heavy metals present in PS were determined to be immobilized by the S/S process in accordance with the BS 6920 standard. Thus, the potential for hazardous PS waste to adversely impact human health and the environment was effectively eliminated by the S/S procedure. We conclude that S/S-treated PS is safe for disposal in landfills, while recovery of S/S-treated PS constituents remains possible. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ecotoxicological assessment of the potential impact on soil porewater, surface and groundwater from the use of organic wastes as soil amendments.

PubMed

Alvarenga, Paula; Mourinha, Clarisse; Farto, Márcia; Palma, Patrícia; Sengo, Joana; Morais, Marie-Christine; Cunha-Queda, Cristina

2016-04-01

This study aimed to assess the potential impact on soil porewater, surface and groundwater from the beneficial application of organic wastes to soil, using their eluates and acute bioassays with aquatic organisms and plants: luminescence inhibition of Vibrio fischeri (15 and 30 min), Daphnia magna immobilization (48 h), Thamnocephalus platyurus survival (24 h), and seed germination of Lolium perenne (7 d) and Lactuca sativa (5 d). Some organic wastes' eluates promoted high toxic responses, but that toxicity could not be predicted by their chemical characterization, which is compulsory by regulatory documents. In fact, when organisms were exposed to the water-extractable chemical compounds of the organic wastes, the toxic responses were more connected to the degree of stabilization of the organic wastes, or to the treatment used to achieve that stabilization, than to their contaminant load. That is why the environmental risk assessment of the use of organic wastes as soil amendments should integrate bioassays with eluates, in order to correctly evaluate the effects of the most bioavailable fraction of all the chemical compounds, which can be difficult to predict from the characterization required in regulatory documents. According to our results, some rapid and standardized acute bioassays can be suggested to integrate a Tier 1 ecotoxicological evaluation of organic wastes with potential to be land applied, namely luminescence inhibition of V. fischeri, D. magna immobilization, and the germination of L. perenne and L. sativa. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Formulation and preparation of Hanford Waste Treatment Plant direct feed low activity waste Effluent Management Facility core simulant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McCabe, Daniel J.; Nash, Charles A.; Adamson, Duane J.

The Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) Low Activity Waste (LAW) vitrification facility will generate an aqueous condensate recycle stream (LAW Melter Off-Gas Condensate, LMOGC) from the off-gas system. The baseline plan for disposition of this stream during full WTP operations is to send it to the WTP Pretreatment Facility, where it will be blended with LAW, concentrated by evaporation and recycled to the LAW vitrification facility. However, during the Direct Feed LAW (DFLAW) scenario, planned disposition of this stream is to evaporate it in a new evaporator in the Effluent Management Facility (EMF) and then return it tomore » the LAW melter. It is important to understand the composition of the effluents from the melter and new evaporator so that the disposition of these streams can be accurately planned and accommodated. Furthermore, alternate disposition of the LMOGC stream would eliminate recycling of problematic components, and would enable less integrated operation of the LAW melter and the Pretreatment Facilities. Alternate disposition would also eliminate this stream from recycling within WTP when it begins operations and would decrease the LAW vitrification mission duration and quantity of glass waste, amongst the other problems such a recycle stream present. This LAW Melter Off-Gas Condensate stream will contain components that are volatile at melter temperatures and are problematic for the glass waste form, such as halides and sulfate. Because this stream will recycle within WTP, these components accumulate in the Melter Condensate stream, exacerbating their impact on the number of LAW glass containers that must be produced. Diverting the stream reduces the halides and sulfate in the recycled Condensate and is a key outcome of this work. This overall program examines the potential treatment and immobilization of this stream to enable alternative disposal. The objective of this task was to formulate and prepare a simulant of the LAW Melter Off-gas Condensate expected during DFLAW operations. That simulant can be used in evaporator testing to predict the composition of the effluents from the Effluent Management Facility (EMF) evaporator to aid in planning for their disposition. This document describes the method used to formulate a simulant of this LAW Melter Off-Gas Condensate stream, which, after pH adjustment, is the feed to the evaporator in the EMF.« less

SOLIDIFICATION OF THE HANFORD LAW WASTE STREAM PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF NEAR-TANK CONTINUOUS SLUDGE LEACHING AND SODIUM HYDROXIDE RECOVERY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reigel, M.; Johnson, F.; Crawford, C.

2011-09-20

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of River Protection (ORP), is responsible for the remediation and stabilization of the Hanford Site tank farms, including 53 million gallons of highly radioactive mixed wasted waste contained in 177 underground tanks. The plan calls for all waste retrieved from the tanks to be transferred to the Waste Treatment Plant (WTP). The WTP will consist of three primary facilities including pretreatment facilities for Low Activity Waste (LAW) to remove aluminum, chromium and other solids and radioisotopes that are undesirable in the High Level Waste (HLW) stream. Removal of aluminum from HLW sludge canmore » be accomplished through continuous sludge leaching of the aluminum from the HLW sludge as sodium aluminate; however, this process will introduce a significant amount of sodium hydroxide into the waste stream and consequently will increase the volume of waste to be dispositioned. A sodium recovery process is needed to remove the sodium hydroxide and recycle it back to the aluminum dissolution process. The resulting LAW waste stream has a high concentration of aluminum and sodium and will require alternative immobilization methods. Five waste forms were evaluated for immobilization of LAW at Hanford after the sodium recovery process. The waste forms considered for these two waste streams include low temperature processes (Saltstone/Cast stone and geopolymers), intermediate temperature processes (steam reforming and phosphate glasses) and high temperature processes (vitrification). These immobilization methods and the waste forms produced were evaluated for (1) compliance with the Performance Assessment (PA) requirements for disposal at the IDF, (2) waste form volume (waste loading), and (3) compatibility with the tank farms and systems. The iron phosphate glasses tested using the product consistency test had normalized release rates lower than the waste form requirements although the CCC glasses had higher release rates than the quenched glasses. However, the waste form failed to meet the vapor hydration test criteria listed in the WTP contract. In addition, the waste loading in the phosphate glasses were not as high as other candidate waste forms. Vitrification of HLW waste as borosilicate glass is a proven process; however the HLW and LAW streams at Hanford can vary significantly from waste currently being immobilized. The ccc glasses show lower release rates for B and Na than the quenched glasses and all glasses meet the acceptance criterion of < 4 g/L. Glass samples spiked with Re{sub 2}O{sub 7} also passed the PCT test. However, further vapor hydration testing must be performed since all the samples cracked and the test could not be performed. The waste loading of the iron phosphate and borosilicate glasses are approximately 20 and 25% respectively. The steam reforming process produced the predicted waste form for both the high and low aluminate waste streams. The predicted waste loadings for the monolithic samples is approximately 39%, which is higher than the glass waste forms; however, at the time of this report, no monolithic samples were made and therefore compliance with the PA cannot be determined. The waste loading in the geopolymer is approximately 40% but can vary with the sodium hydroxide content in the waste stream. Initial geopolymer mixes revealed compressive strengths that are greater than 500 psi for the low aluminate mixes and less than 500 psi for the high aluminate mixes. Further work testing needs to be performed to formulate a geopolymer waste form made using a high aluminate salt solution. A cementitious waste form has the advantage that the process is performed at ambient conditions and is a proven process currently in use for LAW disposal. The Saltstone/Cast Stone formulated using low and high aluminate salt solutions retained at least 97% of the Re that was added to the mix as a dopant. While this data is promising, additional leaching testing must be performed to show compliance with the PA. Compressive strength tests must also be performed on the Cast Stone monoliths to verify PA compliance. Based on testing performed for this report, the borosilicate glass and Cast Stone are the recommended waste forms for further testing. Both are proven technologies for radioactive waste disposal and the initial testing using simulated Hanford LAW waste shows compliance with the PA. Both are resistant to leaching and have greater than 25% waste loading.« less

Tellurite glasses for vitrification of technetium-99 from pyrochemical processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pyo, Jae-Young; Lee, Cheong Won; Park, Hwan-Seo; Yang, Jae Hwan; Um, Wooyong; Heo, Jong

2017-09-01

A new alkali-alumino tellurite glass composition was developed to immobilize highly-volatile technetium (Tc) wastes generated from the pyrochemical processing technology. Tellurite glass can incorporate up to 7 mass% of rhenium (Re, used as a surrogate for Tc) with an average retention of 86%. Normalized elemental releases evaluated by seven-day product consistency test (PCT) satisfied the immobilized low activity waste requirements of United States when concentration of Ca(ReO4)2 in the glass was <12 mass%. Re ions form Re7+ and are coordinated with four oxygens to form ReO4- tetrahedra. These tetrahedra bond to modifiers such as Ca2+ or Na+ that are further connected to the tellurite glass network by Ca2+ (or Na+) - non-bridging oxygen bonds.

Advanced Borobond™ Shields for Nuclear Materials Containment and Borobond™ Immobilization of Volatile Fission Products - Final CRADA Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wagh, Arun S.

2016-05-19

Borobond is a company-proprietary material developed by the CRADA partner in collaboration with Argonne, and is based on Argonne's Ceramicrete technology. It is being used by DOE for nuclear materials safe storage, and Boron Products, LLC is the manufacturer and supplier of Borobond. The major objective of this project was to produce a more versatile composition of this material and find new applications. Major target applications were use for nuclear radiation shields, such as in dry storage casks; use in immobilization of most difficult waste streams, such as Hanford K-Basin waste; use for soluble and volatile fission products, such asmore » Cs, Tc, Sr, and I; and use for corrosion and fire protection applications in nuclear facilities.« less

Review on Material Synthesis and Characterization of Sodium (Na) Super-Ionic Conductor (NASICON)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kimpa, M. I.; Mayzan, M. Z. H.; Yabagi, J. A.; Nmaya, M. M.; Isah, K. U.; Agam, M. A.

2018-04-01

Sodium (Na) Super Ionic Conductor (NASICON) has general formula Na1+ x Zr2P3- xSi x O12 (0 ≤x ≤ 3) derived from its parent compound, sodium zirconium phosphate NaZr2(PO4)3 (NZP) which belong to a rhombohedral crystal structure. This material consists of three-dimensional structure with interesting features such as low thermal expansion coefficient, thermal stability, gas sensor and nuclear waste immobilization that make it viable for industrial applications. Current study presents comprehensive studies on the synthesis and essential characteristics required to understand the theory behind the mechanism that justifies the study of NASICON structure and its application such as lithium ion rechargeable battery, gas sensor, and nuclear waste immobilization and so on.

Final Report - "Foaming and Antifoaming and Gas Entrainment in Radioactive Waste Pretreatment and Immobilization Processes"

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wasan, Darsh T.

2007-10-09

The Savannah River Site (SRS) and Hanford site are in the process of stabilizing millions of gallons of radioactive waste slurries remaining from production of nuclear materials for the Department of Energy (DOE). The Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) at SRS is currently vitrifying the waste in borosilicate glass, while the facilities at the Hanford site are in the construction phase. Both processes utilize slurry-fed joule-heated melters to vitrify the waste slurries. The DWPF has experienced difficulty during operations. The cause of the operational problems has been attributed to foaming, gas entrainment and the rheological properties of the process slurries.more » The rheological properties of the waste slurries limit the total solids content that can be processed by the remote equipment during the pretreatment and meter feed processes. Highly viscous material can lead to air entrainment during agitation and difficulties with pump operations. Excessive foaming in waste evaporators can cause carryover of radionuclides and non-radioactive waste to the condensate system. Experimental and theoretical investigations of the surface phenomena, suspension rheology and bubble generation of interactions that lead to foaming and air entrainment problems in the DOE High Level and Low Activity Radioactive Waste separation and immobilization processes were pursued under this project. The first major task accomplished in the grant proposal involved development of a theoretical model of the phenomenon of foaming in a three-phase gas-liquid-solid slurry system. This work was presented in a recently completed Ph.D. thesis (9). The second major task involved the investigation of the inter-particle interaction and microstructure formation in a model slurry by the batch sedimentation method. Both experiments and modeling studies were carried out. The results were presented in a recently completed Ph.D. thesis. The third task involved the use of laser confocal microscopy to study the effectiveness of three slurry rheology modifiers. An effective modifier was identified which resulted in lowering the yield stress of the waste simulant. Therefore, the results of this research have led to the basic understanding of the foaming/antifoaming mechanism in waste slurries as well as identification of a rheology modifier, which enhances the processing throughput, and accelerates the DOE mission. The objectives of this research effort were to develop a fundamental understanding of the physico-chemical mechanisms that produced foaming and air entrainment in the DOE High Level (HLW) and Low Activity (LAW) radioactive waste separation and immobilization processes, and to develop and test advanced antifoam/defoaming/rheology modifier agents. Antifoams/rheology modifiers developed from this research ere tested using non-radioactive simulants of the radioactive wastes obtained from Hanford and the Savannah River Site (SRS).« less

Phosphate glasses for radioactive, hazardous and mixed waste immobilization

DOEpatents

Cao, H.; Adams, J.W.; Kalb, P.D.

1999-03-09

Lead-free phosphate glass compositions are provided which can be used to immobilize low level and/or high level radioactive wastes in monolithic waste forms. The glass composition may also be used without waste contained therein. Lead-free phosphate glass compositions prepared at about 900 C include mixtures from about 1 mole % to about 6 mole % iron (III) oxide, from about 1 mole % to about 6 mole % aluminum oxide, from about 15 mole % to about 20 mole % sodium oxide or potassium oxide, and from about 30 mole % to about 60 mole % phosphate. The invention also provides phosphate, lead-free glass ceramic glass compositions which are prepared from about 400 C to about 450 C and which includes from about 3 mole % to about 6 mole % sodium oxide, from about 20 mole % to about 50 mole % tin oxide, from about 30 mole % to about 70 mole % phosphate, from about 3 mole % to about 6 mole % aluminum oxide, from about 3 mole % to about 8 mole % silicon oxide, from about 0.5 mole % to about 2 mole % iron (III) oxide and from about 3 mole % to about 6 mole % potassium oxide. Method of making lead-free phosphate glasses are also provided. 8 figs.

Phosphate glasses for radioactive, hazardous and mixed waste immobilization

DOEpatents

Cao, Hui; Adams, Jay W.; Kalb, Paul D.

1998-11-24

Lead-free phosphate glass compositions are provided which can be used to immobilize low level and/or high level radioactive wastes in monolithic waste forms. The glass composition may also be used without waste contained therein. Lead-free phosphate glass compositions prepared at about 900.degree. C. include mixtures from about 1 mole % to about 6 mole % iron (III) oxide, from about 1 mole % to about 6 mole % aluminum oxide, from about 15 mole % to about 20 mole % sodium oxide or potassium oxide, and from about 30 mole % to about 60 mole % phosphate. The invention also provides phosphate, lead-free glass ceramic glass compositions which are prepared from about 400.degree. C. to about 450.degree. C. and which includes from about 3 mole % to about 6 mole % sodium oxide, from about 20 mole % to about 50 mole % tin oxide, from about 30 mole % to about 70 mole % phosphate, from about 3 mole % to about 6 mole % aluminum oxide, from about 3 mole % to about 8 mole % silicon oxide, from about 0.5 mole % to about 2 mole % iron (III) oxide and from about 3 mole % to about 6 mole % potassium oxide. Method of making lead-free phosphate glasses are also provided.

Phosphate glasses for radioactive, hazardous and mixed waste immobilization

DOEpatents

Cao, Hui; Adams, Jay W.; Kalb, Paul D.

1999-03-09

Lead-free phosphate glass compositions are provided which can be used to immobilize low level and/or high level radioactive wastes in monolithic waste forms. The glass composition may also be used without waste contained therein. Lead-free phosphate glass compositions prepared at about 900.degree. C. include mixtures from about 1 mole % to about 6 mole %.iron (III) oxide, from about 1 mole % to about 6 mole % aluminum oxide, from about 15 mole % to about 20 mole % sodium oxide or potassium oxide, and from about 30 mole % to about 60 mole % phosphate. The invention also provides phosphate, lead-free glass ceramic glass compositions which are prepared from about 400.degree. C. to about 450.degree. C. and which includes from about 3 mole % to about 6 mole % sodium oxide, from about 20 mole % to about 50 mole % tin oxide, from about 30 mole % to about 70 mole % phosphate, from about 3 mole % to about 6 mole % aluminum oxide, from about 3 mole % to about 8 mole % silicon oxide, from about 0.5 mole % to about 2 mole % iron (III) oxide and from about 3 mole % to about 6 mole % potassium oxide. Method of making lead-free phosphate glasses are also provided.

Physical, Hydraulic, and Transport Properties of Sediments and Engineered Materials Associated with Hanford Immobilized Low-Activity Waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rockhold, Mark L.; Zhang, Z. F.; Meyer, Philip D.

2015-02-28

Current plans for treatment and disposal of immobilized low-activity waste (ILAW) from Hanford’s underground waste storage tanks include vitrification and storage of the glass waste form in a nearsurface disposal facility. This Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF) is located in the 200 East Area of the Hanford Central Plateau. Performance assessment (PA) of the IDF requires numerical modeling of subsurface flow and reactive transport processes over very long periods (thousands of years). The models used to predict facility performance require parameters describing various physical, hydraulic, and transport properties. This report provides updated estimates of physical, hydraulic, and transport properties and parametersmore » for both near- and far-field materials, intended for use in future IDF PA modeling efforts. Previous work on physical and hydraulic property characterization for earlier IDF PA analyses is reviewed and summarized. For near-field materials, portions of this document and parameter estimates are taken from an earlier data package. For far-field materials, a critical review is provided of methodologies used in previous data packages. Alternative methods are described and associated parameters are provided.« less

Vitrification of waste

DOEpatents

Wicks, George G.

1999-01-01

A method for encapsulating and immobilizing waste for disposal. Waste, preferably, biologically, chemically and radioactively hazardous, and especially electronic wastes, such as circuit boards, are placed in a crucible and heated by microwaves to a temperature in the range of approximately 300.degree. C. to 800.degree. C. to incinerate organic materials, then heated further to a temperature in the range of approximately 1100.degree. C. to 1400.degree. C. at which temperature glass formers present in the waste will cause it to vitrify. Glass formers, such as borosilicate glass, quartz or fiberglass can be added at the start of the process to increase the silicate concentration sufficiently for vitrification.

Goethite Bench-scale and Large-scale Preparation Tests

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Josephson, Gary B.; Westsik, Joseph H.

2011-10-23

The Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) is the keystone for cleanup of high-level radioactive waste from our nation's nuclear defense program. The WTP will process high-level waste from the Hanford tanks and produce immobilized high-level waste glass for disposal at a national repository, low activity waste (LAW) glass, and liquid effluent from the vitrification off-gas scrubbers. The liquid effluent will be stabilized into a secondary waste form (e.g. grout-like material) and disposed on the Hanford site in the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF) along with the low-activity waste glass. The major long-term environmental impact at Hanford results from technetiummore » that volatilizes from the WTP melters and finally resides in the secondary waste. Laboratory studies have indicated that pertechnetate ({sup 99}TcO{sub 4}{sup -}) can be reduced and captured into a solid solution of {alpha}-FeOOH, goethite (Um 2010). Goethite is a stable mineral and can significantly retard the release of technetium to the environment from the IDF. The laboratory studies were conducted using reaction times of many days, which is typical of environmental subsurface reactions that were the genesis of this new process. This study was the first step in considering adaptation of the slow laboratory steps to a larger-scale and faster process that could be conducted either within the WTP or within the effluent treatment facility (ETF). Two levels of scale-up tests were conducted (25x and 400x). The largest scale-up produced slurries of Fe-rich precipitates that contained rhenium as a nonradioactive surrogate for {sup 99}Tc. The slurries were used in melter tests at Vitreous State Laboratory (VSL) to determine whether captured rhenium was less volatile in the vitrification process than rhenium in an unmodified feed. A critical step in the technetium immobilization process is to chemically reduce Tc(VII) in the pertechnetate (TcO{sub 4}{sup -}) to Tc(Iv)by reaction with the ferrous ion, Fe{sup 2+}-Fe{sup 2+} is oxidized to Fe{sup 3+} - in the presence of goethite seed particles. Rhenium does not mimic that process; it is not a strong enough reducing agent to duplicate the TcO{sub 4}{sup -}/Fe{sup 2+} redox reactions. Laboratory tests conducted in parallel with these scaled tests identified modifications to the liquid chemistry necessary to reduce ReO{sub 4}{sup -} and capture rhenium in the solids at levels similar to those achieved by Um (2010) for inclusion of Tc into goethite. By implementing these changes, Re was incorporated into Fe-rich solids for testing at VSL. The changes also changed the phase of iron that was in the slurry product: rather than forming goethite ({alpha}-FeOOH), the process produced magnetite (Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}). Magnetite was considered by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and VSL to probably be a better product to improve Re retention in the melter because it decomposes at a higher temperature than goethite (1538 C vs. 136 C). The feasibility tests at VSL were conducted using Re-rich magnetite. The tests did not indicate an improved retention of Re in the glass during vitrification, but they did indicate an improved melting rate (+60%), which could have significant impact on HLW processing. It is still to be shown whether the Re is a solid solution in the magnetite as {sup 99}Tc was determined to be in goethite.« less

Stabilization of Pb²⁺ and Cu²⁺ contaminated firing range soil using calcined oyster shells and waste cow bones.

PubMed

Moon, Deok Hyun; Cheong, Kyung Hoon; Khim, Jeehyeong; Wazne, Mahmoud; Hyun, Seunghun; Park, Jeong-Hun; Chang, Yoon-Young; Ok, Yong Sik

2013-05-01

Pb(2+) and Cu(2+) contamination at army firing ranges poses serious environmental and health risks to nearby communities necessitating an immediate and prompt remedial action. In this study, a novel mixture of calcined oyster shells (COSs) and waste cow bones (WCBs) was utilized to immobilize Pb(2+) and Cu(2+) in army firing range soils. The effectiveness of the treatment was evaluated based on the Korean Standard leaching test. The treatment results showed that Pb(2+) and Cu(2+) immobilization in the army firing range soil was effective in significantly reducing Pb(2+) and Cu(2+) leachability upon the combined treatment with COS and WCB. A drastic reduction in Pb(2+) (99%) and Cu(2+) leachability (95%) was obtained as compared to the control sample, upon treatment with 5 wt.% COS and 5 wt.% WCB. The combination treatment of COS and WCB was more effective for Pb immobilization, than the treatment with COS or WCB alone. The 5 wt.% COS alone treatment resulted in 95% reduction in Cu(2+) leachability. The SEM-EDX results suggested that Pb(2+) and Cu(2+) immobilization was most probably associated with the formation of ettringite, pozzolanic reaction products and pyromorphite-like phases at the same time. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advanced High-Level Waste Glass Research and Development Plan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peeler, David K.; Vienna, John D.; Schweiger, Michael J.

2015-07-01

The U.S. Department of Energy Office of River Protection (ORP) has implemented an integrated program to increase the loading of Hanford tank wastes in glass while meeting melter lifetime expectancies and process, regulatory, and product quality requirements. The integrated ORP program is focused on providing a technical, science-based foundation from which key decisions can be made regarding the successful operation of the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) facilities. The fundamental data stemming from this program will support development of advanced glass formulations, key process control models, and tactical processing strategies to ensure safe and successful operations formore » both the low-activity waste (LAW) and high-level waste (HLW) vitrification facilities with an appreciation toward reducing overall mission life. The purpose of this advanced HLW glass research and development plan is to identify the near-, mid-, and longer-term research and development activities required to develop and validate advanced HLW glasses and their associated models to support facility operations at WTP, including both direct feed and full pretreatment flowsheets. This plan also integrates technical support of facility operations and waste qualification activities to show the interdependence of these activities with the advanced waste glass (AWG) program to support the full WTP mission. Figure ES-1 shows these key ORP programmatic activities and their interfaces with both WTP facility operations and qualification needs. The plan is a living document that will be updated to reflect key advancements and mission strategy changes. The research outlined here is motivated by the potential for substantial economic benefits (e.g., significant increases in waste throughput and reductions in glass volumes) that will be realized when advancements in glass formulation continue and models supporting facility operations are implemented. Developing and applying advanced glass formulations will reduce the cost of Hanford tank waste management by reducing the schedule for tank waste treatment and reducing the amount of HLW glass for storage, transportation, and disposal. Additional benefits will be realized if advanced glasses are developed that demonstrate more tolerance for key components in the waste (such as Al 2O 3, Cr 2O 3, SO 3 and Na 2O) above the currently defined WTP constraints. Tolerating these higher concentrations of key waste loading limiters may reduce the burden on (or even eliminate the need for) leaching to remove Cr and Al and washing to remove excess S and Na from the HLW fraction. Advanced glass formulations may also make direct vitrification of the HLW fraction without significant pretreatment more cost effective. Finally, the advanced glass formulation efforts seek not only to increase waste loading in glass, but also to increase glass production rate. When coupled with higher waste loading, ensuring that all of the advanced glass formulations are processable at or above the current contract processing rate leads to significant improvements in waste throughput (the amount of waste being processed per unit time),which could significantly reduce the overall WTP mission life. The integration of increased waste loading, reduced leaching/washing requirements, and improved melting rates provides a system-wide approach to improve the effectiveness of the WTP process.« less

Results For The Fourth Quarter 2014 Tank 50 WAC Slurry Sample: Chemical And Radionuclide Contaminants

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Crawford, C.

2015-09-30

This report details the chemical and radionuclide contaminant results for the characterization of the Calendar Year (CY) 2014 Fourth Quarter sampling of Tank 50 for the Saltstone Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) in effect at that time. Information from this characterization will be used by DWPF & Saltstone Facility Engineering (DSFE) to support the transfer of low-level aqueous waste from Tank 50 to the Salt Feed Tank in the Saltstone Facility in Z-Area, where the waste will be immobilized. This information is also used to update the Tank 50 Waste Characterization System.

Crystal accumulation in the Hanford Waste Treatment Plant high level waste melter: Summary of 2017 experiments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fox, K.; Fowley, M.

A full-scale, transparent mock-up of the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Project High Level Waste glass melter riser and pour spout has been constructed to allow for testing with visual feedback of particle settling, accumulation, and resuspension when operating with a controlled fraction of crystals in the glass melt. Room temperature operation with silicone oil and magnetite particles simulating molten glass and spinel crystals, respectively, allows for direct observation of flow patterns and settling patterns. The fluid and particle mixture is recycled within the system for each test.

2. VIEW OF THE MICROWAVE MELTER DEVELOPED BY THE RESEARCH ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

2. VIEW OF THE MICROWAVE MELTER DEVELOPED BY THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT GROUP LOCATED IN BUILDING 701. THE MICROWAVE MELTER TRANSFORMED WASTE INTO A VITREOUS GLASS-LIKE SUBSTANCE, IMMOBILIZING THE WASTE, SO THAT IT COULD BE SHIPPED OFF SITE FOR DISPOSAL. (1/31/91) - Rocky Flats Plant, Design Laboratory, Northwest quadrant of Plant, between buildings 776-777 & 771, Golden, Jefferson County, CO

Thermodynamic and Microstructural Mechanisms in the Corrosion of Advanced Ceramic Tc-bearing Waste Forms and Thermophysical Properties

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hartmann, Thomas

Technetium-99 (Tc, t 1/2 = 2.13x10 5 years) is a challenge from a nuclear waste perspective and is one of the most abundant, long-lived radioisotopes found in used nuclear fuel (UNF). Within the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, technetium volatilizes at typical glass melting temperature, is captured in the off-gas treatment system and recycled back into the feed to eventually increase Tc-loadings of the glass. The aim of this NEUP project was to provide an alternative strategy to immobilize fission technetium as durable ceramic waste form and also to avoid the accumulation of volatile technetium within the offmore » gas melter system in the course of vitrifying radioactive effluents in a ceramic melter. During this project our major attention was turned to the fabrication of chemical durable mineral phases where technetium is structurally bond entirely as tetravalent cation. These mineral phases will act as the primary waste form with optimal waste loading and superior resistance against leaching and corrosion. We have been very successful in fabricating phase-pure micro-gram amounts of lanthanide-technetium pyrochlores by dry-chemical synthesis. However, upscaling to a gram-size synthesis route using either dry- or wet-chemical processing was not always successful, but progress can be reported on a variety of aspects. During the course of this 5-year NEUP project (including a 2-year no-cost extension) we have significantly enhanced the existing knowledge on the fabrication and properties of ceramic technetium waste forms.« less

RADIOACTIVE DEMONSTRATIONS OF FLUIDIZED BED STEAM REFORMING AS A SUPPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR HANFORD'S LOW ACTIVITY WASTE AND SECONDARY WASTES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jantzen, C.; Crawford, C.; Cozzi, A.

The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of River Protection (ORP) is responsible for the retrieval, treatment, immobilization, and disposal of Hanford's tank waste. Currently there are approximately 56 million gallons of highly radioactive mixed wastes awaiting treatment. A key aspect of the River Protection Project (RPP) cleanup mission is to construct and operate the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). The WTP will separate the tank waste into high-level and low-activity waste (LAW) fractions, both of which will subsequently be vitrified. The projected throughput capacity of the WTP LAW Vitrification Facility is insufficient to complete the RPP mission in themore » time frame required by the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order, also known as the Tri-Party Agreement (TPA), i.e. December 31, 2047. Therefore, Supplemental Treatment is required both to meet the TPA treatment requirements as well as to more cost effectively complete the tank waste treatment mission. The Supplemental Treatment chosen will immobilize that portion of the retrieved LAW that is not sent to the WTP's LAW Vitrification facility into a solidified waste form. The solidified waste will then be disposed on the Hanford site in the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF). In addition, the WTP LAW vitrification facility off-gas condensate known as WTP Secondary Waste (WTP-SW) will be generated and enriched in volatile components such as Cs-137, I-129, Tc-99, Cl, F, and SO4 that volatilize at the vitrification temperature of 1150 C in the absence of a continuous cold cap. The current waste disposal path for the WTP-SW is to recycle it to the supplemental LAW treatment to avoid a large steady state accumulation in the pretreatment-vitrification loop. Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) offers a moderate temperature (700-750 C) continuous method by which LAW and/or WTP-SW wastes can be processed irrespective of whether they contain organics, nitrates, sulfates/sulfides, chlorides, fluorides, volatile radionuclides or other aqueous components. The FBSR technology can process these wastes into a crystalline ceramic (mineral) waste form. The mineral waste form that is produced by co-processing waste with kaolin clay in an FBSR process has been shown to be as durable as LAW glass. Monolithing of the granular FBSR product is being investigated to prevent dispersion during transport or burial/storage but is not necessary for performance. A Benchscale Steam Reformer (BSR) was designed and constructed at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) to treat actual radioactive wastes to confirm the findings of the non-radioactive FBSR pilot scale tests and to qualify the waste form for applications at Hanford. Radioactive testing commenced in 2010 with a demonstration of Hanford's WTP-SW where Savannah River Site (SRS) High Level Waste (HLW) secondary waste from the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) was shimmed with a mixture of I-125/129 and Tc-99 to chemically resemble WTP-SW. Ninety six grams of radioactive product were made for testing. The second campaign commenced using SRS LAW chemically trimmed to look like Hanford's LAW. Six hundred grams of radioactive product were made for extensive testing and comparison to the non-radioactive pilot scale tests. The same mineral phases were found in the radioactive and non-radioactive testing.« less

RADIOACTIVE DEMONSTRATION OF FINAL MINERALIZED WASTE FORMS FOR HANFORD WASTE TREATMENT PLANT SECONDARY WASTE BY FLUIDIZED BED STEAM REFORMING USING THE BENCH SCALE REFORMER PLATFORM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Crawford, C.; Burket, P.; Cozzi, A.

2012-02-02

The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of River Protection (ORP) is responsible for the retrieval, treatment, immobilization, and disposal of Hanford's tank waste. Currently there are approximately 56 million gallons of highly radioactive mixed wastes awaiting treatment. A key aspect of the River Protection Project (RPP) cleanup mission is to construct and operate the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). The WTP will separate the tank waste into high-level and low-activity waste (LAW) fractions, both of which will subsequently be vitrified. The projected throughput capacity of the WTP LAW Vitrification Facility is insufficient to complete the RPP mission in themore » time frame required by the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order, also known as the Tri-Party Agreement (TPA), i.e. December 31, 2047. Therefore, Supplemental Treatment is required both to meet the TPA treatment requirements as well as to more cost effectively complete the tank waste treatment mission. In addition, the WTP LAW vitrification facility off-gas condensate known as WTP Secondary Waste (WTP-SW) will be generated and enriched in volatile components such as {sup 137}Cs, {sup 129}I, {sup 99}Tc, Cl, F, and SO{sub 4} that volatilize at the vitrification temperature of 1150 C in the absence of a continuous cold cap (that could minimize volatilization). The current waste disposal path for the WTP-SW is to process it through the Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF). Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) is being considered for immobilization of the ETF concentrate that would be generated by processing the WTP-SW. The focus of this current report is the WTP-SW. FBSR offers a moderate temperature (700-750 C) continuous method by which WTP-SW wastes can be processed irrespective of whether they contain organics, nitrates, sulfates/sulfides, chlorides, fluorides, volatile radionuclides or other aqueous components. The FBSR technology can process these wastes into a crystalline ceramic (mineral) waste form. The mineral waste form that is produced by co-processing waste with kaolin clay in an FBSR process has been shown to be as durable as LAW glass. Monolithing of the granular FBSR product is being investigated to prevent dispersion during transport or burial/storage, but is not necessary for performance. A Benchscale Steam Reformer (BSR) was designed and constructed at the SRNL to treat actual radioactive wastes to confirm the findings of the non-radioactive FBSR pilot scale tests and to qualify the waste form for applications at Hanford. BSR testing with WTP SW waste surrogates and associated analytical analyses and tests of granular products (GP) and monoliths began in the Fall of 2009, and then was continued from the Fall of 2010 through the Spring of 2011. Radioactive testing commenced in 2010 with a demonstration of Hanford's WTP-SW where Savannah River Site (SRS) High Level Waste (HLW) secondary waste from the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) was shimmed with a mixture of {sup 125/129}I and {sup 99}Tc to chemically resemble WTP-SW. Prior to these radioactive feed tests, non-radioactive simulants were also processed. Ninety six grams of radioactive granular product were made for testing and comparison to the non-radioactive pilot scale tests. The same mineral phases were found in the radioactive and non-radioactive testing.« less

Ageing of a phosphate ceramic used to immobilize chloride-contaminated actinide waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Metcalfe, Brian; Donald, Ian W.; Fong, Shirley K.

2009-03-31

At AWE, we have developed a process for the immobilization of ILW waste containing a significant quantity of chloride with Ca 3(PO 4) 2 as the host material. Waste ions are incorporated into two phosphate-based phases, chlorapatite [Ca 5(PO 4) 3Cl] and spodiosite [Ca 2(PO 4)Cl]. Non-active trials performed at AWE with Sm as the actinide surrogate demonstrated the durability of these phases in aqueous solution. Trials of the process, in which actinide-doped materials were used, wer performed at PNNL where the waste form was found to be resistant to aqueous leaching. Initial leach trials conducted on 239Pu / 241Ammore » loaded ceramic at 40°C/28 days gave normalized mass losses of 1.2 x 10 -5 g.m -2 and 2.7 x 10 -3 g.m -2 for Pu and Cl respectively. In order to assess the response of the phases to radiation-induced damage, accelerated ageing trials were performed on samples in which the 239Pu was replaced with 238Pu. No changes to the crystalline structure of the waste were detected in the XRD patterns after the samples had experienced an α radiation dose of 4 x 10 18 g -1. Leach trials showed that there was an increase in the P and Ca release rates but no change in the Pu release rate.« less

Thermal immobilization of Cr, Cu and Zn of galvanizing wastes in the presence of clay and fly ash.

PubMed

Singh, I B; Chaturvedi, K; Yegneswaran, A H

2007-07-01

In the present investigation thermal treatment of galvanizing waste with clay and fly ash has been carried out to immobilize Cr, Zn, Cu and other metals of the waste at temperature range 850 degrees C to 950 degrees C. Leaching of the metals from the waste and solidified product was analyzed using toxic characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP). Results indicated that the composition of waste and clay treatment temperature are the key factors in determining the stability of solidified product. After heating at 950 degrees C, the solidified specimens of 10% waste with clay have shown comparatively a high compressive strength and less water absorption. However, a decrease in compressive strength and increase in water absorption were noticed after addition of 15% of waste with clay. The leachability of all the metals present in the waste was found to reduce considerably with the increase of treatment temperature. In the case of Cr and Zn, their leachabilty was found at unacceptable levels from the treated product obtained after heating at 850 degrees C However, their leachability was reduced significantly within an acceptable level after treatment at 950 degrees C. The thermal treatment has shown an increase of re-oxidation trend of Cr (III) to Cr (VI) up to 900 degrees C of heating and this trend became almost zero after heating at 950 degrees C. Addition of fly ash did not show any improvement in strength, durability and leachability of metals from the thermally treated product. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the product confirmed the presence of mixed phases of oxides of toxic metals.

Hanford Low-Activity Waste Processing: Demonstration of the Off-Gas Recycle Flowsheet - 13443

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ramsey, William G.; Esparza, Brian P.

2013-07-01

Vitrification of Hanford Low-Activity Waste (LAW) is nominally the thermal conversion and incorporation of sodium salts and radionuclides into borosilicate glass. One key radionuclide present in LAW is technetium-99. Technetium-99 is a low energy, long-lived beta emitting radionuclide present in the waste feed in concentrations on the order of 1-10 ppm. The long half-life combined with a high solubility in groundwater results in technetium-99 having considerable impact on performance modeling (as potential release to the environment) of both the waste glass and associated secondary waste products. The current Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) process flowsheet calls formore » the recycle of vitrification process off-gas condensates to maximize the portion of technetium ultimately immobilized in the waste glass. This is required as technetium acts as a semi-volatile specie, i.e. considerable loss of the radionuclide to the process off-gas stream can occur during the vitrification process. To test the process flowsheet assumptions, a prototypic off-gas system with recycle capability was added to a laboratory melter (on the order of 1/200 scale) and testing performed. Key test goals included determination of the process mass balance for technetium, a non-radioactive surrogate (rhenium), and other soluble species (sulfate, halides, etc.) which are concentrated by recycling off-gas condensates. The studies performed are the initial demonstrations of process recycle for this type of liquid-fed melter system. This paper describes the process recycle system, the waste feeds processed, and experimental results. Comparisons between data gathered using process recycle and previous single pass melter testing as well as mathematical modeling simulations are also provided. (authors)« less

Treatment of Asbestos Wastes Using the GeoMelt Vitrification Process

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Finucane, K.G.; Thompson, L.E.; Abuku, T.

The disposal of waste asbestos from decommissioning activities is becoming problematic in countries which have limited disposal space. A particular challenge is the disposal of asbestos wastes from the decommissioning of nuclear sites because some of it is radioactively contaminated or activated and disposal space for such wastes is limited. GeoMelt{sup R} vitrification is being developed as a treatment method for volume and toxicity minimization and radionuclide immobilization for UK radioactive asbestos mixed waste. The common practice to date for asbestos wastes is disposal in licensed landfills. In some cases, compaction techniques are used to minimize the disposal space requirements.more » However, such practices are becoming less practical. Social pressures have resulted in changes to disposal regulations which, in turn, have resulted in the closure of some landfills and increased disposal costs. In the UK, tens of thousands of tonnes of asbestos waste will result from the decommissioning of nuclear sites over the next 20 years. In Japan, it is estimated that over 40 million tonnes of asbestos materials used in construction will require disposal. Methods for the safe and cost effective volume reduction of asbestos wastes are being evaluated for many sites. The GeoMelt{sup R} vitrification process is being demonstrated at full-scale in Japan for the Japan Ministry of Environment and plans are being developed for the GeoMelt treatment of UK nuclear site decommissioning-related asbestos wastes. The full-scale treatment operations in Japan have also included contaminated soils and debris. The GeoMelt{sup R} vitrification process result in the maximum possible volume reduction, destroys the asbestos fibers, treats problematic debris associated with asbestos wastes, and immobilizes radiological contaminants within the resulting glass matrix. Results from recent full-scale treatment operations in Japan are discussed and plans for GeoMelt treatment of UK nuclear site decommissioning-related asbestos wastes are outlined. (authors)« less

Radioactive Waste Conditioning, Immobilisation, And Encapsulation Processes And Technologies: Overview And Advances (Chapter 7)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jantzen, Carol M.; Lee, William E.; Ojovan, Michael I.

The main immobilization technologies that are available commercially and have been demonstrated to be viable are cementation, bituminization, and vitrification. Vitrification is currently the most widely used technology for the treatment of high level radioactive wastes (HLW) throughout the world. Most of the nations that have generated HLW are immobilizing in either alkali borosilicate glass or alkali aluminophosphate glass. The exact compositions of nuclear waste glasses are tailored for easy preparation and melting, avoidance of glass-in-glass phase separation, avoidance of uncontrolled crystallization, and acceptable chemical durability, e.g., leach resistance. Glass has also been used to stabilize a variety of lowmore » level wastes (LLW) and mixed (radioactive and hazardous) low level wastes (MLLW) from other sources such as fuel rod cladding/decladding processes, chemical separations, radioactive sources, radioactive mill tailings, contaminated soils, medical research applications, and other commercial processes. The sources of radioactive waste generation are captured in other chapters in this book regarding the individual practices in various countries (legacy wastes, currently generated wastes, and future waste generation). Future waste generation is primarily driven by interest in sources of clean energy and this has led to an increased interest in advanced nuclear power production. The development of advanced wasteforms is a necessary component of the new nuclear power plant (NPP) flowsheets. Therefore, advanced nuclear wasteforms are being designed for robust disposal strategies. A brief summary is given of existing and advanced wasteforms: glass, glass-ceramics, glass composite materials (GCM’s), and crystalline ceramic (mineral) wasteforms that chemically incorporate radionuclides and hazardous species atomically in their structure. Cementitious, geopolymer, bitumen, and other encapsulant wasteforms and composites that atomically bond and encapsulate wastes are also discussed. The various processing technologies are cross-referenced to the various types of wasteforms since often a particular type of wasteform can be made by a variety of different processing technologies.« less

I-NERI Annual Technical Progress Report 2007-004-K Development and Characterization of New High-Level Waste Forms for Achieving Waste Minimization from Pyroprocessing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

S. Frank

The current method for the immobilization of fission products that accumulate in electrorefiner salt during the electrochemical processing of used metallic nuclear fuel is to encapsulate the electrorefiner salt in a glass-bonded sodalite ceramic waste form. This process was developed by Argonne National Laboratory in the USA and is currently performed at the Idaho National Laboratory for the treatment of Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) used fuel. This process utilizes a “once-through” option for the disposal of spent electrorefiner salt; where, after the treatment of the EBR-II fuel, the electrorefiner salt containing the active fission products will be disposed of inmore » the ceramic waste form (CWF). The CWF produced will have low fission product loading of approximately 2 to 5 weight percent due to the limited fuel inventory currently being processed. However; the design and implementation of advanced electrochemical processing facilities to treat used fuel would process much greater quantities fuel. With an advanced processing facility, it would be necessary to selectively remove fission products from the electrorefiner salt for salt recycle and to concentrate the fission products to reduce the volume of high-level waste from the treatment facility. The Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute and the Idaho National Laboratory have been collaborating on I-NERI research projects for a number of years to investigate both aspects of selective fission product separation from electrorefiner salt, and to develop advanced waste forms for the immobilization of the collected fission products. The first joint KAERI/INL I-NERI project titled: 2006-002-K, Separation of Fission Products from Molten LiCl-KCl Salt Used for Electrorefining of Metal Fuels, was successfully completed in 2009 by concentrating and isolating fission products from actual electrorefiner salt used for the treated used EBR-II fuel. Two separation methods were tested and from these tests were produced concentrated salt products that acted as the feed material for development of advanced waste forms investigated in this proposal. Accomplishments from the first year activities associated with this I-NERI project included the down selection of candidate waste forms to immobilize fission products separated from electrorefiner salt, and the design of equipment to fabricate actual waste forms in the Hot Fuels Examination Facility (HFEF) at the INL. Reported in this document are accomplishments from the second year (FY10) work performed at the INL, and includes the testing of waste form fabrication equipment, repeating the fission product precipitation experiment, and initial waste form fabrication efforts.« less

Glasses for immobilization of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laverov, N. P.; Omel'yanenko, B. I.; Yudintsev, S. V.; Stefanovsky, S. V.; Nikonov, B. S.

2013-03-01

Reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) for recovery of fissionable elements is a precondition of long-term development of nuclear energetics. Solution of this problem is hindered by the production of a great amount of liquid waste; 99% of its volume is low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste (LILW). The volume of high-level radioactive waste (HLW), which is characterized by high heat release, does not exceed a fraction of a percent. Solubility of glasses at an elevated temperature makes them unfit for immobilization of HLW, the insulation of which is ensured only by mineral-like matrices. At the same time, glasses are a perfect matrix for LILW, which are distinguished by low heat release. The solubility of borosilicate glass at a low temperature is so low that even a glass with relatively low resistance enables them to retain safety of under-ground LILW depositories without additional engineering barriers. The optimal technology of liquid confinement is their concentration and immobilization in borosilicate glasses, which are disposed in shallow-seated geological repositories. The vitrification of 1 m3 liquid LILW with a salt concentration of ˜300 kg/m3 leaves behind only 0.2 m3 waste, that is, 4-6 times less than by bitumen impregnation and 10 times less than by cementation. Environmental and economic advantages of LILW vitrification result from (1) low solubility of the vitrified LILW in natural water; (2) significant reduction of LILW volume; (3) possibility to dispose the vitrified waste without additional engineering barriers under shallow conditions and in diverse geological media; (4) the strength of glass makes its transportation and storage possible; and finally (5) reliable longterm safety of repositories. When the composition of the glass matrix for LILW is being chosen, attention should be paid to the factors that ensure high technological and economic efficiency of vitrification. The study of vitrified LILW from the Kursk nuclear power plant with high-power channel reactors (HPCR; equivalent Russian acronym, RBMK) and the Kalinin nuclear power plant with pressurized water reactors (PWR; equivalent Russian acronym VVER) after their 14-yr storage in the shallow-seated repository at the MosNPO Radon testing ground has confirmed the safety of repositories ensured by confinement properties of borosilicate matrix. The most efficient vitrification technology is based on cold crucible induction melting. If the content of a chemical element in waste exceeds its solubility in glass, a crystalline phase is formed in the course of vitrification, so that the glass ceramics become a matrix for such waste. Vitrified waste with high Fe; Na and Al; Na, Fe, and Al; Na and B is characterized. The composition of frit and its proportion to waste depends on waste composition. This procedure requires careful laboratory testing.

Purification, immobilization, and characterization of nattokinase on PHB nanoparticles.

PubMed

Deepak, Venkataraman; Pandian, Suresh babu Ram Kumar; Kalishwaralal, Kalimuthu; Gurunathan, Sangiliyandi

2009-12-01

In this study, nattokinase was purified from Bacillus subtilis using ion exchange chromatography and immobilized upon polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) nanoparticles. A novel strain isolated from industrial dairy waste was found to synthesize polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) and the strain was identified as Brevibacterium casei SRKP2. PHA granules were extracted from 48 h culture and the FT-IR analysis characterized them as PHB, a natural biopolymer from B. casei. Nanoprecipitation by solvent displacement technique was used to synthesize PHB nanoparticles. PHB nanoparticles were characterized using transmission electron microscopy and particle size ranged from 100-125 nm. Immobilization of nattokinase upon PHB nanoparticles resulted in a 20% increase in the enzyme activity. Immobilization also contributed to the enhanced stability of the enzyme. Moreover, the activity was completely retained on storage at 4 degrees C for 25 days. The method has proven to be highly simple and can be implemented to other enzymes also.

Radioactively contaminated electric arc furnace dust as an addition to the immobilization mortar in low- and medium-activity repositories.

PubMed

Castellote, Marta; Menéndez, Esperanza; Andrade, Carmen; Zuloaga, Pablo; Navarro, Mariano; Ordóñez, Manuel

2004-05-15

Electric arc furnace dust (EAFD), generated by the steel-making industry, is in itself an intrinsic hazardous waste; however, the case may also be that scrap used in the process is accidentally contaminated by radioactive elements such as cesium. In this case the resulting EAFD is to be handled as radioactive waste, being duly confined in low- and medium-activity repositories (LMAR). What this paper studies is the reliability of using this radioactive EAFD as an addition in the immobilization mortar of the containers of the LMAR, that is, from the point of view of the durability. Different mixes of mortar containing different percentages of EAFD have been subjected to flexural and compressive strength, initial and final setting time, XRD study, total porosity and pore size distribution, determination of the chloride diffusion coefficient, dimensional stability tests, hydration heat, workability of the fresh mix, and leaching behavior. What is deduced from the results is that for the conditions used in this research, (cement + sand) can be replaced by EAFD upto a ratio [EAFD/(cement + EAFD)] of 46% in the immobilization mortar of LMAR, apparently without any loss in the long-term durability properties of the mortar.

Immobilization of Mn and NH4 (+)-N from electrolytic manganese residue waste.

PubMed

Chen, Hongliang; Liu, Renlong; Liu, Zuohua; Shu, Jiancheng; Tao, Changyuan

2016-06-01

The objective of this work was the immobilization of soluble manganese (Mn) and ammonium nitrogen (NH4 (+)-N) leached from electrolytic manganese residue (EMR). Immobilization of Mn was investigated via carbonation using carbon dioxide (CO2) and alkaline additives. NH4 (+)-N immobilization was evaluated via struvite precipitation using magnesium and phosphate sources. Results indicated that the immobilization efficiency of Mn using CO2 and quicklime (CaO) was higher than using CO2 and sodium hydroxide (NaOH). This higher efficiency was likely due to the slower release of OH(-) during CaO hydrolysis. The immobilization efficiency of Mn was >99.99 % at the CaO:EMR mass ratio of 0.05:1 for 20-min reaction time. The struvite precipitation of NH4 (+)-N was conducted in the carbonated EMR slurry and the immobilization efficiency was 89 % using MgCl2 · 6H2O + Na3PO4 · 12H2O at the Mg:P:N molar ratio of 1.5:1.5:1 for 90-min reaction time. A leaching test showed that the concentrations of Mn and NH4 (+)-N in the filtrate of the treated EMR were 0.2 and 9 mg/L, respectively. The combined immobilization of Mn and NH4 (+)-N was an effective pretreatment method in the harmless treatment of the EMR.

Literature review of the potential impact of glycolic acid on the technetium chemistry of srs tank waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nash, Charles A.; McCabe, Daniel J.

This document presents a literature study of the impact of glycolate on technetium chemistry in the Savannah River Site (SRS) waste system and specifically Saltstone. A predominant portion of the Tc at SRS will be sent to the Saltstone Facility where it will be immobilized. The Tc in the tank waste is in the highly soluble chemical form of pertechnetate ion (TcO 4 -) which is reduced by blast furnace slag (BFS) in Saltstone, rendering it highly insoluble and resistant to leaching.

LANL Safety Conscious Work Environment (SCWE) Self-Assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hargis, Barbara C.

2014-01-29

On December 21, 2012 Secretary of Energy Chu transmitted to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) revised commitments on the implementation plan for Safety Culture at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant. Action 2-5 was revised to require contractors and federal organizations to complete Safety Conscious Work Environment (SCWE) selfassessments and provide reports to the appropriate U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) - Headquarters Program Office by September 2013. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) planned and conducted a Safety Conscious Work Environment (SCWE) Self-Assessment over the time period July through August, 2013 in accordance with the SCWE Self-Assessment Guidance providedmore » by DOE. Significant field work was conducted over the 2-week period August 5-16, 2013. The purpose of the self-assessment was to evaluate whether programs and processes associated with a SCWE are in place and whether they are effective in supporting and promoting a SCWE.« less

Biodiesel production using lipase immobilized on epoxychloropropane-modified Fe3O4 sub-microspheres.

PubMed

Zhang, Qian; Zheng, Zhong; Liu, Changxia; Liu, Chunqiao; Tan, Tianwei

2016-04-01

Superparamagnetic Fe3O4 sub-microspheres with diameters of approximately 200 nm were prepared via a solvothermal method, and then modified with epoxychloropropane. Lipase was immobilized on the modified sub-microspheres. The immobilized lipase was used in the production of biodiesel fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) from acidified waste cooking oil (AWCO). The effects of the reaction conditions on the biodiesel yield were investigated using a combination of response surface methodology and three-level/three-factor Box-Behnken design (BBD). The optimum synthetic conditions, which were identified using Ridge max analysis, were as follows: immobilized lipase:AWCO mass ratio 0.02:1, fatty acid:methanol molar ratio 1:1.10, hexane:AWCO ratio 1.33:1 (mL/g), and temperature 40 °C. A 97.11% yield was obtained under these conditions. The BBD and experimental data showed that the immobilized lipase could generate biodiesel over a wide temperature range, from 0 to 40 °C. Consistently high FAME yields, in excess of 80%, were obtained when the immobilized lipase was reused in six replicate trials at 10 and 20 °C. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Annual Summary of the Integrated Disposal Facility Performance Assessment 2011

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lehman, L. L.

2012-03-12

An annual summary of the adequacy of the Hanford Immobilized Low-Activity Waste (ILAW) Performance Assessment (PA) is required each year (DOE O 435.1 Chg 1,1 DOE M 435.1-1 Chg 1,2 DOE/ORP-2000-013). The most recently approved PA is DOE/ORP-2000-24.4 The ILAW PA evaluated the adequacy of the ILAW disposal facility, now referred to as the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF), for the safe disposal of vitrified Hanford Site tank waste. More recently, a preliminary evaluation for the disposal of offsite low-level waste and mixed low-level waste was considered in RPP-1583.

Ageing of a phosphate ceramic used to immobilize chloride contaminated actinide waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metcalfe, B. L.; Donald, I. W.; Fong, S. K.; Gerrard, L. A.; Strachan, D. M.; Scheele, R. D.

2009-03-01

A process for the immobilization of intermediate level waste containing a significant quantity of chloride using Ca3(PO4)2 as the host material has been developed. Waste ions are incorporated into two phosphate-based phases, chlorapatite [Ca5(PO4)3Cl] and spodiosite [Ca2(PO4)Cl]. Non-active trials performed using Sm as the actinide surrogate demonstrated the durability of these phases in aqueous solution. Trials of the process, in which actinide-doped materials were used, were performed at PNNL which confirmed the wasteform resistant to aqueous leaching. Initial leach trials conducted on 239Pu/241Am loaded ceramic at 313 K/28 days gave normalized mass losses of 1.2 × 10-5 g m-2 and 2.7 × 10-3 g m-2 for Pu and Cl, respectively. In order to assess the response of the phases to radiation-induced damage, accelerated ageing trials were performed on samples in which the 239Pu was replaced with 238Pu. No changes to the crystalline structure of the waste were detected in the XRD spectra after the samples had experienced an α radiation fluence of 4 × 1018 g-1. Leach trials showed that there was an increase in the P and Ca release rates but no change in the Pu release rate.

TWRS Retrieval and Storage Mission and Immobilized Low Activity Waste (ILAW) Disposal Plan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

BURBANK, D.A.

This project plan has a twofold purpose. First, it provides a waste stream project plan specific to the River Protection Project (RPP) (formerly the Tank Waste Remediation System [TWRS] Project) Immobilized Low-Activity Waste (LAW) Disposal Subproject for the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) that meets the requirements of Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement) Milestone M-90-01 (Ecology et al. 1994) and is consistent with the project plan content guidelines found in Section 11.5 of the Tri-Party Agreement action plan (Ecology et al. 1998). Second, it provides an upper tier document that can be used as themore » basis for future subproject line-item construction management plans. The planning elements for the construction management plans are derived from applicable U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) planning guidance documents (DOE Orders 4700.1 [DOE 1992] and 430.1 [DOE 1995a]). The format and content of this project plan are designed to accommodate the requirements mentioned by the Tri-Party Agreement and the DOE orders. A cross-check matrix is provided in Appendix A to explain where in the plan project planning elements required by Section 11.5 of the Tri-Party Agreement are addressed.« less

Rhenium solubility in borosilicate nuclear waste glass: implications for the processing and immobilization of technetium-99.

PubMed

McCloy, John S; Riley, Brian J; Goel, Ashutosh; Liezers, Martin; Schweiger, Michael J; Rodriguez, Carmen P; Hrma, Pavel; Kim, Dong-Sang; Lukens, Wayne W; Kruger, Albert A

2012-11-20

The immobilization of technetium-99 ((99)Tc) in a suitable host matrix has proven to be a challenging task for researchers in the nuclear waste community around the world. In this context, the present work reports on the solubility and retention of rhenium, a nonradioactive surrogate for (99)Tc, in a sodium borosilicate glass. Glasses containing target Re concentrations from 0 to 10,000 ppm [by mass, added as KReO(4) (Re(7+))] were synthesized in vacuum-sealed quartz ampules to minimize the loss of Re from volatilization during melting at 1000 °C. The rhenium was found as Re(7+) in all of the glasses as observed by X-ray absorption near-edge structure. The solubility of Re in borosilicate glasses was determined to be ~3000 ppm (by mass) using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. At higher rhenium concentrations, additional rhenium was retained in the glasses as crystalline inclusions of alkali perrhenates detected with X-ray diffraction. Since (99)Tc concentrations in a glass waste form are predicted to be <10 ppm (by mass), these Re results implied that the solubility should not be a limiting factor in processing radioactive wastes, assuming Tc as Tc(7+) and similarities between Re(7+) and Tc(7+) behavior in this glass system.

Phenol Biodegradation by Free and Immobilized Candida tropicalis RETL-Crl on Coconut Husk and Loofah Packed in Biofilter Column

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shazryenna, D.; Ruzanna, R.; Jessica, M. S.; Piakong, M. T.

2015-04-01

Phenols and its derivatives are environmental pollutant commonly found in many industrial effluents. It is toxic in nature and causes various health hazards. However, they are poorly removed in conventional biological processes due to their toxicity. Immobilization of microbial cells has received increasing interest in the field of waste treatment and creates opportunities in a wide range of sectors including environmental pollution control. Live cells of phenol-degrading yeast, Candida tropicalis RETL-Crl, were immobilized on coconut husk and loofah by adsorption. The immobolized particle was packed into biofilter column which used for continuous treatment of a phenol with initial phenol concentration of 3mM. Both loofah and coconut husk have similar phenol biodegradation rate of 0.0188 gL-1h-1 within 15 hours to achieve a phenol removal efficiency of 100%. However loofah have lower biomass concentration of 4.22 gL-1 compared to biomass concentration on coconut husk, 4.39 gL-1. Coconut husk contain higher biomass concentration which makes it better support material than loofah. Fibrous matrices such as loofah and coconut husk provide adequate supporting surfaces for cell adsorption, due to their high specific surface area. Therefore, coconut husk and loofah being an agricultural waste product have the potential to be used as low-cost adsorbent and support matrix for microbial culture immobilization for the removal of organic pollutant from wastewater.

FY2016 ILAW Glass Corrosion Testing with the Single-Pass Flow-Through Method

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Neeway, James J.; Asmussen, Robert M.; Parruzot, Benjamin PG

The inventory of immobilized low-activity waste (ILAW) produced at the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) will be disposed of at the near-surface, on-site Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF). When groundwater comes into contact with the waste form, the glass will corrode and radionuclides will be released into the near-field environment. Because the release of the radionuclides is dependent on the dissolution rate of the glass, it is important that the performance assessment (PA) model accounts for the dissolution rate of the glass as a function of various chemical conditions. To accomplish this, an IDF PA model based onmore » Transition State Theory (TST) can be employed. The model is able to account for changes in temperature, exposed surface area, and pH of the contacting solution as well as the effect of silicon concentrations in solution, specifically the activity of orthosilicic acid (H4SiO4), whose concentration is directly linked to the glass dissolution rate. In addition, the IDF PA model accounts for the alkali-ion exchange process as sodium is leached from the glass and into solution. The effect of temperature, pH, H4SiO4 activity, and the rate of ion-exchange can be parameterized and implemented directly into the PA rate law model. The rate law parameters are derived from laboratory tests with the single-pass flow-through (SPFT) method. To date, rate law parameters have been determined for seven ILAW glass compositions, thus additional rate law parameters on a wider range of compositions will supplement the existing body of data for PA maintenance activities. The data provided in this report can be used by ILAW glass scientists to further the understanding of ILAW glass behavior, by IDF PA modelers to use the rate law parameters in PA modeling efforts, and by Department of Energy (DOE) contractors and decision makers as they assess the IDF PA program.« less

Integrated Disposal Facility FY2011 Glass Testing Summary Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pierce, Eric M.; Bacon, Diana H.; Kerisit, Sebastien N.

2011-09-29

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory was contracted by Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC to provide the technical basis for estimating radionuclide release from the engineered portion of the disposal facility (e.g., source term). Vitrifying the low-activity waste at Hanford is expected to generate over 1.6 x 10{sup 5} m{sup 3} of glass (Certa and Wells 2010). The volume of immobilized low-activity waste (ILAW) at Hanford is the largest in the DOE complex and is one of the largest inventories (approximately 8.9 x 10{sup 14} Bq total activity) of long-lived radionuclides, principally {sup 99}Tc (t{sub 1/2} = 2.1 x 10{sup 5}), plannedmore » for disposal in a low-level waste (LLW) facility. Before the ILAW can be disposed, DOE must conduct a performance assessment (PA) for the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF) that describes the long-term impacts of the disposal facility on public health and environmental resources. As part of the ILAW glass testing program PNNL is implementing a strategy, consisting of experimentation and modeling, in order to provide the technical basis for estimating radionuclide release from the glass waste form in support of future IDF PAs. The purpose of this report is to summarize the progress made in fiscal year (FY) 2011 toward implementing the strategy with the goal of developing an understanding of the long-term corrosion behavior of low-activity waste glasses.« less

The U.S. Department of Energy - Office of Environmental Management Cooperation Program with the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency (ROSATOM)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gerdes, K.D.; Holtzscheiter, E.W.

2006-07-01

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) has collaborated with the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency - Rosatom (formerly Minatom) for 14 years on waste management challenges of mutual concern. Currently, EM is cooperating with Rosatom to explore issues related to high-level waste and investigate Russian experience and technologies that could support EM site cleanup needs. EM and Rosatom are currently implementing six collaborative projects on high-level waste issues: 1) Advanced Melter Technology Application to the U.S. DOE Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) - Cold Crucible Induction Heated Melter (CCIM); 2) - Design Improvements to themore » Cold Crucible Induction Heated Melter; 3) Long-term Performance of Hanford Low-Activity Glasses in Burial Environments; 4) Low-Activity-Waste (LAW) Glass Sulfur Tolerance; 5) Improved Retention of Key Contaminants of Concern in Low Temperature Immobilized Waste Forms; and, 6) Documentation of Mixing and Retrieval Experience at Zheleznogorsk. Preliminary results and the path forward for these projects will be discussed. An overview of two new projects 7) Entombment technology performance and methodology for the Future 8) Radiation Migration Studies at Key Russian Nuclear Disposal Sites is also provided. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of EM's objectives for participating in cooperative activities with the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency, present programmatic and technical information on these activities, and outline specific technical collaborations currently underway and planned to support DOE's cleanup and closure mission. (authors)« less

Novel characteristics of horseradish peroxidase immobilized onto the polyvinyl alcohol-alginate beads and its methyl orange degradation potential.

PubMed

Bilal, Muhammad; Rasheed, Tahir; Iqbal, Hafiz M N; Hu, Hongbo; Wang, Wei; Zhang, Xuehong

2017-12-01

Herein, we report the immobilization of in-house isolated horseradish peroxidase (HRP) from Armoracia rusticana with novel characteristics. The HRP was immobilized onto the self-fabricated polyvinyl alcohol-alginate (PVA-alginate) beads using sodium nitrate as a cross-linker. The PVA-alginate beads (2.0mm size) developed using 10% PVA and 1.5% sodium alginate showed maximal immobilization yield. The surface morphologies of the PVA-alginate (control) and immobilized-HRP were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The immobilized-HRP retained 64.14% of its initial activity after 10 consecutive substrate-oxidation cycles as compared to the free counterpart. Simultaneously, the thermal stability of the immobilized-HRP was significantly enhanced as compared to the free HRP. The enzyme leakage (E L ) assay was performed by storing the immobilized-HRP in phosphate buffer solution for 30days. Evidently, the leakage of immobilized-HRP was recorded to be 6.98% and 14.82% after 15 and 30days of incubation, respectively. Finally, the immobilized-HRP was used for methyl orange (MO) dye degradation in a batch mode. A noticeable decline in spectral shift accompanied by no appearance of a new peak demonstrated the complete degradation of MO. The degraded fragments of MO were scrutinized by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). A plausible degradation pathway for MO was proposed based on the identified intermediates. In conclusion, the study portrays the PVA-alginate-immobilized-HRP as a cost-effective and industrially desirable green catalyst, for biotechnological at large and industrial in particular, especially for the treatment of textile dyes or dye-containing industrial waste effluents. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Refining technology for the recycling of stainless steel radioactive scrap metals, FY 94 bi-annual report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mizia, R.E.; Atteridge, D.G.; Buckentin, J.

1994-08-01

The research addressed under this project is the recycling of metallic nuclear-related by-product materials under the direction of Westinghouse Idaho Nuclear Company (WINCO). The program addresses the recycling of radioactive scrap metals (RSM) for beneficial re-use within the DOE complex; in particular, this program addresses the recycling of stainless steel RSM. It is anticipated that various stainless steel components under WINCO control at the Idaho Falls Engineering Laboratory (INEL), such as fuel pool criticality barriers and fuel storage racks will begin to be recycled in FY94-95. The end product of this recycling effort is expected to be waste and overpackmore » canisters for densified high level waste for the Idaho Waste Immobilization Facility and/or the Universal Canister System for dry (interim) storage of spent fuel. The specific components of this problem area that are presently being, or have been, addressed by CAAMSEC are: (1) the melting/remelting of stainless steel RSM into billet form; (2) the melting/remelting initial research focus will be on the use of radioactive surrogates to study; (3) the cost effectiveness of RSM processing oriented towards privatization of RSM reuse and/or resale. Other components of this problem that may be addressed under program extension are: (4) the melting/remelting of carbon steel; (5) the processing of billet material into product form which shall meet all applicable ASTM requirements; and, (6) the fabrication of an actual prototypical product; the present concept of an end product is a low carbon Type 304/316 stainless steel cylindrical container for densified and/or vitrified high level radioactive waste and/or the Universal Canister System for dry (interim) storage of spent fuel. The specific work reported herein covers the melting/remelting of stainless steel {open_quotes}scrap{close_quotes} metal into billet form and the study of surrogate material removal effectiveness by various remelting techniques.« less

75 FR 67956 - Extension of Time To Supplement Hearing Record

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-04

... of the Department of Energy's Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant at the Hanford Site. The Board... Indiana Avenue, NW., Suite 700, Washington, DC 20004-2901, (800) 788-4016. This is a toll-free number...

Laccase catalyzed elimination of morphine from aqueous systems.

PubMed

Huber, Daniela; Bleymaier, Klaus; Pellis, Alessandro; Vielnascher, Robert; Daxbacher, Andreas; Greimel, Katrin J; Guebitz, Georg M

2018-05-25

Pharmaceuticals contaminate the environment for several reasons, including metabolic excretion after intake, industrial waste and improper disposal. The narcotic drug morphine is commonly utilized for chronic pain management, and the distribution of morphine in aqueous systems and in waste waters is of high concern. Here, the removal of morphine by a laccase from Myceliophthora thermophila both in its free form as well as immobilized on Accurel MP1000 beads was investigated. Complete morphine elimination was achieved within 30 min for the free and the immobilized enzyme (70% bound protein) for concentrations between 1 and 1,000 mg L -1 according to LC-TOF mass spectrometry analysis. Higher morphine concentrations up to 60 g L -1 were also tested and total elimination was achieved within 6 h. Therefore, laccases are ideal candidates for removing morphine from aqueous systems. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Final Report - IHLW PCT, Spinel T1%, Electrical Conductivity, and Viscosity Model Development, VSL-07R1240-4

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kruger, Albert A.; Piepel, Gregory F.; Landmesser, S. M.

2013-11-13

This report is the last in a series of currently scheduled reports that presents the results from the High Level Waste (HLW) glass formulation development and testing work performed at the Vitreous State Laboratory (VSL) of the Catholic University of America (CUA) and the development of IHLW property-composition models performed jointly by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and VSL for the River Protection Project-Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (RPP-WTP). Specifically, this report presents results of glass testing at VSL and model development at PNNL for Product Consistency Test (PCT), one-percent crystal fraction temperature (T1%), electrical conductivity (EC), and viscosity ofmore » HLW glasses. The models presented in this report may be augmented and additional validation work performed during any future immobilized HLW (IHLW) model development work. Completion of the test objectives is addressed.« less

Immobilized materials for removal of toxic metal ions from surface/groundwaters and aqueous waste streams.

PubMed

Zawierucha, Iwona; Kozlowski, Cezary; Malina, Grzegorz

2016-04-01

Heavy metals from industrial processes are of special concern because they produce chronic poisoning in the aquatic environment. More strict environmental regulations on the discharge of toxic metals require the development of various technologies for their removal from polluted streams (i.e. industrial wastewater, mine waters, landfill leachate, and groundwater). The separation of toxic metal ions using immobilized materials (novel sorbents and membranes with doped ligands), due to their high selectivity and removal efficiency, increased stability, and low energy requirements, is promising for improving the environmental quality. This critical review is aimed at studying immobilized materials as potential remediation agents for the elimination of numerous toxic metal (e.g. Pb, Cd, Hg, and As) ions from polluted streams. This study covers the general characteristics of immobilized materials and separation processes, understanding of the metal ion removal mechanisms, a review of the application of immobilized materials for the removal of toxic metal ions, as well as the impacts of various parameters on the removal efficiency. In addition, emerging trends and opportunities in the field of remediation technologies using these materials are addressed.

Medical waste to energy: experimental study.

PubMed

Arcuri, C; Luciani, F; Piva, P; Bartuli, F N; Ottria, L; Mecheri, B; Licoccia, S

2013-04-01

Although waste is traditionally assessed as a pollutant which needs to be reduced or lessened, its management is certainly necessary. Nowadays, biological fuel cells, through the direct conversion of organic matter to electricity using biocatalysts, represent a technology able to produce sustainable energy by means of waste treatment. This study aims to propose a mean to generate energy from blood and saliva, that are common risk-infectious medical waste. Material employed (purchased by Sigma-Aldrich) were: Glucose oxidase (GOx), Nafion perfluorinated resin solution at 5% in a mixture of lower aliphatic alcohols and water, Polyethylene oxide. Stock solutions of D (+) glucose were prepared in a 0.1 M phosphate buffer solution and stored at 4 °C for at least 24 h before use. Carbon cloth electrode ELAT HT 140 E-W with a platinum loading of 5 gm-2 was purchased by E-Tek. Electrospun Nafion fibers were obtained as follows. Scanning electron microscopy was used to characterize the electrode morphologies. In order to develop an effective immobilization strategy of GOx on the electrode surface, Nafion fibers (a fully fluorinated ion conducting polymer used as a membrane material in enzymatic fuel cells - EFC) were selected as immobilizing polymer matrix. In this work, exploiting the nafion fibers capability of being able to cathalize Gox activity, we have tried to produce an enzymatic fuel cell which could produce energy from the blood and the saliva within medical-dental waste. Medical waste refers to all those materials produced by the interaction among doctor and patient, such as blood and saliva. During our research we will try to complete an EFC prototype able to produce energy from blood and saliva inside the risk-infectious medical waste in order to contribute to the energy requirements of a consulting room.

Fungal Biorecovery of Gold From E-waste.

PubMed

Bindschedler, Saskia; Vu Bouquet, Thi Quynh Trang; Job, Daniel; Joseph, Edith; Junier, Pilar

2017-01-01

Waste electric and electronic devices (e-waste) represent a source of valuable raw materials of great interest, and in the case of metals, e-waste might become a prized alternative source. Regarding gold, natural ores are difficult to mine due to their refractory nature and the richest ores have almost all been exploited. Additionally, some gold mining areas are present in geopolitically unstable regions. Finally, the gold mining industry produces toxic compounds, such as cyanides. As a result, the gold present in e-waste represents a nonnegligible resource (urban mining). Extraction methods of gold from natural ores (pyro- and hydrometallurgy) have been adapted to this particular type of matrix. However, to propose novel approaches with a lower environmental footprint, biotechnological methods using microorganisms are being developed (biometallurgy). These processes use the extensive metabolic potential of microbes (algae, bacteria, and fungi) to mobilize and immobilize gold from urban and industrial sources. In this review, we focus on the use of fungi for gold biomining. Fungi interact with gold by mobilizing it through mechanical attack as well as through biochemical leaching by the production of cyanides. Moreover, fungi are also able to release Au through the degradation of cyanide from aurocyanide complexes. Finally, fungi immobilize gold through biosorption, bioaccumulation, and biomineralization, in particular, as gold nanoparticles. Overall, the diversity of mechanisms of gold recycling using fungi combined with their filamentous lifestyle, which allows them to thrive in heterogeneous and solid environments such as e-waste, makes fungi an important bioresource to be harnessed for the biorecovery of gold. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Liquid secondary waste: Waste form formulation and qualification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cozzi, A. D.; Dixon, K. L.; Hill, K. A.

The Hanford Site Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF) currently treats aqueous waste streams generated during site cleanup activities. When the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) begins operations, including Direct Feed Low Activity Waste (DFLAW) vitrification, a liquid secondary waste (LSW) stream from the WTP will need to be treated. The volume of effluent for treatment at the ETF will increase significantly. The powdered salt waste form produced by the ETF will be replaced by a stabilized solidified waste form for disposal in Hanford’s Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF). Washington River Protection Solutions is implementing a Secondary Liquid Waste Immobilizationmore » Technology Development Plan to address the technology needs for a waste form and solidification process to treat the increased volume of waste planned for disposal at the IDF. Waste form testing to support this plan is composed of work in the near term to provide data as input to a performance assessment (PA) for Hanford’s IDF. In 2015, three Hanford Liquid Secondary Waste simulants were developed based on existing and projected waste streams. Using these waste simulants, fourteen mixes of Hanford Liquid Secondary Waste were prepared and tested varying the waste simulant, the water-to-dry materials ratio, and the dry materials blend composition.1 In FY16, testing was performed using a simulant of the EMF process condensate blended with the caustic scrubber—from the Low Activity Waste (LAW) melter—, processed through the ETF. The initial EMF-16 simulant will be based on modeling efforts performed to determine the mass balance of the ETF for the DFLAW.2 The compressive strength of all of the mixes exceeded the target of 3.4 MPa (500 psi) to meet the requirements identified as potential IDF Waste Acceptance Criteria in Table 1 of the Secondary Liquid Waste Immobilization Technology Development Plan.3 The hydraulic properties of the waste forms tested (hydraulic conductivity and water characteristic curves) were comparable to the properties measured on the Savannah River Site (SRS) Saltstone waste form. Future testing should include efforts to first; 1) determine the rate and amount of ammonia released during each unit operation of the treatment process to determine if additional ammonia management is required, then; 2) reduce the ammonia content of the ETF concentrated brine prior to solidification, making the waste more amenable to grouting, or 3) manage the release of ammonia during production and ongoing release during storage of the waste form, or 4) develop a lower pH process/waste form thereby precluding ammonia release.« less

Removal of radioactive contaminants by polymeric microspheres.

PubMed

Osmanlioglu, Ahmet Erdal

2016-11-01

Radionuclide removal from radioactive liquid waste by adsorption on polymeric microspheres is the latest application of polymers in waste management. Polymeric microspheres have significant immobilization capacity for ionic substances. A laboratory study was carried out by using poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) for encapsulation of radionuclide in the liquid radioactive waste. There are numbers of advantages to use an encapsulation technology in radioactive waste management. Results show that polymerization step of radionuclide increases integrity of solidified waste form. Test results showed that adding the appropriate polymer into the liquid waste at an appropriate pH and temperature level, radionuclide was encapsulated into polymer. This technology may provide barriers between hazardous radioactive ions and the environment. By this method, solidification techniques became easier and safer in nuclear waste management. By using polymer microspheres as dust form, contamination risks were decreased in the nuclear industry and radioactive waste operations.

A U-bearing composite waste form for electrochemical processing wastes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, X.; Ebert, W. L.; Indacochea, J. E.

2018-04-01

Metallic/ceramic composite waste forms are being developed to immobilize combined metallic and oxide waste streams generated during electrochemical recycling of used nuclear fuel. Composites were made for corrosion testing by reacting HT9 steel to represent fuel cladding, Zr and Mo to simulate metallic fuel waste, and a mixture of ZrO2, Nd2O3, and UO2 to represent oxide wastes. More than half of the added UO2 was reduced to metal and formed Fe-Zr-U intermetallics and most of the remaining UO2 and all of the Nd2O3 reacted to form zirconates. Fe-Cr-Mo intermetallics were also formed. Microstructure characterization of the intermetallic and ceramic phases that were generated and tests conducted to evaluate their corrosion behaviors indicate composite waste forms can accommodate both metallic and oxidized waste streams in durable host phases.

A U-bearing composite waste form for electrochemical processing wastes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, X.; Ebert, W. L.; Indacochea, J. E.

Metallic/ceramic composite waste forms are being developed to immobilize combined metallic and oxide waste streams generated during electrochemical recycling of used nuclear fuel. Composites were made for corrosion testing by reacting HT9 steel to represent fuel cladding, Zr and Mo to simulate metallic fuel waste, and a mixture of ZrO2, Nd2O3, and UO2 to represent oxide wastes. More than half of the added UO2 was reduced to metal and formed Fe-Zr-U intermetallics and most of the remaining UO2 and all of the Nd2O3 reacted to form zirconates. Fe-Cr-Mo intermetallics were also formed. Microstructure characterization of the intermetallic and ceramic phasesmore » that were generated and tests conducted to evaluate their corrosion behaviors indicate composite waste forms can accommodate both metallic and oxidized waste streams in durable host phases. (c) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.« less

Waste Receiving and Processing Facility Module 2A: Advanced Conceptual Design Report. Volume 3A

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

Objective of this document is to provide descriptions of all WRAP 2A feed streams, including physical and chemical attributes, and describe the pathway that was used to select data for volume estimates. WRAP 2A is being designed for nonthermal treatment of contact-handled mixed low-level waste Category 1 and 3. It is based on immobilization and encapsulation treatment using grout or polymer.

Chemical Composition Analysis and Product Consistency Tests of the ORP Phase 5 Nepheline Study Glasses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fox, K. M.; Edwards, T. B.; Caldwell, M. E.

In this report, the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) provides chemical analyses and Product Consistency Test (PCT) results for a series of simulated high-level waste glass compositions fabricated by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). These data will be used in the development of improved models for the prediction of nepheline crystallization in support of the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP).

LOW ACTIVITY WASTE FEED SOLIDS CARACTERIZATION AND FILTERABILITY TESTS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McCabe, D.; Crawford, C.; Duignan, M.

The primary treatment of the tank waste at the DOE Hanford site will be done in the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) that is currently under construction. The baseline plan for the WTP Pretreatment facility is to treat the waste, splitting it into High Level Waste (HLW) feed and Low Activity Waste (LAW) feed. Both waste streams are then separately vitrified as glass and sealed in canisters. The LAW glass will be disposed onsite in the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF). There are currently no plans to treat the waste to remove technetium in the WTP Pretreatment facility, so itsmore » disposition path is the LAW glass. Options are being explored to immobilize the LAW portion of the tank waste, i.e., the LAW feed from the WTP Pretreatment facility. Removal of {sup 99}Tc from the LAW Feed, followed by off-site disposal of the {sup 99}Tc, would eliminate a key risk contributor for the IDF Performance Assessment (PA) for supplemental waste forms, and has potential to reduce treatment and disposal costs. Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) is developing some conceptual flow sheets for LAW treatment and disposal that could benefit from technetium removal. One of these flowsheets will specifically examine removing {sup 99}Tc from the LAW feed stream to supplemental immobilization. The conceptual flow sheet of the {sup 99}Tc removal process includes a filter to remove insoluble solids prior to processing the stream in an ion exchange column, but the characteristics and behavior of the liquid and solid phases has not previously been investigated. This report contains results of testing of a simulant that represents the projected composition of the feed to the Supplemental LAW process. This feed composition is not identical to the aqueous tank waste fed to the Waste Treatment Plant because it has been processed through WTP Pretreatment facility and therefore contains internal changes and recycle streams that will be generated within the WTP process. Although a Supplemental LAW feed simulant has previously been prepared, this feed composition differs from that simulant because those tests examined only the fully soluble aqueous solution at room temperature, not the composition formed after evaporation, including the insoluble solids that precipitate after it cools. The conceptual flow sheet for Supplemental LAW immobilization has an option for removal of {sup 99}Tc from the feed stream, if needed. Elutable ion exchange has been selected for that process. If implemented, the stream would need filtration to remove the insoluble solids prior to processing in an ion exchange column. The characteristics, chemical speciation, physical properties, and filterability of the solids are important to judge the feasibility of the concept, and to estimate the size and cost of a facility. The insoluble solids formed during these tests were primarily natrophosphate, natroxalate, and a sodium aluminosilicate compound. At the elevated temperature and 8 M [Na+], appreciable insoluble solids (1.39 wt%) were present. Cooling to room temperature and dilution of the slurry from 8 M to 5 M [Na+] resulted in a slurry containing 0.8 wt% insoluble solids. The solids (natrophosphate, natroxalate, sodium aluminum silicate, and a hydrated sodium phosphate) were relatively stable and settled quickly. Filtration rates were in the range of those observed with iron-based simulated Hanford tank sludge simulants, e.g., 6 M [Na+] Hanford tank 241-AN-102, even though their chemical speciation is considerably different. Chemical cleaning of the crossflow filter was readily accomplished with acid. As this simulant formulation was based on an average composition of a wide range of feeds using an integrated computer model, this exact composition may never be observed. But the test conditions were selected to enable comparison to the model to enable improving its chemical prediction capability.« less

Preparation and Characterization of a Calcium Phosphate Ceramic for the Immobilization of Chloride-containing Intermediate Level Waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Metcalfe, Brian; Donald, Ian W.; Scheele, Randall D.

2003-12-01

Attention has recently been given to the immobilization of special categories of radioactive wastes, some of which contain high concentrations of actinide chlorides. Although vitrification in phosphate glass has been proposed, this was rejected because of the high losses of chloride. On the basis of non-radioactive and, more recently, radioactive studies, we have shown that calcium phosphate is an effective host for immobilizing the chloride constituents [1]. In this instance, the chlorine is retained as chloride, rather than evolved as a chlorine-bearing gas. The immobilized product is in the form of a free-flowing, non-hygroscopic powder, in which the chlorides aremore » chemically combined within the mineral phases chlorapatite [Ca5(PO4)3Cl] and spodiosite [Ca2(PO4)Cl]. Data from studies on non-radioactive simulated waste consisting of a mixture of CaCl2 and SmCl3, and radioactive simulated waste composed of CaCl2 with PuCl3 or PuCl3 and AmCl3, are presented and compared. The XRD data confirm the presence of chlorapatite and spodiosite in the non-radioactive and radioactive materials. The durability of all specimens was measured with a modified MCC-1 test. Releases of Cl after 28 days were 1.6 x 10-3 g m-2 for the non-radioactive specimens and 7 x 10-3 g m-2 for the Pu-bearing specimens. Releases of Ca after 28 days were 0.3 x 10-3 and 2.0 x 10-3 g m-2 for the non-radioactive composition and the Pu composition, respectively, whilst release of Pu from the radioactive specimens was lower for the mixed Pu/Am specimen at 1.2 x 10-5g m-2. The release of Am from the mixed Pu/Am composition was exceptionally low at 2.4 x 10-7 g m-2. Overall, the release rate data suggest that the ceramics dissolve congruently, followed by precipitation of Sm, Pu and Am as less soluble phases, possibly oxides or phosphates. The differences in behaviour noted between non-radioactive and radioactive specimens are interpreted in terms of the crystal chemistry of the individual systems.« less

Office of River Protection Advanced Low-Activity Waste Glass Research and Development Plan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peeler, David K.; Kim, Dong-Sang; Vienna, John D.

2015-11-01

The U.S. Department of Energy Office of River Protection (ORP) has initiated and leads an integrated Advanced Waste Glass (AWG) program to increase the loading of Hanford tank wastes in glass while meeting melter lifetime expectancies and process, regulatory, and product performance requirements. The integrated ORP program is focused on providing a technical, science-based foundation for making key decisions regarding the successful operation of the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) facilities in the context of an optimized River Protection Project (RPP) flowsheet. The fundamental data stemming from this program will support development of advanced glass formulations, keymore » product performance and process control models, and tactical processing strategies to ensure safe and successful operations for both the low-activity waste (LAW) and high-level waste vitrification facilities. These activities will be conducted with the objective of improving the overall RPP mission by enhancing flexibility and reducing cost and schedule. The purpose of this advanced LAW glass research and development plan is to identify the near-term, mid-term, and longer-term research and development activities required to develop and validate advanced LAW glasses, property-composition models and their uncertainties, and an advanced glass algorithm to support WTP facility operations, including both Direct Feed LAW and full pretreatment flowsheets. Data are needed to develop, validate, and implement 1) new glass property-composition models and 2) a new glass formulation algorithm. Hence, this plan integrates specific studies associated with increasing the Na2O and SO3/halide concentrations in glass, because these components will ultimately dictate waste loadings for LAW vitrification. Of equal importance is the development of an efficient and economic strategy for 99Tc management. Specific and detailed studies are being implemented to understand the fate of Tc throughout the WTP flowsheet and the underlying mechanisms that dictate its partitioning between streams within the LAW vitrification facility. These studies are aimed at increasing the single-pass Tc retention in glass and the potential use of high-temperature mineral phases to capture Tc. The Tc-bearing mineral phases would be thermally stable and resistant to Tc release during feed melting reactions or they could serve as alternative waste forms. The LAW glass research and development is focused on reducing the total volume of LAW glass produced and minimizing the impact of (or potentially eliminating) the need for recycle.« less

Hydrolysis of whey lactose by immobilized β-galactosidase in a bioreactor with a spirally wound membrane.

PubMed

Vasileva, Nastya; Ivanov, Yavor; Damyanova, Stanka; Kostova, Iliana; Godjevargova, Tzonka

2016-01-01

The β-galactosidase was covalently immobilized onto a modified polypropylene membrane, using glutaraldehyde. The optimal conditions for hydrolysis of lactose (4.7%) by immobilized β-galactosidase in a batch process were determined 13.6 U enzyme activity, 40°C, pH 6.8 and 10h. The obtained degree of hydrolysis was compared with results received by a free enzyme. It was found, that the lactose hydrolysis by an immobilized enzyme was 1.6 times more effective than the lactose hydrolysis by a free enzyme. It was determined that the stability of the immobilized enzyme was 2 times higher in comparison with the stability of free enzyme. The obtained immobilized system β-galactosidase/polypropylene membrane was applied to produce glucose-galactose syrup from waste whey. The whey characteristics and the different preliminary treatments of the whey were investigated. Then the whey lactose hydrolysis in a bioreactor by an immobilized enzyme on a spirally wound membrane was performed. The optimal membrane surface and the optimal flow rate of the whey through the membrane module were determined, respectively 100 cm(2) and 1.0 mL min(-1). After 10h, the degree of lactose hydrolysis was increased to 91%. The operation stability was studied. After 20th cycle the yield of bioreactor was 69.7%. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A new insight into the immobilization mechanism of Zn on biochar: the role of anions dissolved from ash

PubMed Central

Qian, Tingting; Wang, Yujun; Fan, Tingting; Fang, Guodong; Zhou, Dongmei

2016-01-01

Biochar is considered to be a promising material for heavy metal immobilization in soil. However, the immobilization mechanisms of Zn2+ on biochars derived from many common waste biomasses are not completely understood. Herein, biochars (denoted as PN350, PN550, WS350, and WS550) derived from pine needle (PN) and wheat straw (WS) were prepared at two pyrolysis temperatures (350 °C and 550 °C). The immobilization behaviors and mechanisms of Zn2+ on these biochars were systematically investigated. The results show that compared with biochars produced at low temperature, biochars produced at high temperature contained higher amounts of ash and exhibited much higher sorption capacities of Zn2+. By using Zn K-edge EXAFS spectroscopy, we find that the formation of various Zn precipitates/minerals, which was caused by the release of OH−, CO32−, and Si species from biochar, was the immobilization mechanism of Zn2+ on PN and WS biochars. Hydrozincite and Zn(OH)2 were the main species formed on PN350, PN550, and WS350; while on WS550, besides hydrozincite, a large fraction of hemimorphite was formed. The occurrence of hydrozincite and hemimorphite on biochar during Zn2+ immobilization is firstly reported in our study, which provides a new insight into the immobilization mechanism of Zn2+ on biochar. PMID:27641899

A new insight into the immobilization mechanism of Zn on biochar: the role of anions dissolved from ash

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qian, Tingting; Wang, Yujun; Fan, Tingting; Fang, Guodong; Zhou, Dongmei

2016-09-01

Biochar is considered to be a promising material for heavy metal immobilization in soil. However, the immobilization mechanisms of Zn2+ on biochars derived from many common waste biomasses are not completely understood. Herein, biochars (denoted as PN350, PN550, WS350, and WS550) derived from pine needle (PN) and wheat straw (WS) were prepared at two pyrolysis temperatures (350 °C and 550 °C). The immobilization behaviors and mechanisms of Zn2+ on these biochars were systematically investigated. The results show that compared with biochars produced at low temperature, biochars produced at high temperature contained higher amounts of ash and exhibited much higher sorption capacities of Zn2+. By using Zn K-edge EXAFS spectroscopy, we find that the formation of various Zn precipitates/minerals, which was caused by the release of OH-, CO32-, and Si species from biochar, was the immobilization mechanism of Zn2+ on PN and WS biochars. Hydrozincite and Zn(OH)2 were the main species formed on PN350, PN550, and WS350; while on WS550, besides hydrozincite, a large fraction of hemimorphite was formed. The occurrence of hydrozincite and hemimorphite on biochar during Zn2+ immobilization is firstly reported in our study, which provides a new insight into the immobilization mechanism of Zn2+ on biochar.

A new insight into the immobilization mechanism of Zn on biochar: the role of anions dissolved from ash.

PubMed

Qian, Tingting; Wang, Yujun; Fan, Tingting; Fang, Guodong; Zhou, Dongmei

2016-09-19

Biochar is considered to be a promising material for heavy metal immobilization in soil. However, the immobilization mechanisms of Zn(2+) on biochars derived from many common waste biomasses are not completely understood. Herein, biochars (denoted as PN350, PN550, WS350, and WS550) derived from pine needle (PN) and wheat straw (WS) were prepared at two pyrolysis temperatures (350 °C and 550 °C). The immobilization behaviors and mechanisms of Zn(2+) on these biochars were systematically investigated. The results show that compared with biochars produced at low temperature, biochars produced at high temperature contained higher amounts of ash and exhibited much higher sorption capacities of Zn(2+). By using Zn K-edge EXAFS spectroscopy, we find that the formation of various Zn precipitates/minerals, which was caused by the release of OH(-), CO3(2-), and Si species from biochar, was the immobilization mechanism of Zn(2+) on PN and WS biochars. Hydrozincite and Zn(OH)2 were the main species formed on PN350, PN550, and WS350; while on WS550, besides hydrozincite, a large fraction of hemimorphite was formed. The occurrence of hydrozincite and hemimorphite on biochar during Zn(2+) immobilization is firstly reported in our study, which provides a new insight into the immobilization mechanism of Zn(2+) on biochar.

Nuclear Waste Disposal and Strategies for Predicting Long-Term Performance of Material

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wicks, G G

2001-03-28

Ceramics have been an important part of the nuclear community for many years. On December 2, 1942, an historic event occurred under the West Stands of Stagg Field, at the University of Chicago. Man initiated his first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction and controlled it. The impact of this event on civilization is considered by many as monumental and compared by some to other significant events in history, such as the invention of the steam engine and the manufacturing of the first automobile. Making this event possible and the successful operation of this first man-made nuclear reactor, was the use ofmore » forty tons of UO2. The use of natural or enriched UO2 is still used today as a nuclear fuel in many nuclear power plants operating world-wide. Other ceramic materials, such as 238Pu, are used for other important purposes, such as ceramic fuels for space exploration to provide electrical power to operate instruments on board spacecrafts. Radioisotopic Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) are used to supply electrical power and consist of a nuclear heat source and converter to transform heat energy from radioactive decay into electrical power, thus providing reliable and relatively uniform power over the very long lifetime of a mission. These sources have been used in the Galileo spacecraft orbiting Jupiter and for scientific investigations of Saturn with the Cassini spacecraft. Still another very important series of applications using the unique properties of ceramics in the nuclear field, are as immobilization matrices for management of some of the most hazardous wastes known to man. For example, in long-term management of radioactive and hazardous wastes, glass matrices are currently in production immobilizing high-level radioactive materials, and cementious forms have also been produced to incorporate low level wastes. Also, as part of nuclear disarmament activities, assemblages of crystalline phases are being developed for immobilizing weapons grade plutonium, to not only produce environmentally friendly products, but also forms that are proliferation resistant. All of these waste forms as well as others, are designed to take advantage of the unique properties of the ceramic systems.« less

Glass binder development for a glass-bonded sodalite ceramic waste form

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riley, Brian J.; Vienna, John D.; Frank, Steven M.; Kroll, Jared O.; Peterson, Jacob A.; Canfield, Nathan L.; Zhu, Zihua; Zhang, Jiandong; Kruska, Karen; Schreiber, Daniel K.; Crum, Jarrod V.

2017-06-01

This paper discusses work to develop Na2O-B2O3-SiO2 glass binders for immobilizing LiCl-KCl eutectic salt waste in a glass-bonded sodalite waste form following electrochemical reprocessing of used metallic nuclear fuel. Here, five new glasses with ∼20 mass% Na2O were designed to generate waste forms with high sodalite. The glasses were then used to produce ceramic waste forms with a surrogate salt waste. The waste forms made using these new glasses were formulated to generate more sodalite than those made with previous baseline glasses for this type of waste. The coefficients of thermal expansion for the glass phase in the glass-bonded sodalite waste forms made with the new binder glasses were closer to the sodalite phase in the critical temperature region near and below the glass transition temperature than previous binder glasses used. These improvements should result in lower probability of cracking in the full-scale monolithic ceramic waste form, leading to better long-term chemical durability.

Method for acid oxidation of radioactive, hazardous, and mixed organic waste materials

DOEpatents

Pierce, Robert A.; Smith, James R.; Ramsey, William G.; Cicero-Herman, Connie A.; Bickford, Dennis F.

1999-01-01

The present invention is directed to a process for reducing the volume of low level radioactive and mixed waste to enable the waste to be more economically stored in a suitable repository, and for placing the waste into a form suitable for permanent disposal. The invention involves a process for preparing radioactive, hazardous, or mixed waste for storage by contacting the waste starting material containing at least one organic carbon-containing compound and at least one radioactive or hazardous waste component with nitric acid and phosphoric acid simultaneously at a contacting temperature in the range of about 140.degree. C. to about 210 .degree. C. for a period of time sufficient to oxidize at least a portion of the organic carbon-containing compound to gaseous products, thereby producing a residual concentrated waste product containing substantially all of said radioactive or inorganic hazardous waste component; and immobilizing the residual concentrated waste product in a solid phosphate-based ceramic or glass form.

Glass Property Models, Constraints, and Formulation Approaches for Vitrification of High-Level Nuclear Wastes at the US Hanford Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, Dong-Sang

2015-03-02

The legacy nuclear wastes stored in underground tanks at the US Department of Energy’s Hanford site is planned to be separated into high-level waste and low-activity waste fractions and vitrified separately. Formulating optimized glass compositions that maximize the waste loading in glass is critical for successful and economical treatment and immobilization of nuclear wastes. Glass property-composition models have been developed and applied to formulate glass compositions for various objectives for the past several decades. The property models with associated uncertainties and combined with composition and property constraints have been used to develop preliminary glass formulation algorithms designed for vitrification processmore » control and waste form qualification at the planned waste vitrification plant. This paper provides an overview of current status of glass property-composition models, constraints applicable to Hanford waste vitrification, and glass formulation approaches that have been developed for vitrification of hazardous and highly radioactive wastes stored at the Hanford site.« less

Grout formulation for disposal of low-level and hazardous waste streams containing fluoride

DOEpatents

McDaniel, E.W.; Sams, T.L.; Tallent, O.K.

1987-06-02

A composition and related process for disposal of hazardous waste streams containing fluoride in cement-based materials is disclosed. the presence of fluoride in cement-based materials is disclosed. The presence of fluoride in waste materials acts as a set retarder and as a result, prevents cement-based grouts from setting. This problem is overcome by the present invention wherein calcium hydroxide is incorporated into the dry-solid portion of the grout mix. The calcium hydroxide renders the fluoride insoluble, allowing the grout to set up and immobilize all hazardous constituents of concern. 4 tabs.

White paper updating conclusions of 1998 ILAW performance assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

MANN, F.M.

The purpose of this document is to provide a comparison of the estimated immobilized low-activity waste (LAW) disposal system performance against established performance objectives using the beat estimates for parameters and models to describe the system. The principal advances in knowledge since the last performance assessment (known as the 1998 ILAW PA [Mann 1998a]) have been in site specific information and data on the waste form performance for BNFL, Inc. relevant glass formulations. The white paper also estimates the maximum release rates for technetium and other key radionuclides and chemicals from the waste form. Finally, this white paper provides limitedmore » information on the impact of changes in waste form loading.« less

Evaluation of oriented lysozyme immobilized with monoclonal antibody

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aoyagi, Satoka; Okada, Keigo; Shigyo, Ayako; Man, Naoki; Karen, Akiya

2008-12-01

The orientation of a lysozyme immobilized with a monoclonal antibody was evaluated based on determination of the uppermost surface structure using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS). Specific peaks of the oriented lysozyme immobilized with monoclonal anti-lysozyme antibody were obtained in comparison with reference samples, non-oriented immobilized lysozyme and immobilized anti-lysozyme antibody. All samples were freeze-dried before TOF-SIMS measurement, and then each sample was measured using TOF-SIMS with a bismuth cluster ion source. TOF-SIMS spectra were analyzed to select peaks specific to the oriented immobilized lysozyme as well as to identify their chemical formula and ensemble of amino acids. The possible chemical formulae of the lysozyme fragments were then investigated with an element matching program and a residue matching program. The results from TOF-SIMS spectra analysis were compared to the amino acid sequence of the lysozyme and its three-dimensional structure registered in the protein data bank. Finally, the fragment-ion-generating regions of the oriented immobilized lysozyme were determined based on the suggested residues and the three-dimensional structure.

Characterization of solidified radioactive waste due to the incorporation of high- and low-density polyethylene granules and titanium dioxide in mortar matrices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peric, A.

1997-12-31

The rutile form of titanium dioxide and granules of high density polyethylene (PEHD) and low density polyethylene (PELD) were used to prepare mortar matrices for immobilization of radioactive waste materials containing {sup 137}Cs. PELD, PEHD and TiO{sub 2} were added to mortar matrix preparations with the objective of improving physico-chemical characteristics of the radwaste-mortar matrix mixtures, in particular the leach-rate of the immobilized radionuclide. One type of PELD and two types of PEHD were used to replace 50 wt.% of stone granules normally used in the matrix, in order to decrease the porosity and density of the mortar matrix andmore » to avoid segregation of the stone particles at the bottom of the immobilized radioactive waste cylindrical form. TiO{sub 2} was also added to the mortar formulation, replacing 5 and 8 wt.% of the total cement weight. Cured samples were investigated under temperature stress conditions, where the temperature extremes were: T{sub min} = {minus}20 C, T{sub max} = +70 C. Samples were periodically immersed in distilled water at the ambient room temperature, after each freezing and heating treatment. Results of accelerated leaching experiments for these samples and samples prepared exclusively with polyethylenes replacing 100% of the stone granules and TiO{sub 2}, treated in nonaccelerated leaching experiments, were compared. Even using an accelerated ageing leach test that overestimates {sup 137}Cs leach rates, it can be deduced, that radionuclide leach rates from the radioactive waste mortar mixture forms were improved. Leach rates decreased from 5%, for the material prepared with stone aggregate, to 3.1 to 4.0%, for the materials prepared solely with PEHD, PELD or TiO{sub 2}, and to about 3% for all six types of the TiO{sub 2}-PEHD and TiO{sub 2}-PELD mixtures tested.« less

Numerical model for a watering plan to wash out organic matter from the municipal solid waste incinerator bottom ash layer in closed system disposal facilities.

PubMed

Ishii, Kazuei; Furuichi, Toru; Tanikawa, Noboru

2009-02-01

Bottom ash from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) is a main type of waste that is landfilled in Japan. The long-term elution of organic matter from the MSWI bottom ash layers is a concern because maintenance and operational costs of leachate treatment facilities are high. In closed system disposal facilities (CSDFs), which have a roof to prevent rainfall from infiltrating into the waste layers, water must be supplied artificially and its quantity can be controlled. However, the quantity of water needed and how to apply it (the intensity, period and frequency) have not been clearly defined. In order to discuss an effective watering plan, this study proposes a new washout model to clarify a fundamental mechanism of total organic carbon (TOC) elution behavior from MSWI bottom ash layers. The washout model considers three phases: solid, immobile water and mobile water. The parameters, including two mass transfer coefficients of the solid-immobile water phases and immobile-mobile water phases, were determined by one-dimensional column experiments for about 2 years. The intensity, period and frequency of watering and other factors were discussed based on a numerical analysis using the above parameters. As a result, our washout model explained adequately the elution behavior of TOC from the MSWI bottom ash layer before carbonation occurred (pH approximately 8.3). The determined parameters and numerical analysis suggested that there is a possibility that the minimum amount of water needed for washing out TOC per unit weight of MSWI bottom ash layer could be determined, which depends on the two mass transfer coefficients and the depth of the MSWI bottom ash layer. Knowledge about the fundamental mechanism of the elution behavior of TOC from the MSWI bottom ash layer before carbonation occurs, clarified by this study, will help an effective watering plan in CSDFs.

Anaerobic microbial dissolution of lead and production of organic acids

DOEpatents

Francis, A.J.; Dodge, C.; Chendrayan, K.

1986-02-28

The present invention relates to a method of solubilizing lead, in the form of lead oxide, found in industrial wastes, before these wastes are dumped into the environment. The lead is solubilized by dissolving the lead oxide in the wastes through contact with an anaerobic bacterial culture containing the bacterium ATCC No. 53464. The solubilized lead can then be removed from the wastes by chemical separation. It could also be removed by extending the contact period with the bacterial culture. As the culture grows, the solubilized lead is removed from the wastes by bioaccumulation by the microorganism or by immobilization by a polymer-like material produced by the microorganism. At this point, the lead is then removed from the wastes when the waste material is separated from the bacterial culture. If desired, the bacterial culture could be digested at this point to yield relatively pure lead for further industrial use.

Correlation between mesopore volume of carbon supports and the immobilization of laccase from Trametes versicolor for the decolorization of Acid Orange 7.

PubMed

Ramírez-Montoya, Luis A; Hernández-Montoya, Virginia; Montes-Morán, Miguel A; Cervantes, Francisco J

2015-10-01

Immobilization of laccase from Trametes versicolor was carried out using carbon supports prepared from different lignocellulosic wastes. Enzymes were immobilized by physical adsorption. Taguchi methodology was selected for the design of experiments regarding the preparation of the carbon materials, which included the use of activating agents for the promotion of mesoporosity. A good correlation between the mesopore volumes of the carbon supports and the corresponding laccase loadings attained was observed. Specifically, the chemical activation of pecan nut shell with FeCl3 led to a highly mesoporous material that also behaved as the most efficient support for the immobilization of laccase. This particular laccase/carbon support system was used as biocatalyst for the decolorization of aqueous solutions containing Acid Orange 7. Mass spectrometry coupled to a liquid chromatograph allowed us to identify the products of the dye degradation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of natural zeolite as microbial immobilization media in anaerobic digestion at various concentrations of palm oil mill effluent (POME)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayu, Erika Dyah; Halim, Lenny; Mellyanawaty, Melly; Sudibyo, Hanifrahmawan; Budhijanto, Wiratni

2017-05-01

Anaerobic digestion is one of the solutions in POME treatment because it generates energy in the form of biogas. Nevertheless, high concentration of POME fed into the digester will cause high acidification level and eventually cause process failure. The failure can also be affected by high inhibitor concentration contained in POME, one of which is long chain fatty acid. The addition of immobilization media is commonly used to increase the bacteria resistance to inhibitor. Natural zeolite is considered as appropriate immobilization media for waste treatment purpose since it is cheap, has high mechanical strength, high immobilization capacity, and its ability as cation exchanger. The digested biodiesel waste was used as starter inoculum for its good capability in digesting oil-containing feed such as POME. This research was conducted to evaluate critical concentration of POME fed to digester where the natural zeolite could not reduce the inhibitory effect. The concentrations of POME evaluated were 10,000 mg sCOD/L and 17,000 mg sCOD/L, which were higher than previous studies(5,000 to 8,000 mg sCOD/L). The research showed that at such high sCOD concentrations, the addition of zeolite did not significantly increase COD reduction nor biogas production rate, for both POME concentrations to be compared to control. The biogas produced by digester fed by 10,000 mg/L POME and 17,000 mg/L POME was 751 and 100 mL/g sCOD, respectively, indicating higher inhibitor effect in the digester with 17,000 mg SCOD/L initial concentration.

Immobilization of radioiodine in synthetic boracite

DOEpatents

Babad, H.; Strachan, D.M.

1982-09-23

A nuclear waste storage product is disclosed in which radioiodine is incorporated in a synthetic boracite. The boracite may be prepared by reacting a transition metal iodide with an alkali horate under mild hydrothermal conditions, drying the reaction product, and then hot pressing.

A new route to the stable capture and final immobilization of radioactive cesium.

PubMed

Yang, Jae Hwan; Han, Ahreum; Yoon, Joo Young; Park, Hwan-Seo; Cho, Yung-Zun

2017-10-05

Radioactive Cs released from damaged fuel materials in the event of nuclear accidents must be controlled to prevent the spreading of hazardous Cs into the environment. This study describes a simple and novel process to safely manage Cs gas by capturing it within ceramic filters and converting it into monolithic waste forms. The results of Cs trapping tests showed that CsAlSiO 4 was a reaction product of gas-solid reactions between Cs gas and our ceramic filters. Monolithic waste forms were readily prepared from the Cs-trapping filters by the addition of a glass frit followed by thermal treatment at 1000°C for 3h. Major findings revealed that the Cs-trapping filters could be added up to 50wt% to form durable monoliths. In 30-50wt% of waste fraction, CsAlSiO 4 was completely converted to pollucite (CsAlSi 2 O 6 ), which is a potential phase for radioactive Cs due to its excellent thermal and chemical stability. A static leaching test for 28 d confirmed the excellent chemical resistance of the pollucite structure, with a Cs leaching rate as low as 7.21×10 -5 gm -2 /d. This simple scheme of waste processing promises a new route for radioactive Cs immobilization by synthesizing pollucite-based monoliths. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Recent advances in yeast cell-surface display technologies for waste biorefineries.

PubMed

Liu, Zhuo; Ho, Shih-Hsin; Hasunuma, Tomohisa; Chang, Jo-Shu; Ren, Nan-Qi; Kondo, Akihiko

2016-09-01

Waste biorefinery aims to maximize the output of value-added products from various artificial/agricultural wastes by using integrated bioprocesses. To make waste biorefinery economically feasible, it is thus necessary to develop a low-cost, environment-friendly technique to perform simultaneous biodegradation and bioconversion of waste materials. Cell-surface display engineering is a novel, cost-effective technique that can auto-immobilize proteins on the cell exterior of microorganisms, and has been applied for use with waste biofinery. Through tethering different enzymes (e.g., cellulase, lipase, and protease) or metal-binding peptides on cell surfaces, various yeast strains can effectively produce biofuels and biochemicals from sugar/protein-rich waste materials, catalyze waste oils into biodiesels, or retrieve heavy metals from wastewater. This review critically summarizes recent applications of yeast cell-surface display on various types of waste biorefineries, highlighting its potential and future challenges with regard to commercializing this technology. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impacts of Process and Prediction Uncertainties on Projected Hanford Waste Glass Amount

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gervasio, V.; Kim, D. S.; Vienna, J. D.

Analyses were performed to evaluate the impacts of using the advanced glass models, constraints, and uncertainty descriptions on projected Hanford glass mass. The maximum allowable waste oxide loading (WOL) was estimated for waste compositions while simultaneously satisfying all applicable glass property and composition constraints with sufficient confidence. Different components of prediction and composition/process uncertainties were systematically included in the calculations to evaluate their impacts on glass mass. The analyses estimated the production of 23,360 MT of immobilized high-level waste (IHLW) glass when no uncertainties were taken into account. Accounting for prediction and composition/process uncertainties resulted in 5.01 relative percent increasemore » in estimated glass mass of 24,531 MT. Roughly equal impacts were found for prediction uncertainties (2.58 RPD) and composition/process uncertainties (2.43 RPD). The immobilized low-activity waste (ILAW) mass was predicted to be 282,350 MT without uncertainty and with waste loading “line” rules in place. Accounting for prediction and composition/process uncertainties resulted in only 0.08 relative percent increase in estimated glass mass of 282,562 MT. Without application of line rules the glass mass decreases by 10.6 relative percent (252,490 MT) for the case with no uncertainties. Addition of prediction uncertainties increases glass mass by 1.32 relative percent and the addition of composition/process uncertainties increase glass mass by an additional 7.73 relative percent (9.06 relative percent increase combined). The glass mass estimate without line rules (275,359 MT) was 2.55 relative percent lower than that with the line rules (282,562 MT), after accounting for all applicable uncertainties.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Belsher, Jeremy D.; Pierson, Kayla L.; Gimpel, Rod F.

The Hanford site in southeast Washington contains approximately 207 million liters of radioactive and hazardous waste stored in 177 underground tanks. The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of River Protection is currently managing the Hanford waste treatment mission, which includes the storage, retrieval, treatment and disposal of the tank waste. Two recent studies, employing the modeling tools managed by the One System organization, have highlighted waste cleanup mission sensitivities. The Hanford Tank Waste Operations Simulator Sensitivity Study evaluated the impact that varying 21 different parameters had on the Hanford Tank Waste Operations Simulator model. It concluded that inaccuracies in themore » predicted phase partitioning of a few key components can result in significant changes in the waste treatment duration and in the amount of immobilized high-level waste that is produced. In addition, reducing the efficiency with which tank waste is retrieved and staged can increase mission duration. The 2012 WTP Tank Utilization Assessment concluded that flowsheet models need to include the latest low-activity waste glass algorithms or the waste treatment mission duration and the amount of low activity waste that is produced could be significantly underestimated. (authors)« less

40 CFR 265.272 - General operating requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 25 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false General operating requirements. 265.272 Section 265.272 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES... nonhazardous by degradation, transformation, or immobilization processes occurring in or on the soil. (b) The...

Immobilization of Chromium from Liquid Waste of Electroplating Home-Industries by Fly Ash Geopolymerization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fansuri, H.; Erviana, E.; Rosyidah, M.; Iqbal, R. M.; Utomo, W. P.; Nurlina

2018-05-01

Immobilization is one of methods that can be used to overcome the problem of water pollution by heavy metals, such as chromium, which is possibly produced in an electroplating home-industry. One method that can be used to immobilize heavy metals is by using the waste water as a reactant in a geopolymerization process. The resulting geopolymer will contain such heavy metals and keep them from being dispersed into the environment. In this research, the immobilization was carried out by geopolymerization of fly ash from PT. IPMOMI (International Power Mitsui Operation and Maintenance) in Probolinggo, Indonesia, which pass through 60 (FA 60), 100 (FA 100), and 200 (FA 200) mesh sieve and using wastewater from electroplating home-industries in Ngingas Village, Sidoarjo-Indonesia, or a solution of Cr(NO3)3.9H2O as one of its reactants. The composition of the geopolymerization follows the results of previous research, i.e using the ratio of Solid to Liquid (S/L) = 3.59, Na2O/SiO2 = 0.67, H2O/Na2O = 3.33 and SiO2/Al2O3 = 6.46. Experimental results show that the compressive strength of geopolymers without heavy metals addition increases when the particle size decreases. Geopolymer made of FA 100 has the highest compressive strength i.e 35.05 MPa. The addition of a chromium-containing wastewater in FA 100 geopolymerization produce a geopolymer with a lower compressive strength i.e 26.42 MPa while the addition of Cr(NO3)3·9H2O solution produce geopolymer with compressive strength of 24.47 MPa. The SEM-EDX photo shows that chrome was evenly dispersed in the geopolymer. Leaching test with TCLP method (Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure) on the geopolymer product showed that no chrome content in the leachate was found. This suggests that chromium is immobilized by geopolymers very well.

Formation of zeolites in metakaolin-based geopolymers and their potential application for Cs immobilization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arbel Haddad, M.; Ofer-Rozovsky, E.; Bar-Nes, G.; Borojovich, E. J. C.; Nikolski, A.; Mogiliansky, D.; Katz, A.

2017-09-01

Alkali-activated aluminisilicate materials, also known as geopolymers, have been considered as attractive candidates for nuclear waste immobilization, due to their ability to incorporate cations, combined with high chemical resistance and suitable mechanical and thermal properties. The goal of the present research was to study the incorporation and immobilization of Cs in low-Si geopolymers (SiO2:Al2O3 molar ratio ≤ 2) which are known to have a relatively high crystalline phase content. A series of low-Si geopolymers was prepared from metakaolin using activating solutions containing CsOH and NaOH at different proportions. The structural evolution of the resulting products was followed using X-ray diffraction, the incorporation of Cs in the geopolymer was followed by pore water analysis, and its immobilization efficiency was determined from leaching tests following the ANSI/ANS-16.1 standard procedure. Like low-Si NaOH-based geopolymers, the mixed CsOH-NaOH geopolymers contain a significant amount of crystalline material which is imbedded within an amorphous matrix. Formulations with 1%Cs yielded the crystalline phases zeolite A and zeolite X. At 50%Cs the Cs-bearing zeolite F was formed. All three phases were observed at an intermediate Cs content (7%Cs). Pore water analysis indicated a preference for Cs uptake from the activating solution, while leaching experiments indicated selectivity for Cs immobilization in the mixed CsOH-NaOH geopolymers. Correlation of the apparent diffusion constants for both Na and Cs, as obtained from the leaching experiments, with the structural data lead to the conclusion that Cs is more efficiently bound by zeolite F, whereas Na binding is preferred by zeolites A and X. Nevertheless, the leachability indices for both Cs and Na were well above 6, indicating that such matrices may be considered as waste forms for 137Cs.

Immobilized bacterial spores for use as bioindicators in the validation of thermal sterilization processes.

PubMed

Serp, D; von Stockar, U; Marison, I W

2002-07-01

Spores of Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6051 and Bacillus stearothermophilus NCTC 10003 were immobilized in monodisperse alginate beads (diameter, 550 microm +/- 5%), and the capacity of the immobilized bioindicators to provide accurate and reliable F-values for sterilization processes was studied. The resistance of the beads to abrasion and heat was strong enough to ensure total retention of the bioindicators in the beads in a sterilization cycle. D- and z-values for free spores were identical to those for immobilized spores, which shows that immobilization does not modify the thermal resistance of the bioindicators. A D(100 degrees C) value of 1.5 min was found for free and immobilized B. subtilis spores heated in demineralized water, skimmed milk, and milk containing 4% fat, suggesting that a lipid concentration as low as 4% does not alter the thermal resistance of B. subtilis spores. Providing that the pH range is kept between 3.4 to 10 and that sufficiently low concentrations of Ca2+ competitors or complexants are present in the medium, immobilized bioindicators may serve as an efficient, accurate, and reliable tool with which to validate the efficiency of any sterilization process. The environmental factors (pH, media composition) affecting the thermoresistance of native contaminants are intrinsically reflected in the F-value, allowing for a sharper adjustment of the sterilization process. Immobilized spores of B. stearothermophilus were successfully used to validate a resonance and interference microwave system that is believed to offer a convenient alternative for the sterilization of temperature-sensitive products and medical wastes.

Heavy metal immobilization in soil near abandoned mines using eggshell waste and rapeseed residue.

PubMed

Lee, Sang Soo; Lim, Jung Eun; El-Azeem, Samy A M Abd; Choi, Bongsu; Oh, Sang-Eun; Moon, Deok Hyun; Ok, Yong Sik

2013-03-01

Heavy metal contamination of agricultural soils has received great concern due to potential risk to human health. Cadmium and Pb are largely released from abandoned or closed mines in Korea, resulting in soil contamination. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of eggshell waste in combination with the conventional nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium fertilizer (also known as NPK fertilizer) or the rapeseed residue on immobilization of Cd and Pb in the rice paddy soil. Cadmium and Pb extractabilities were tested using two methods of (1) the toxicity characteristics leaching procedure (TCLP) and (2) the 0.1 M HCl extraction. With 5 % eggshell addition, the values of soil pH were increased from 6.33 and 6.51 to 8.15 and 8.04 in combination with NPK fertilizer and rapeseed residue, respectively, compared to no eggshell addition. The increase in soil pH may contribute to heavy metal immobilization by altering heavy metals into more stable in soils. Concentrations of TCLP-extracted Cd and Pb were reduced by up to 67.9 and 93.2 % by addition of 5 % eggshell compared to control. For 0.1 M HCl extraction method, the concentration of 0.1 M HCl-Cd in soils treated with NPK fertilizer and rapeseed residue was significantly reduced by up to 34.01 and 46.1 %, respectively, with 5 % eggshell addition compared to control. A decrease in acid phosphatase activity and an increase in alkaline phosphatase activity at high soil pH were also observed. Combined application of eggshell waste and rapeseed residue can be cost-effective and beneficial way to remediate the soil contaminated with heavy metals.

Nuclear waste disposal—pyrochlore (A2B2O7): Nuclear waste form for the immobilization of plutonium and "minor" actinides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ewing, Rodney C.; Weber, William J.; Lian, Jie

2004-06-01

During the past half-century, the nuclear fuel cycle has generated approximately 1400 metric tons of plutonium and substantial quantities of the "minor" actinides, such as Np, Am, and Cm. The successful disposition of these actinides has an important impact on the strategy for developing advanced nuclear fuel cycles, weapons proliferation, and the geologic disposal of high-level radioactive waste. During the last decade, there has been substantial interest in the use of the isometric pyrochlore structure-type, A2B2O7, for the immobilization of actinides. Most of the interest has focused on titanate-pyrochlore because of its chemical durability; however, these compositions experience a radiation-induced transition from the crystalline-to-aperiodic state due to radiation damage from the alpha-decay of actinides. Depending on the actinide concentration, the titanate pyrochlore will become amorphous in less than 1000 years of storage. Recently, systematic ion beam irradiations of a variety of pyrochlore compositions has revealed that many zirconate pyrochlores do not become amorphous, but remain crystalline as a defect fluorite structure-type due to disordering of the A- and B-site cations. The zirconate pyrochlores will remain crystalline even to very high doses, greater than 100 displacements per atom. Systematic experimental studies of actinide-doped and ion beam-irradiated pyrochlore, analyses of natural U- and Th-bearing pyrochlore, and simulations of the energetics of the disordering process now provide a rather detailed understanding of the structural and chemical controls on the response of pyrochlore to radiation. These results provide a solid basis for predicting the behavior and durability of pyrochlore used to immobilize plutonium.

Isolation and characterization of phenol degrading bacterium strain Bacillus thuringiensis J20 from olive waste in Palestine.

PubMed

Ereqat, Suheir I; Abdelkader, Ahmad A; Nasereddin, Abedelmajeed F; Al-Jawabreh, Amer O; Zaid, Taher M; Letnik, Ilya; Abdeen, Ziad A

2018-01-02

This study aimed at isolation of phenol degrading bacteria from olive mill wastes in Palestine. The efficiency of phenol removal and factors affecting phenol degradation were investigated. A bacterial strain (J20) was isolated from solid olive mill waste and identified as Bacillus thuringiensis based on standard morphological, biochemical characteristics and 16SrRNA sequence analysis. The strain was able to grow in a phenol concentration of 700 mg/L as the sole carbon and energy source. The culture conditions showed a significant impact on the ability of these cells to remove phenol. This strain exhibited optimum phenol degradation performance at pH 6.57 and 30 °C . Under the optimized conditions, this strain could degrade 88.6% of phenol (700 mg/L) within 96 h when the initial cell density was OD 600 0.2. However, the degradation efficiency could be improved from about 88% to nearly 99% by increasing the cell density. Immobilization of J20 was carried out using 4% sodium alginate. Phenol degradation efficiency of the immobilized cells of J20 was higher than that of the free cells, 100% versus 88.6% of 700 mg/L of phenol in 120 h, indicating the improved tolerance of the immobilized cells toward phenol toxicity. The J20 was used in detoxifying crude OMWW, phenolic compounds levels were reduced by 61% compared to untreated OMWW after five days of treatment. Hence, B. thuringiensis-J20 can be effectively used for bioremediation of phenol-contaminated sites in Palestine. These findings may lead to new biotechnological applications for the degradation of phenol, related to olive oil production.

Alternative High-Performance Ceramic Waste Forms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sundaram, S. K.

This final report (M5NU-12-NY-AU # 0202-0410) summarizes the results of the project titled “Alternative High-Performance Ceramic Waste Forms,” funded in FY12 by the Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP Project # 12-3809) being led by Alfred University in collaboration with Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL). The overall focus of the project is to advance fundamental understanding of crystalline ceramic waste forms and to demonstrate their viability as alternative waste forms to borosilicate glasses. We processed single- and multiphase hollandite waste forms based on simulated waste streams compositions provided by SRNL based on the advanced fuel cycle initiative (AFCI) aqueous separation process developed in the Fuel Cycle Research and Development (FCR&D). For multiphase simulated waste forms, oxide and carbonate precursors were mixed together via ball milling with deionized water using zirconia media in a polyethylene jar for 2 h. The slurry was dried overnight and then separated from the media. The blended powders were then subjected to melting or spark plasma sintering (SPS) processes. Microstructural evolution and phase assemblages of these samples were studied using x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersion analysis of x-rays (EDAX), wavelength dispersive spectrometry (WDS), transmission electron spectroscopy (TEM), selective area x-ray diffraction (SAXD), and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). These results showed that the processing methods have significant effect on the microstructure and thus the performance of these waste forms. The Ce substitution into zirconolite and pyrochlore materials was investigated using a combination of experimental (in situ XRD and x-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES)) and modeling techniques to study these single phases independently. In zirconolite materials, a transition from the 2M to the 4M polymorph was observed with increasing Ce content. The resulting powders were consolidated via SPS. Ce was reduced to the trivalent oxidation state and the zirconolite was converted into undesirable perovskite. The zirconolite polymorphs found in the synthesized powders were recovered after a post-SPS heat treatment in air. These results demonstrated the potential of processing in controlling the phase assemblage in these waste forms. Hollandites with Cr 3+ trivalent cations were identified as potential hosts for Cs immobilization and are being investigated for Cs retention properties. Series of compositions Ba 1.15-xCs 2xCr 2.3Ti 5.7O 16, with increasing Cs loadings, were prepared by sol-gel process and characterized for structural parameters. Structural characterization was performed by a combination of powder XRD and neutron powder diffraction. Phase pure hollandite adapting monoclinic symmetry (I2/m) was observed for 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.55. These results were used to develop a new structural model to interpret Cs immobilization in these hollandites. Performance of these waste forms were evaluated for chemical durability and radiation resistance. Product consistency testing (PCT) and vapor hydration testing (VHT) were used for testing of chemical durability. Radiation resistance was tested using He + ions to simulatemore » $$\\alpha$$ particles and heavy ions such as Au 3+ to simulate a recoil. These results showed that these waste forms were chemically durable. The waste forms also amorphized to various degrees on exposure to simulated radiation.« less

Comparative evaluation of short-term leach tests for heavy metal release from mineral processing waste

USGS Publications Warehouse

Al-Abed, S. R.; Hageman, P.L.; Jegadeesan, G.; Madhavan, N.; Allen, D.

2006-01-01

Evaluation of metal leaching using a single leach test such as the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) is often questionable. The pH, redox potential (Eh), particle size and contact time are critical variables in controlling metal stability, not accounted for in the TCLP. This paper compares the leaching behavior of metals in mineral processing waste via short-term extraction tests such as TCLP, Field Leach Test (FLT) used by USGS and deionized water extraction tests. Variation in the extracted amounts was attributed to the use of different particle sizes, extraction fluid and contact time. In the controlled pH experiments, maximum metal extraction was obtained at acidic pH for cationic heavy metals such as Cu, Pb and Zn, while desorption of Se from the waste resulted in high extract concentrations in the alkaline region. Precipitation of iron, caused by a pH increase, probably resulted in co-precipitation and immobilization of Cu, Pb and Zn in the alkaline pH region. A sequential extraction procedure was performed on the original waste and the solid residue from the Eh-pH experiments to determine the chemical speciation and distribution of the heavy metals. In the as-received waste, Cu existed predominantly in water soluble or sulfidic phases, with no binding to carbonates or iron oxides. Similar characteristics were observed for Pb and Zn, while Se existed mostly associated with iron oxides or sulfides. Adsorption/co-precipitation of Cu, Se and Pb on precipitated iron hydroxides was observed in the experimental solid residues, resulting in metal immobilization above pH 7.

Bioproduction of food additives hexanal and hexanoic acid in a microreactor.

PubMed

Šalić, Anita; Pindrić, Katarina; Zelić, Bruno

2013-12-01

Hexanal and hexanoic acid have number of applications in food and cosmetic industry because of their organoleptic characteristics. Problems like low yields, formation of unwanted by-products, and large quantities of waste in their traditional production processes are the reasons for developing new production methods. Biotransformation in a microreactor, as an alternative to classical synthesis processes, is being investigated. Because conditions in microreactors can be precisely controlled, the quality of the product and its purity can also be improved. Biocatalytic oxidation of hexanol to hexanal and hexanoic acid using suspended and immobilized permeabilized whole baker's yeast cells and suspended and immobilized purified alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) was investigated in this study. Three different methods for covalent immobilization of biocatalyst were analyzed, and the best method for biocatalyst attachment on microchannel wall was used in the production of hexanal and hexanoic acid.

Soil and solid poultry waste nutrient management and water quality.

PubMed

Chapman, S L

1996-07-01

Concerns about the impacts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and pathogens on surface and ground water quality has forced the poultry industry to implement voluntary waste management guidelines for use by growers. In some states, animal waste guidelines are being enforced by regulatory agencies. Strategies that growers may use to properly dispose of poultry waste include: 1) local land application as a fertilizer; 2) offsite marketing for use as a fertilizer or soil amendment, feed additive, or energy source; and 3) chemical additives that will immobilize nitrogen and phosphorus in the manure or litter. If properly followed, these and other innovative strategies should be adequate to protect surface and ground water quality without adversely affecting the economics of poultry production.

Biohydrogen production in the suspended and attached microbial growth systems from waste pastry hydrolysate.

PubMed

Han, Wei; Hu, Yunyi; Li, Shiyi; Li, Feifei; Tang, Junhong

2016-10-01

Waste pastry was hydrolyzed by glucoamylase and protease which were obtained from solid state fermentation of Aspergillus awamori and Aspergillus oryzae to produce waste pastry hydrolysate. Then, the effects of hydraulic retention times (HRTs) (4-12h) on hydrogen production rate (HPR) in the suspended microbial growth system (continuous stirred tank reactor, CSTR) and attached microbial growth system (continuous mixed immobilized sludge reactor, CMISR) from waste pastry hydrolysate were investigated. The maximum HPRs of CSTR (201.8mL/(h·L)) and CMISR (255.3mL/(h·L)) were obtained at HRT of 6h and 4h, respectively. The first-order reaction could be used to describe the enzymatic hydrolysis of waste pastry. The carbon content of the waste pastry remained 22.8% in the undigested waste pastry and consumed 77.2% for carbon dioxide and soluble microbial products. To our knowledge, this is the first study which reports biohydrogen production from waste pastry. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bench-Scale Filtration Testing in Support of the Pretreatment Engineering Platform (PEP)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Billing, Justin M.; Daniel, Richard C.; Kurath, Dean E.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has been tasked by Bechtel National Inc. (BNI) on the River Protection Project-Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (RPP-WTP) project to perform research and development activities to resolve technical issues identified for the Pretreatment Facility (PTF). The Pretreatment Engineering Platform (PEP) was designed, constructed and operated as part of a plan to respond to issue M12, “Undemonstrated Leaching Processes.” The PEP is a 1/4.5-scale test platform designed to simulate the WTP pretreatment caustic leaching, oxidative leaching, ultrafiltration solids concentration, and slurry washing processes. The PEP testing program specifies that bench-scale testing is to bemore » performed in support of specific operations, including filtration, caustic leaching, and oxidative leaching.« less

Mitigation of Hydrogen Gas Generation from the Reaction of Uranium Metal with Water in K Basin Sludge and Sludge Waste Forms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sinkov, Sergey I.; Delegard, Calvin H.; Schmidt, Andrew J.

2011-06-08

Prior laboratory testing identified sodium nitrate and nitrite to be the most promising agents to minimize hydrogen generation from uranium metal aqueous corrosion in Hanford Site K Basin sludge. Of the two, nitrate was determined to be better because of higher chemical capacity, lower toxicity, more reliable efficacy, and fewer side reactions than nitrite. The present lab tests were run to determine if nitrate’s beneficial effects to lower H2 generation in simulated and genuine sludge continued for simulated sludge mixed with agents to immobilize water to help meet the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) waste acceptance drainable liquid criterion. Testsmore » were run at ~60°C, 80°C, and 95°C using near spherical high-purity uranium metal beads and simulated sludge to emulate uranium-rich KW containerized sludge currently residing in engineered containers KW-210 and KW-220. Immobilization agents tested were Portland cement (PC), a commercial blend of PC with sepiolite clay (Aquaset II H), granulated sepiolite clay (Aquaset II G), and sepiolite clay powder (Aquaset II). In all cases except tests with Aquaset II G, the simulated sludge was mixed intimately with the immobilization agent before testing commenced. For the granulated Aquaset II G clay was added to the top of the settled sludge/solution mixture according to manufacturer application directions. The gas volumes and compositions, uranium metal corrosion mass losses, and nitrite, ammonia, and hydroxide concentrations in the interstitial solutions were measured. Uranium metal corrosion rates were compared with rates forecast from the known uranium metal anoxic water corrosion rate law. The ratios of the forecast to the observed rates were calculated to find the corrosion rate attenuation factors. Hydrogen quantities also were measured and compared with quantities expected based on non-attenuated H2 generation at the full forecast anoxic corrosion rate to arrive at H2 attenuation factors. The uranium metal corrosion rates in water alone and in simulated sludge were near or slightly below the metal-in-water rate while nitrate-free sludge/Aquaset II decreased rates by about a factor of 3. Addition of 1 M nitrate to simulated sludge decreased the corrosion rate by a factor of ~5 while 1 M nitrate in sludge/Aquaset II mixtures decreased the corrosion rate by ~2.5 compared with the nitrate-free analogues. Mixtures of simulated sludge with Aquaset II treated with 1 M nitrate had uranium corrosion rates about a factor of 8 to 10 lower than the water-only rate law. Nitrate was found to provide substantial hydrogen mitigation for immobilized simulant sludge waste forms containing Aquaset II or Aquaset II G clay. Hydrogen attenuation factors of 1000 or greater were determined at 60°C for sludge-clay mixtures at 1 M nitrate. Hydrogen mitigation for tests with PC and Aquaset II H (which contains PC) were inconclusive because of suspected failure to overcome induction times and fully enter into anoxic corrosion. Lessening of hydrogen attenuation at ~80°C and ~95°C for simulated sludge and Aquaset II was observed with attenuation factors around 100 to 200 at 1 M nitrate. Valuable additional information has been obtained on the ability of nitrate to attenuate hydrogen gas generation from solution, simulant K Basin sludge, and simulant sludge with immobilization agents. Details on characteristics of the associated reactions were also obtained. The present testing confirms prior work which indicates that nitrate is an effective agent to attenuate hydrogen from uranium metal corrosion in water and simulated K Basin sludge to show that it is also effective in potential candidate solidified K Basin waste forms for WIPP disposal. The hydrogen mitigation afforded by nitrate appears to be sufficient to meet the hydrogen generation limits for shipping various sludge waste streams based on uranium metal concentrations and assumed waste form loadings.« less

SILICATE TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION'S SOLIDIFICATION/ STABILIZATION TECHNOLOGY FOR ORGANIC AND INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS IN SOILS - APPLICATIONS ANALYSIS REPORT

EPA Science Inventory

This Applications Analysis Report evaluates the solidification/stabilization treatment process of Silicate Technology Corporation (STC) for the on-site treatment of hazardous waste. The STC immobilization technology utilizes a proprietary product (FMS Silicate) to chemically stab...

Improvement of shelf life of soymilk using immobilized protease of Oerskovia xanthineolytica NCIM 2839.

PubMed

Sahoo, A K; Gaikwad, V S; Ranveer, R C; Dandge, P B; Waghmare, S R

2016-12-01

Protease enzyme has lot of commercial applications, so the cost-effective production of protease using sunflower oil seed waste was carried out from Oerskovia xanthineolyitca NCIM 2839. The maximum protease production was after 24 h of incubation with 2.5 % oil seed waste concentration. O. xanthineolytica was found to produce two proteases-P1 and P2. The proteases were purified using 60 % cold acetone precipitation and DEAE-cellulose ion exchange chromatography. SDS-PAGE revealed molecular weight of P1 and P2 was 36 and 24 kDa, respectively. P1 and P2 were optimally active at pH 7.0 and pH 7.5 at temperature 35 and 40 °C, respectively. Analysis of hydrolyzed product of P1 and P2 by HPLC reveals that the P1 has endoprotease and P2 has exoprotease activity. The treated soy milk with immobilized proteases showed increased shelf life and removal of off flavor.

Results for the First, Second, and Third Quarter Calendar Year 2015 Tank 50H WAC slurry samples chemical and radionuclide contaminants

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Crawford, C.

2016-02-18

This report details the chemical and radionuclide contaminant results for the characterization of the Calendar Year (CY) 2015 First, Second, and Third Quarter sampling of Tank 50H for the Saltstone Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) in effect at that time. Information from this characterization will be used by Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) & Saltstone Facility Engineering (D&S-FE) to support the transfer of low-level aqueous waste from Tank 50H to the Salt Feed Tank in the Saltstone Facility in Z-Area, where the waste will be immobilized. This information is also used to update the Tank 50H Waste Characterization System. Previous memorandamore » documenting the WAC analyses results have been issued for these three samples.« less

Immobilization of Technetium in a Metallic Waste Form

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

S.M. Frank; D. D. Keiser, Jr.; K. C. Marsden

Fission-product technetium accumulated during treatment of spent nuclear fuel will ultimately be disposed of in a geological repository. The exact form of Tc for disposal has yet to be determined; however, a reasonable solution is to incorporate elemental Tc into a metallic waste form similar to the waste form produced during the pyrochemical treatment of spent, sodium-bonded fuel. This metal waste form, produced at the Idaho National Laboratory, has undergone extensive qualification examination and testing for acceptance to the Yucca Mountain geological repository. It is from this extensive qualification effort that the behavior of Tc and other fission products inmore » the waste form has been elucidated, and that the metal waste form is extremely robust in the retention of fission products, such as Tc, in repository like conditions. This manuscript will describe the metal waste form, the behavior of Tc in the waste form; and current research aimed at determining the maximum possible loading of Tc into the metal waste and subsequent determination of the performance of high Tc loaded metal waste forms.« less

Glass binder development for a glass-bonded sodalite ceramic waste form

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Riley, Brian J.; Vienna, John D.; Frank, Steven M.

This paper discusses work to develop Na 2O-B 2O 3-SiO 2 glass binders for immobilizing LiCl-KCl eutectic salt waste in a glass-bonded sodalite waste form following electrochemical reprocessing of used metallic nuclear fuel. In this paper, five new glasses with ~20 mass% Na 2O were designed to generate waste forms with high sodalite. The glasses were then used to produce ceramic waste forms with a surrogate salt waste. The waste forms made using these new glasses were formulated to generate more sodalite than those made with previous baseline glasses for this type of waste. The coefficients of thermal expansion formore » the glass phase in the glass-bonded sodalite waste forms made with the new binder glasses were closer to the sodalite phase in the critical temperature region near and below the glass transition temperature than previous binder glasses used. Finally, these improvements should result in lower probability of cracking in the full-scale monolithic ceramic waste form, leading to better long-term chemical durability.« less

Glass binder development for a glass-bonded sodalite ceramic waste form

DOE PAGES

Riley, Brian J.; Vienna, John D.; Frank, Steven M.; ...

2017-06-01

This paper discusses work to develop Na 2O-B 2O 3-SiO 2 glass binders for immobilizing LiCl-KCl eutectic salt waste in a glass-bonded sodalite waste form following electrochemical reprocessing of used metallic nuclear fuel. In this paper, five new glasses with ~20 mass% Na 2O were designed to generate waste forms with high sodalite. The glasses were then used to produce ceramic waste forms with a surrogate salt waste. The waste forms made using these new glasses were formulated to generate more sodalite than those made with previous baseline glasses for this type of waste. The coefficients of thermal expansion formore » the glass phase in the glass-bonded sodalite waste forms made with the new binder glasses were closer to the sodalite phase in the critical temperature region near and below the glass transition temperature than previous binder glasses used. Finally, these improvements should result in lower probability of cracking in the full-scale monolithic ceramic waste form, leading to better long-term chemical durability.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dahl, Suzanne; Biyani, Rabindra; Holmes, Erika

The United States Department of Energy's (US DOE's) Hanford Nuclear Site has 177 underground waste storage tanks located 19 to 24 km (12 to 15 miles) from the Columbia River in south-central Washington State. Hanford's tanks now hold about 212,000 cu m (56 million gallons) of highly radioactive and chemically hazardous waste. Sixty-seven tanks have leaked an estimated 3,785 cu m (1 million gallons) of this waste into the surrounding soil. Further releases to soil, groundwater, and the Columbia River are the inevitable result of the tanks continuing to age. The risk from this waste is recognized as a threatmore » to the Northwest by both State and Federal governments. US DOE and Bechtel National, Inc., are building the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) to treat and vitrify (immobilize in glass) the waste from Hanford's tanks. As is usual for any groundbreaking project, problems have arisen that must be resolved as they occur if treatment is to take place as specified in the court-enforceable Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement) and the Consent Decree, entered into by US DOE, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology). At times, US DOE's approach to solving these critical issues seems to have caused undue wastes of time, energy, and, ultimately, public funds. Upon reviewing the history of Hanford's tank waste treatment project, Ecology hopes that constructive criticism of past failures and praise of successes will inspire US DOE to consider changing practices, be more transparent with regulatory agencies and the public, and take a 'lean production' approach to successfully completing this project. All three Tri-Party Agreement agencies share the goal of completing WTP on time, ensuring it is operational and in compliance with safety standards. To do this, Ecology believes US DOE should: - Maintain focus on the primary goal of completing the five major facilities of WTP. - Construct a supplemental low-activity waste (LAW) vitrification facility for the two-thirds balance of LAW that will not be treated by the vitrification facility under construction. - Prepare infrastructure for waste feed from the tanks and facilities to handle the WTP waste streams. To support this project track, Ecology expedites dangerous waste permitting by using a design-build approach to integrate WTP into the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act permit for Hanford. (authors)« less

Technetium Getters to Improve Cast Stone Performance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Neeway, James J.; Lawter, Amanda R.; Serne, R. Jeffrey

2015-10-15

The cementitious material known as Cast Stone has been selected as the preferred waste form for solidification of aqueous secondary liquid effluents from the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) process condensates and low-activity waste (LAW) melter off-gas caustic scrubber effluents. Cast Stone is also being evaluated as a supplemental immobilization technology to provide the necessary LAW treatment capacity to complete the Hanford tank waste cleanup mission in a timely and cost effective manner. Two radionuclides of particular concern in these waste streams are technetium-99 (99Tc) and iodine-129 (129I). These radioactive tank waste components contribute the most tomore » the environmental impacts associated with the cleanup of the Hanford site. A recent environmental assessment of Cast Stone performance, which assumes a diffusion controlled release of contaminants from the waste form, calculates groundwater in excess of the allowable maximum permissible concentrations for both contaminants. There is, therefore, a need and an opportunity to improve the retention of both 99Tc and 129I in Cast Stone. One method to improve the performance of Cast Stone is through the addition of “getters” that selectively sequester Tc and I, therefore reducing their diffusion out of Cast Stone. In this paper, we present results of Tc and I removal from solution with various getters with batch sorption experiments conducted in deionized water (DIW) and a highly caustic 7.8 M Na Ave LAW simulant. In general, the data show that the selected getters are effective in DIW but their performance is comprised when experiments are performed with the 7.8 M Na Ave LAW simulant. Reasons for the mitigated performance in the LAW simulant may be due to competition with Cr present in the 7.8 M Na Ave LAW simulant and to a pH effect.« less

Macrocyclic receptors immobilized to monodisperse porous polymer particles by chemical grafting and physical impregnation for strontium capture: a comparative study.

PubMed

Song, Yang; Du, Yi; Lv, Dachao; Ye, Gang; Wang, Jianchen

2014-06-15

Separation of strontium is of great significance for radioactive waste treatment and environmental remediation after nuclear accidents. In this work, a novel class of adsorbent (Crown-g-MPPPs) was synthesized by chemical grafting a macrocyclic ether receptor to monodisperse porous polymer particles (MPPPs) for strontium adsorption. Meanwhile, a counterpart material (Crown@MPPPs) with the receptor molecules immobilized to the MPPPs substrate by physical impregnation was prepared. To investigate how the immobilization manner and distribution of the receptors influence the adsorption ability, a comparative study on the adsorption behaviour of the two materials towards Sr(II) in HNO3 media was accomplished. Due to the shorter diffusion path and covalently-bonded structure, Crown-g-MPPPs showed faster adsorption kinetics and better stability for cycle use. While Crown@MPPPs had the advantages of facile synthesis and higher adsorption capacity, owing to the absence of conformational constraint to form complexation with Sr(II). Kinetic functions (Lagergren pseudo-first-order/pseudo-second-order functions) and adsorption isotherm models (Langmuir/Freundlich models) were used to fit the experimental data and examine the adsorption mechanism. On this basis, a chromatographic process was proposed by using Crown@MPPPs for an effective separation of Sr(II) (91%) in simulated high level liquid waste (HLLW). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preliminary study on immobilization of buffing dust by solidification method in ceramic brick

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuliansyah, Ahmad Tawfiequrrahman; Prasetya, Agus; Putra, Arif Eka; Satriawan, Humam Budi

2017-11-01

Leather-based industries generate a substantial amount of hazardous solid and liquid wastes in their process. One of the solid wastes is buffing dust, which is fine particulates containing fat, tanning, dyes and chromium. From 1 ton of leather processed, approximately 2-6 kg of buffing dust is generated. Chromium in the buffing dust is carcinogenic, so a proper handling is highly required. Solidification is a method commonly used to immobilize toxic material. Hence, the material is trapped in a matrix made of binding agents to minimize its mobility. However, a very small amount of the materials is sometimes released to the environment during storage. This study investigates leaching process of chromium from immobilized buffing dust in ceramic brick. Buffing dust, which contains chromium, is solidified by mixing it with clay at certain compositions and fired in a muffle furnace to produce a ceramic brick. Performance of the solidification process is evaluated by measuring the leaching of chromium in the leaching test. The results show that the solidification has significantly reduced the potential release of chromium to the environment. Higher of the firing temperature, less chromium is leached from ceramic brick. The chromium concentration of leachate water from 800°C brick is 0.376 ppm, while those from 850 and 900°C brick are 0.212 and 0.179 ppm respectively.

Application of a chitosan-immobilized Talaromyces thermophilus lipase to a batch biodiesel production from waste frying oils.

PubMed

Romdhane, Ines Belhaj-Ben; Romdhane, Zamen Ben; Bouzid, Maha; Gargouri, Ali; Belghith, Hafedh

2013-12-01

Waste frying oil, which not only harms people's health but also causes environmental pollution, can be a good alternative to partially substitute petroleum diesel through transesterification reaction. This oil contained 8.8 % of free fatty acids, which cause a problem in a base-catalyzed process. In this study, synthesis of biodiesel was efficiently catalyzed by the covalently immobilized Talaromyces thermophilus lipase and allowed bioconversion yield up to 92 % after 24 h of reaction time. The optimal molar ratio was four to six parts of methanol to one part of oil with a biocatalyst loaded of 25 wt.% of oil. Further, experiments revealed that T. thermophilus lipase, immobilized by a multipoint covalent liaison onto activated chitosan via a short spacer (glutaraldehyde), was sufficiently tolerant to methanol. In fact, using the stepwise addition of methanol, no significant difference was observed from the one-step whole addition at the start of reaction. The batch biodiesel synthesis was performed in a fixed bed reactor with a lipase loaded of 10 g. The bioconversion yield of 98 % was attained after a 5-h reaction time. The bioreactor was operated successfully for almost 150 h without any changes in the initial conversion yield. Most of the chemical and physical properties of the produced biodiesel meet the European and USA standard specifications of biodiesel fuels.

In-situ vitrification of soil

DOEpatents

Brouns, Richard A.; Buelt, James L.; Bonner, William F.

1983-01-01

A method of vitrifying soil at or below a soil surface location. Two or more conductive electrodes are inserted into the soil for heating of the soil mass between them to a temperature above its melting temperature. Materials in the soil, such as buried waste, can thereby be effectively immobilized.

76 FR 35861 - Safety Culture at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-20

... high. This unhealthy tension has rendered the WTP project's formal processes to resolve safety issues... Board's investigative record demonstrates that both DOE and contractor project management behaviors... allegations raised by Dr. Tamosaitis, a contractor employee removed from his position at WTP, a construction...

Mercury stabilization in chemically bonded phosphate ceramics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wagh, A. S.; Singh, D.; Jeong, S. Y.

2000-04-04

Mercury stabilization and solidification is a significant challenge for conventional stabilization technologies. This is because of the stringent regulatory limits on leaching of its stabilized products. In a conventional cement stabilization process, Hg is converted at high pH to its hydroxide, which is not a very insoluble compound; hence the preferred route for Hg sulfidation to convert it into insoluble cinnabar (HgS). Unfortunately, efficient formation of this compound is pH-dependent. At a high pH, one obtains a more soluble Hg sulfate, in a very low pH range, insufficient immobilization occurs because of the escape of hydrogen sulfide, while efficient formationmore » of HgS occurs only in a moderately acidic region. Thus, the pH range of 4 to 8 is where stabilization with Chemically Bonded Phosphate Ceramics (CBPC) is carried out. This paper discusses the authors experience on bench-scale stabilization of various US Department of Energy (DOE) waste streams containing Hg in the CBPC process. This process was developed to treat DOE's mixed waste streams. It is a room-temperature-setting process based on an acid-base reaction between magnesium oxide and monopotassium phosphate solution that forms a dense ceramic within hours. For Hg stabilization, addition of a small amount (< 1 wt.%) of Na{sub 2}S or K{sub 2}S is sufficient in the binder composition. Here the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) results on CBPC waste forms of surrogate waste streams representing secondary Hg containing wastes such as combustion residues and Delphi DETOX{trademark} residues are presented. The results show that although the current limit on leaching of Hg is 0.2 mg/L, the results from the CBPC waste forms are at least one order lower than this stringent limit. Encouraged by these results on surrogate wastes, they treated actual low-level Hg-containing mixed waste from their facility at Idaho. TCLP results on this waste are presented here. The efficient stabilization in all these cases is attributed to chemical immobilization as both a sulfide (cinnabar) and a phosphate, followed by its physical encapsulation in a dense matrix of the ceramic.« less

Phase-Pure and Multiphase Ceramic Waste Forms: Microstructure Evolution and Cesium Immobilization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tumurugoti, Priyatham

Efforts of this thesis are directed towards developing ceramic waste forms as a potential replacement for the conventional glass waste forms for the safe immobilization and disposal of nuclear wastes from the legacy weapons programs as well as commercial power production. The body of this work consists of two equal parts with first focused on multiphase waste form containing hollandite as major phase and the later, on single-phase hollandites for Cs incorporation. Part I: Multiphase waste forms:. Hollandite-rich multiphase waste form compositions processed by melt-solidification and spark plasma sintering (SPS) were characterized, compared, and validated for nuclear waste incorporation. Phase identification by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD) confirm hollandite as the major phase present in these samples along with perovskite, pyrochlore and zirconolite. Distribution of select elements observed by wavelength dispersive spectroscopy (WDS) maps indicate that Cs forms a secondary phase during SPS processing, which is considered undesirable. On the other hand Cs partitioned into hollandite phase in melt-processed samples. Further analysis of hollandite structure in melt-processed composition, by selected area electron diffraction (SAED), reveals ordered arrangement of tunnel ions (Ba/Cs) and vacancies, suggesting efficient Cs incorporation into the lattice. Following the microstructural analysis, the crystallization behavior of the multiphase composition during melt-processing was studied. The phase assemblage and evolution of hollandite, zirconolite, pyrochlore, and perovskite type structures during melt processing were studied using thermal analysis, in-situ XRD, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Samples prepared by melting followed by annealing and quenching were analyzed to determine and measure the progression of the phase assemblage. Samples were melted at 1500°C and heat-treated at crystallization temperatures of 1285°C and 1325°C corresponding to exothermic events identified from differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements. Results indicate that the selected multiphase composition partially melts at 1500°C with hollandite coexisting as crystalline phase. Perovskite and zirconolite phases crystallized from the residual melt at temperatures below 1350°C. Depending on their respective thermal histories, different quenched samples were found to have different phase assemblages including phases such as perovskite, zirconolite and TiO2. Part II: Single phase waste forms. Hollandites with compositions Ba1.15-xCs2xCr 2.3Ti5.7O16 have been identified as promising lattices to host Cs. Series of compositions with 0 ≤ x ≤ 1.15 were prepared by sol-gel synthesis, characterized, and analyzed for Cs retention properties. Phase-pure hollandites adopting monoclinic symmetry (I2/m) were observed to form in the compositional range 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.4. Structural models for the compositions: x = 0, 0.15, and 0.25, were developed from Rietveld analysis of powder XRD and neutron diffraction data. Refined anisotropic displacement parameters (beta ij) for Ba and Cs ions in the hollandite tunnels indicate local disorder of Ba/Cs along the tunnel direction. In addition, weak super lattice reflections have also been observed in XRD patterns. Our data suggests the presence of supercell structures with ordered tunnel cations for the phase-pure hollandites studied. Finally, the performance of phase-pure hollandites have been evaluated qualitatively by chemical durability testing and ion-irradiation experiments. Elemental analysis of the leachants after 7-day leach tests show that Cs and Cr were extracted from the lattice together. No direct correlation between structural parameters or Cs content was observed. The simulated light-ion (He2+) and heavy-ion (Kr3+) irradiation experiments reveal that all the hollandite compositions studied undergo amorphization during alpha-decay events, and the extent of it increases with the Cs content. In summary, the present work validates melt-processing as an effective method to prepare multiphase waste forms with the desired phase assemblage. Ba1.15-xCs2xCr2.3Ti5.7O16 hollandite has been identified as an effective ceramic host for Cs immobilization and appropriate structural models for hollandites with different Cs levels have been developed. The structural information may be used to study or simulate the lattice-environment interaction.

Comparison of Copper Scavenging Capacity between Two Different Red Mud Types

PubMed Central

Ma, Yingqun; Si, Chunhua; Lin, Chuxia

2012-01-01

A batch experiment was conducted to compare the Cu scavenging capacity between two different red mud types: the first one was a highly basic red mud derived from a combined sintering and Bayer process, and the second one was a seawater-neutralized red mud derived from the Bayer process. The first red mud contained substantial amounts of CaCO3, which, in combination with the high OH− activity, favored the immobilization of water-borne Cu through massive formation of atacamite. In comparison, the seawater-neutralized red mud had a lower pH and was dominated by boehmite, which was likely to play a significant role in Cu adsorption. Overall, it appears that Cu was more tightly retained by the CaCO3-dominated red mud than the boehmite-dominated red mud. It is concluded that the heterogeneity of red mud has marked influences on its capacity to immobilize water-borne Cu and maintain the long-term stability of the immobilized Cu species. The research findings obtained from this study have implications for the development of Cu immobilization technology by using appropriate waste materials generated from the aluminium industry.

Development of PVA-alginate as a matrix for enzymatic decolorization of textile dye in bioreactor system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yanto, Dede Heri Yuli; Zahara, Syifa; Laksana, Raden Permana Budi; Anita, Sita Heris; Oktaviani, Maulida; Sari, Fahriya Puspita

2017-01-01

An immobilization technique using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) crosslinked with sodium alginate as a matrix has been developed for textile dyes decolorization. Textiles use dye as an addition to the aesthetic value of the product. Dyes are generally used is a textile dye where the waste will be released directly into the waters around 2-20%. Therefore, it is important to develop an enzyme immobilization method using PVA-Alginate as a matrix. Based on the results of the study showed that the PVA-Alginate beads produced high decolorization percent compared to beads which contains only Ca-alginate alone and formula matrix is optimum at PVA 6% and alginate 1.5%. Encapsulation with boric acid at 7% showed optimum decolorization and reduction for enzyme leakage during decolorization. This study suggested that immobilization of enzymes into PVA-alginate matrix might be used as a biodecolorating agent.

A new PANI biosensor based on catalase for cyanide determination.

PubMed

Özcan, Hakkı Mevlüt; Aydin, Tuba

2016-01-01

Cyanide is one of the most widespread of compounds measured in environmental analysis due to their toxic effects on environment and health. We report a highly sensitive, reliable, selective amperometric sensor for determination of cyanide, using a polyaniline conductive polymer. The enzyme catalase was immobilized by electropolymerization. The steps during the immobilization were controlled by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Optimum pH, temperature, aniline concentration, enzyme concentration, and the number of scans obtained during electropolymerization, were investigated. In addition, the cyanide present in artificial waste water samples was determined. In the characterization studies of the biosensor, some parameters such as reproducibility and storage stability, were analyzed.

FORMATION OF PYROMORPHITE IN ANGLESITE-HYDROXYAPATITE SUSPENSIONS UNDER VARYING PH CONDITIONS

EPA Science Inventory

Addition of phosphate to lead [Pb(II)] contaminated soil to immobilize soil Pb by formation of pyromorphite has been proposed as an alternative remediation technique. Lead sulfate (PbSO4, anglesite), a Pb-bearing form found in contaminated soils and wastes, was reacted with a sy...

Process for cesium decontamination and immobilization

DOEpatents

Komarneni, Sridhar; Roy, Rustum

1989-01-01

Cesium can be selectively recovered from a nuclear waste solution containing cesium together with other metal ions by contact with a modified phlogopite which is a hydrated, sodium phlogopite mica. Once the cesium has entered the modified phlogopite it is fixed and can be safely stored for long periods of time.

Designing cross-linked xylanase aggregates for bioconversion of agroindustrial waste biomass towards potential production of nutraceuticals.

PubMed

Hero, J S; Romero, C M; Pisa, J H; Perotti, N I; Olivaro, C; Martinez, M A

2018-05-01

Immobilized biocatalysts design has the potential to efficiently produce valuable bioproducts from lignocellulosic biomass. Among them, the carrier-free immobilization through the cross-linked enzyme aggregates technology is a simple and low-cost alternative. A two steps statistical approach was utilized to evaluate the synthesis of a cross-linked enzyme aggregate from a xylanolytic preparation, which was produced by Cohnella sp. AR92 grown in a peptone-based culture medium. The resulting immobilized biocatalyst, Xyl-CLEA, was significate more stable (25 to 45%) towards temperatures up to 50°C with respect to the free enzyme, and retained over 50% of its initial activity after 5 consecutive cycles of reuse. By means of infrared spectroscopy and electron microscopy, the Xyl-CLEA showed architectural features described as signature of type I and type II of protein aggregates. These, were the result of the simultaneous aggregation of a multiplicity of proteins from the crude enzymatic extract. The enzymatic activity was assessed using alkali pretreated sugar cane bagasse as substrate. Whereas the free enzymatic preparation released xylose as the main product, the immobilized xylanase produced xylooligosaccharides, thus showing that the immobilization procedure modified the potential application of the extracellular xylanase from Conhella sp. AR92. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Treatment Study Plan for Nitrate Salt Waste Remediation Revision 1.0

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Juarez, Catherine L.; Funk, David John; Vigil-Holterman, Luciana R.

2016-03-07

The two stabilization treatment methods that are to be examined for their effectiveness in the treatment of both the unremediated and remediated nitrate salt wastes include (1) the addition of zeolite and (2) cementation. Zeolite addition is proposed based on the results of several studies and analyses that specifically examined the effectiveness of this process for deactivating nitrate salts. Cementation is also being assessed because of its prevalence as an immobilization method used for similar wastes at numerous facilities around the DOE complex, including at Los Alamos. The results of this Treatment Study Plan will be used to provide themore » basis for a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) permit modification request of the LANL Hazardous Waste Facility Permit for approval by the New Mexico Environment Department-Hazardous Waste Bureau (NMED-HWB) of the proposed treatment process and the associated facilities.« less

Overview of waste stabilization with cement.

PubMed

Batchelor, B

2006-01-01

Cement can treat a variety of wastes by improving physical characteristics (solidification) and reducing the toxicity and mobility of contaminants (stabilization). Potentially adverse waste-binder interactions are an important consideration because they can limit solidification. Stabilization occurs when a contaminant is converted from the dissolved (mobile) phase to a solid (immobile) phase by reactions, such as precipitation, sorption, or substitution. These reactions are often strongly affected by pH, so the presence of components of the waste that control pH are critical to stabilization reactions. Evaluating environmental impacts can be accomplished in a tiered strategy in which simplest approach would be to measure the maximum amount of contaminant that could be released. Alternatively, the sequence of release can be determined, either by microcosm tests that attempt to simulate conditions in the disposal zone or by mechanistic models that attempt to predict behavior using fundamental characteristics of the treated waste.

DATA QUALITY OBJECTIVES FOR SELECTING WASTE SAMPLES FOR THE BENCH STEAM REFORMER TEST

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

BANNING DL

2010-08-03

This document describes the data quality objectives to select archived samples located at the 222-S Laboratory for Fluid Bed Steam Reformer testing. The type, quantity and quality of the data required to select the samples for Fluid Bed Steam Reformer testing are discussed. In order to maximize the efficiency and minimize the time to treat Hanford tank waste in the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, additional treatment processes may be required. One of the potential treatment processes is the fluid bed steam reformer (FBSR). A determination of the adequacy of the FBSR process to treat Hanford tank waste is required.more » The initial step in determining the adequacy of the FBSR process is to select archived waste samples from the 222-S Laboratory that will be used to test the FBSR process. Analyses of the selected samples will be required to confirm the samples meet the testing criteria.« less

FY 2000 Saltcake Dissolution and Feed Stability Workshop

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hunt, R.D.; McGinnis, C.P.; Weber, C.F.

2000-07-31

The Tanks Focus Area (TFA) continues to work closely with the Office of River Protection (ORP) to better understand the chemistry involved with the retrieval, transport, and pretreatment of nuclear wastes at Hanford. Since a private contractor is currently responsible for the pretreatment and immobilization activities in this remediation effort, the TFA has concentrated on saltcake dissolution and waste transport at the request of the ORP. Researchers at Hanford have performed a series of dissolution experiments on actual saltcake samples. Staff members at Mississippi State University (MSU) continue to model the dissolution results with the Environmental Simulation Program (ESP), whichmore » is used extensively by ORP personnel. Several ways to improve the predictive capabilities of the ESP were identified. Since several transfer lines at Hanford have become plugged, TFA tasks at AEA Technologies, Florida International University (FIU), MSU, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) are investigating the behavior of the supernatants and slurries during transport. A combination of experimental and theoretical techniques is used to study the transport chemistry. This effort is expected to develop process control tools for waste transfer. The results from these TFA tasks were presented to ORP personnel during the FY 2000 Saltcake Dissolution and Feed Stability Workshop, which was held on May 16-17 in Richland, Washington. The minutes from this workshop are provided in this report.« less

Treatment of G1 Baskets at the CEA Marcoule Site - 12027

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fourquet, Line; Boya, Didier

2012-07-01

In the dismantling program for the first-generation French reactors in accordance with the nonproliferation treaty, the CEA is in charge of cleanup and dismantling operations for the facilities at Marcoule, including the decladding units. The G1 decladding was built between 1955 and 1957 in order to de-clad spent fuel elements from the G1 plutonium-producing reactor and prepare them for dissolution. The facility was also used for interim storage of G1, G2 and G3 fuel dissolution baskets, which had been used during plant operation for transfer (from the decladding facility to the UP1 plant) and/or dissolution of spent fuel elements. Onemore » of the cleanup projects involves recovery of the baskets, which will be cut up, sorted, and conditioned in metal bins. The bins will be immobilized with cement grout, then transferred to the onsite solid waste conditioning facility (CDS) and to the repository operated by the French National Radioactive Waste Management Agency (ANDRA). The project is now in progress, after special safety permits were issued and measurement stations and dedicated tools were developed to handle all types of baskets (which differed according to their origin and use). The disposal of all the baskets is scheduled to last 2 years and will produce 55 metal waste bins. (authors)« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peric, A.D.

Powder and granules of the high density polyethylene (PEHD) were used to prepare mortar based matrices for immobilization of radioactive waste materials containing {sup 137}Cs, as well as containers for solidified radioactive waste form. Seven types of matrices, differ due to the percentage of granules and filler material added, were investigated. PEHD powder and granules were added to mortar matrix preparations with the objective of improving physico-chemical characteristics of the radwaste-mortar matrix mixtures, in particular the leach-rate of the immobilized radionuclide, as well as mechanical characteristics either of mortar matrix and container. In this paper, only mechanical strength aspect ofmore » the investigated mortar and concrete container formulations, is presented. The equivalent diameter of the PEHD granules used was 2.0 mm. PEHD granules were used to replace 100 volume percent of stone granules, sifted size of 2.0 mm, normally used in the matrix preparation, in order to decrease the porosity and density of the mortar matrix and to avoid segregation of the stone particles at the bottom of the immobilized radioactive waste cylindrical form. PEHD powder, particle size of 250 micrometer, was added as filler to the mortar formulation, replacing 5, 8 and 10 wt% of the total cement weight in matrix formulation and 15 and 18 wt% of the total cement weight in container formulation. Cured samples were investigated on mechanical strength, using 150 MPa hydraulic press, in order to determine influence of added polyethylene granules and powder on samples resistance to mechanical forces that solidified waste materials and concrete containers may experience at the disposal site. Results of performed investigations have shown that samples prepared with polyethylene granules, replacing 100 wt% of the stone granules, have almost twice as much mechanical strength than samples prepared with stone aggregate. Samples prepared with PEHD granules and powder have mechanical strength resistance up to 13.5% higher than ones prepared with PEHD granules, solely. Improved Mechanical strength resistance of tested samples accommodates trend that functionally depends on the percentage of PEHD powder added in formulation.« less

Engineering-Scale Demonstration of DuraLith and Ceramicrete Waste Forms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Josephson, Gary B.; Westsik, Joseph H.; Pires, Richard P.

2011-09-23

To support the selection of a waste form for the liquid secondary wastes from the Hanford Waste Immobilization and Treatment Plant, Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) has initiated secondary waste form testing on four candidate waste forms. Two of the candidate waste forms have not been developed to scale as the more mature waste forms. This work describes engineering-scale demonstrations conducted on Ceramicrete and DuraLith candidate waste forms. Both candidate waste forms were successfully demonstrated at an engineering scale. A preliminary conceptual design could be prepared for full-scale production of the candidate waste forms. However, both waste forms are stillmore » too immature to support a detailed design. Formulations for each candidate waste form need to be developed so that the material has a longer working time after mixing the liquid and solid constituents together. Formulations optimized based on previous lab studies did not have sufficient working time to support large-scale testing. The engineering-scale testing was successfully completed using modified formulations. Further lab development and parametric studies are needed to optimize formulations with adequate working time and assess the effects of changes in raw materials and process parameters on the final product performance. Studies on effects of mixing intensity on the initial set time of the waste forms are also needed.« less

Immobilization of lead in a Korean military shooting range soil using eggshell waste: an integrated mechanistic approach.

PubMed

Ahmad, Mahtab; Hashimoto, Yohey; Moon, Deok Hyun; Lee, Sang Soo; Ok, Yong Sik

2012-03-30

This study evaluated the effectiveness of eggshell and calcined eggshell on lead (Pb) immobilization in a shooting range soil. Destructive and non-destructive analytical techniques were employed to determine the mechanism of Pb immobilization. The 5% additions of eggshell and calcined eggshell significantly decreased the TCLP-Pb concentration by 68.8% due mainly to increasing soil pH. Eggshell and calcined-eggshell amendments decreased the exchangeable Pb fraction to ≈ 1% of the total Pb in the soil, while the carbonate-associated Pb fraction was increased to 40.0-47.1% at >15% application rates. The thermodynamic modeling on Pb speciation in the soil solution predicted the precipitation of Pb-hydroxide [Pb(OH)(2)] in soils amended with eggshell and calcined eggshell. The SEM-EDS, XAFS and elemental dot mapping revealed that Pb in soil amended with calcined eggshell was associated with Si and Ca, and may be immobilized by entrapping into calcium-silicate-hydrate. Comparatively, in the soil amended with eggshell, Pb was immobilized via formation of Pb-hydroxide or lanarkite [Pb(2)O(SO(4))]. Applications of amendments increased activities of alkaline phosphatase up to 3.7 times greater than in the control soil. The use of eggshell amendments may have potential as an integrated remediation strategy that enables Pb immobilization and soil biological restoration in shooting range soils. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A finite difference model used to predict the consolidation of a ceramic waste form produced from the electrometallurgical treatment of spent nuclear fuel.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bateman, K. J.; Capson, D. D.

2004-03-29

Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) has developed a process to immobilize waste salt containing fission products, uranium, and transuranic elements as chlorides in a glass-bonded ceramic waste form. This salt was generated in the electrorefining operation used in the electrometallurgical treatment of spent Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) fuel. The ceramic waste process culminates with an elevated temperature operation. The processing conditions used by the furnace, for demonstration scale and production scale operations, are to be developed at Argonne National Laboratory-West (ANL-West). To assist in selecting the processing conditions of the furnace and to reduce the number of costly experiments, a finitemore » difference model was developed to predict the consolidation of the ceramic waste. The model accurately predicted the heating as well as the bulk density of the ceramic waste form. The methodology used to develop the computer model and a comparison of the analysis to experimental data is presented.« less

TEMPEST code modifications and testing for erosion-resisting sludge simulations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Onishi, Y.; Trent, D.S.

The TEMPEST computer code has been used to address many waste retrieval operational and safety questions regarding waste mobilization, mixing, and gas retention. Because the amount of sludge retrieved from the tank is directly related to the sludge yield strength and the shear stress acting upon it, it is important to incorporate the sludge yield strength into simulations of erosion-resisting tank waste retrieval operations. This report describes current efforts to modify the TEMPEST code to simulate pump jet mixing of erosion-resisting tank wastes and the models used to test for erosion of waste sludge with yield strength. Test results formore » solid deposition and diluent/slurry jet injection into sludge layers in simplified tank conditions show that the modified TEMPEST code has a basic ability to simulate both the mobility and immobility of the sludges with yield strength. Further testing, modification, calibration, and verification of the sludge mobilization/immobilization model are planned using erosion data as they apply to waste tank sludges.« less

Glass and Glass-Ceramic Materials from Simulated Composition of Lunar and Martian Soils: Selected Properties and Potential Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, C. S.; Sen, S.; Reis, S. T.; Kim, C. W.

2005-01-01

In-situ resource processing and utilization on planetary bodies is an important and integral part of NASA's space exploration program. Within this scope and context, our general effort is primarily aimed at developing glass and glass-ceramic type materials using lunar and martian soils, and exploring various applications of these materials for planetary surface operations. Our preliminary work to date have demonstrated that glasses can be successfully prepared from melts of the simulated composition of both lunar and martian soils, and the melts have a viscosity-temperature window appropriate for drawing continuous glass fibers. The glasses are shown to have the potential for immobilizing certain types of nuclear wastes without deteriorating their chemical durability and thermal stability. This has a direct impact on successfully and economically disposing nuclear waste generated from a nuclear power plant on a planetary surface. In addition, these materials display characteristics that can be manipulated using appropriate processing protocols to develop glassy or glass-ceramic magnets. Also discussed in this presentation are other potential applications along with a few selected thermal, chemical, and structural properties as evaluated up to this time for these materials.

Tanks focus area multiyear program plan FY97-FY99

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1996-08-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) continues to face a major tank remediation problem with approximately 332 tanks storing over 378,000 ml of high-level waste (HLW) and transuranic (TRU) waste across the DOE complex. Most of the tanks have significantly exceeded their life spans. Approximately 90 tanks across the DOE complex are known or assumed to have leaked. Some of the tank contents are potentially explosive. These tanks must be remediated and made safe. How- ever, regulatory drivers are more ambitious than baseline technologies and budgets will support. Therefore, the Tanks Focus Area (TFA) began operation in October 1994. Themore » focus area manages, coordinates, and leverages technology development to provide integrated solutions to remediate problems that will accelerate safe and cost-effective cleanup and closure of DOE`s national tank system. The TFA is responsible for technology development to support DOE`s four major tank sites: Hanford Site (Washington), INEL (Idaho), Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) (Tennessee), and Savannah River Site (SRS) (South Carolina). Its technical scope covers the major functions that comprise a complete tank remediation system: safety, characterization, retrieval, pretreatment, immobilization, and closure.« less

Development of the Direct Fabrication Process for Plutonium Immobilization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Congdon, J.W.

2001-07-10

The current baseline process for fabricating pucks for the Plutonium Immobilization Program includes granulation of the milled feed prior to compaction. A direct fabrication process was demonstrated that eliminates the need for granulation.

The Outlook for Some Fission Products Utilization with the Aim to Immobilize Long-Lived Radionuclides

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pokhitonov, Y.A.

2008-07-01

The prospects for development of nuclear power are intimately associated with solving the problem of safe management and removal from the biosphere of generated radioactive wastes. The most suitable material for fission products and actinides immobilization is the crystalline ceramics. By now numerous literature data are available concerning the synthesis of a large range of various materials with zirconium-based products. It worth mentioning that zirconium is only one of fission products accumulated in the fuel in large amounts. The development of new materials intended for HLW immobilization will allow increasing of radionuclides concentration in solidified product so providing costs reductionmore » at the stage of subsequent storage. At the same time the idea to use for synthesis of compounds, suitable as materials for long-term storage or final disposal of rad-wastes some fission products occurring in spent fuel in considerable amount and capable to form insoluble substances seems to be rather attractive. In authors opinion in the nearest future one can expect the occurrence of publications proposing the techniques allowing the use of 'reactor's zirconium, molybdenum or, perhaps, technetium as well, with the aim of preparing materials suitable for long-lived radionuclides storage or final disposal. The other element, which is generated in the reactor and worth mentioning, is palladium. The prospects for using palladium are defined not only by its higher generation in the reactor, but by a number of its chemical properties as well. It is evident that the use of natural palladium with the purpose of radionuclides immobilization is impossible due to its high cost and deficiency). In author's opinion such materials could be used as targets for long-lived radionuclides transmutation as well. The object of present work was the study on methods that could allow to use 'reactor' palladium with the aim of long-lived radionuclides such as I-129 and TUE immobilization. In the paper the results of experiments on synthesis of matrices with TUE oxides and PdI{sub 2} on palladium base are presented. (authors)« less

Process for cesium decontamination and immobilization

DOEpatents

Komarneni, S.; Roy, R.

1988-04-25

Cesium can be selectively recovered from a nuclear waste solution containing cesium together with other metal ions by contact with a modified phlogopite which is a hydrated, sodium phlogopite mica. Once the cesium has entered the modified phlogopite it is fixed and can be safely stored for long periods of time. 6 figs., 2 tabs.

Influence of pH, curing time and environmental stress on the immobilization of hazardous waste using activated fly ash.

PubMed

Srivastava, Shefali; Chaudhary, Rubina; Khale, Divya

2008-05-30

The current work is related to inorganic species in sludge generated from Common Effluent Treatment Plant contaminated with hazardous wastes at relatively high concentration. The environmental sensitive metals studied in the sludge are Pb, Fe, Ni, Zn and Mn. The solidification/stabilization (S/S) of heavy metals within fly ash-cement-based matrix was conducted for low cost treatment and reuse of sludge. The study examines the strength of the S/S product by predicting the effect of supplementary cementing material from efficiency factor (k) at 60 degrees C curing temperature. The leaching test was performed at two different pH 7 and 4 to determine the efficiency of heavy metal immobilization. It was observed that replacing 76% OPC by 56% fly ash and 20% sludge for 28 days curing period shows increase in strength as well as rate of stabilization for zinc, iron and manganese at pH 7, lead and nickel were stabilized by 79 and 82%, respectively. Environmental stress test was performed to evaluate the tolerance of extreme adverse environmental condition.

Off-Gas Treatment: Evaluation of Nano-structured Sorbents for Selective Removal of Contaminants

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Utgikar, Vivek; Aston, D. Eric; Sabharwall, Piyush

Nuclear energy has practically unlimited potential to satisfy world’s energy needs for the foreseeable future. However, a comprehensive and reliable solution must be devised to address the key issues related to nuclear waste management in order to develop nuclear energy in a safe and responsible manner. Capture and immobilization of volatile radionuclides from nuclear operations is an essential component of an integrated nuclear waste management system. The majority of emissions occur during the treatment of the used nuclear fuel (UNF) as it is chopped and dissolved in the boiling nitric acid for subsequent extraction steps. The radionuclides contained in themore » off-gas include 129I, 85Kr, tritium (3H) and 14C. Several alternative technologies have been investigated, with effective adsorption based processes holding the most potential for controlling these emissions, which is highly desirable for the development of the advanced fuel cycle. Proposed project is aimed at developing using a nanosorbent-based process for the capture and immobilization of the radionuclides of interest.« less

Metal immobilization in hazardous contaminated minesoils after marble slurry waste application. A field assessment at the Tharsis mining district (Spain).

PubMed

Fernández-Caliani, J C; Barba-Brioso, C

2010-09-15

A one-year field trial was conducted at the abandoned mine site of Tharsis (Spain) in order to assess the potential value of waste sludge generated during the processing of marble stone, as an additive for assisting natural remediation of heavily contaminated acid mine soils. An amendment of 22 cmol(c) of lime per kilogram of soil was applied to raise the pH level from 3.2 to above 6. The amendment application was effective in reducing concentrations of Al, Fe, Mn, sulfate and potentially hazardous trace elements (mainly Cu, Pb, Zn and Cd) in the most labile metal pools (water-soluble and EDTA-extractable fractions). Geochemical equilibrium calculations indicate that sulfate complexes and free metal ions were the dominant aqueous species in the soil solution. Metal coprecipitation with nanocrystalline ferric oxyhydroxides may be the major chemical mechanism of amendment-induced immobilization. The alleviating effect of the soil amendment on the metal bioavailability and phytotoxicity showed promise for assisting natural revegetation of the mine land. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Proposal of a sequential treatment methodology for the safe reuse of oil sludge-contaminated soil.

PubMed

Mater, L; Sperb, R M; Madureira, L A S; Rosin, A P; Correa, A X R; Radetski, C M

2006-08-25

In this study sequential steps were used to treat and immobilize oil constituents of an oil sludge-contaminated soil. Initially, the contaminated soil was oxidized by a Fenton type reaction (13 wt% for H(2)O(2); 10mM for Fe(2+)). The oxidative treatment period of 80 h was carried out under three different pH conditions: 20 h at pH 6.5, 20 h at pH 4.5, and 40 h at pH 3.0. The oxidized contaminated sample (3 kg) was stabilized and solidified for 2h with clay (1 kg) and lime (2 kg). Finally, this mixture was solidified by sand (2 kg) and Portland cement (4 kg). In order to evaluate the efficiency of different processes to treat and immobilize oil contaminants of the oil sludge-contaminated soil, leachability and solubility tests were performed and extracts were analyzed according to the current Brazilian waste regulations. Results showed that the Fenton oxidative process was partially efficient in degrading the oil contaminants in the soil, since residual concentrations were found for the PAH and BTEX compounds. Leachability tests showed that clay-lime stabilization/solidification followed by Portland cement stabilization/solidification was efficient in immobilizing the recalcitrant and hazardous constituents of the contaminated soil. These two steps stabilization/solidification processes are necessary to enhance environmental protection (minimal leachability) and to render final product economically profitable. The treated waste is safe enough to be used on environmental applications, like roadbeds blocks.

Optimization of process variables by central composite design for the immobilization of urease enzyme on functionalized gold nanoparticles for various applications.

PubMed

Talat, Mahe; Singh, Ashwani Kumar; Srivastava, O N

2011-08-01

In the present study, enzyme urease has been immobilized on amine-functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). AuNPs were synthesized using natural precursor, i.e., clove extract and amine functionalized through 0.004 M L: -cysteine. Enzyme (urease) was extracted and purified from the vegetable waste, i.e., seeds of pumpkin to apparent homogeneity (sp. activity 353 U/mg protein). FTIR spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy was used to characterize the immobilized enzyme. The immobilized enzyme exhibited enhanced activity as compared with the enzyme in the solution, especially, at lower enzyme concentration. Based on the evaluation of activity assay of the immobilized enzyme, it was found that the immobilized enzyme was quite stable for about a month and could successfully be used even after eight cycles having enzyme activity of about 47%. In addition to this central composite design (CCD) with the help of MINITAB version 15 Software was utilized to optimize the process variables viz., pH and temperature affecting the enzyme activity upon immobilization on AuNPs. The results predicted by the design were found in good agreement (R2 = 96.38%) with the experimental results indicating the applicability of proposed model. The multiple regression analysis and ANOVA showed the individual and cumulative effect of pH and temperature on enzyme activity indicating that the activity increased with the increase of pH up to 7.5 and temperature 75 °C. The effects of each variables represented by main effect plot, 3D surface plot, isoresponse contour plot and optimized plot were helpful in predicting results by performing a limited set of experiments.

Volatile Impurities in the Plutonium Immobilization Ceramic Wasteform

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cozzi, A.D.

1999-10-15

Approximately 18 of the 50 metric tons of plutonium identified for disposition contain significant quantities of impurities. A ceramic waste form is the chosen option for immobilization of the excess plutonium. The impurities associated with the stored plutonium have been identified (CaCl2, MgF2, Pb, etc.). For this study, only volatile species are investigated. The impurities are added individually. Cerium is used as the surrogate for plutonium. Three compositions, including the baseline composition, were used to verify the ability of the ceramic wasteform to accommodate impurities. The criteria for evaluation of the effect of the impurities were the apparent porosity andmore » phase assemblage of sintered pellets.« less

Spectroscopic investigation of Ni speciation in hardened cement paste.

PubMed

Vespa, M; Dähn, R; Grolimund, D; Wieland, E; Scheidegger, A M

2006-04-01

Cement-based materials play an important role in multi-barrier concepts developed worldwide for the safe disposal of hazardous and radioactive wastes. Cement is used to condition and stabilize the waste materials and to construct the engineered barrier systems (container, backfill, and liner materials) of repositories for radioactive waste. In this study, Ni uptake by hardened cement paste has been investigated with the aim of improving our understanding of the immobilization process of heavy metals in cement on the molecular level. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) coupled with diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) techniques were used to determine the local environment of Ni in cement systems. The Ni-doped samples were prepared at two different water/cement ratios (0.4, 1.3) and different hydration times (1 hour to 1 year) using a sulfate-resisting Portland cement. The metal loadings and the metal salts added to the system were varied (50 up to 5000 mg/kg; NO3(-), SO4(2-), Cl-). The XAS study showed that for all investigated systems Ni(ll) is predominantly immobilized in a layered double hydroxide (LDH) phase, which was corroborated by DRS measurements. Only a minor extent of Ni(ll) precipitates as Ni-hydroxides (alpha-Ni(OH)2 and beta-Ni(OH)2). This finding suggests that Ni-Al LDH, rather than Ni-hydroxides, is the solubility-limiting phase in the Ni-doped cement system.

Production and immobilization of enzymes by solid-state fermentation of agroindustrial waste.

PubMed

Romo Sánchez, Sheila; Gil Sánchez, Irene; Arévalo-Villena, María; Briones Pérez, Ana

2015-03-01

The recovery of by-products from agri-food industry is currently one of the major challenges of biotechnology. Castilla-La Mancha produces around three million tons of waste coming from olive oil and wine industries, both of which have a pivotal role in the economy of this region. For this reason, this study reports on the exploitation of grape skins and olive pomaces for the production of lignocellulosic enzymes, which are able to deconstruct the agroindustrial waste and, therefore, reuse them in future industrial processes. To this end, solid-state fermentation was carried out using two local fungal strains (Aspergillus niger-113 N and Aspergillus fumigatus-3). In some trials, a wheat supplementation with a 1:1 ratio was used to improve the growth conditions, and the particle size of the substrates was altered through milling. Separate fermentations were run and collected after 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 15 days to monitor enzymatic activity (xylanase, cellulase, β-glucosidase, pectinase). The highest values were recorded after 10 and 15 days of fermentation. The use of A. niger on unmilled grape skin yielded the best outcomes (47.05 U xylanase/g by-product). The multi-enzymatic extracts obtained were purified, freeze dried, and immobilized on chitosan by adsorption to assess the possible advantages provided by the different techniques.

HLW Melter Control Strategy Without Visual Feedback VSL-12R2500-1 Rev 0

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kruger, A A.; Joseph, Innocent; Matlack, Keith S.

2012-11-13

Plans for the treatment of high level waste (HL W) at the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) are based upon the inventory of the tank wastes, the anticipated performance of the pretreatment processes, and current understanding of the capability of the borosilicate glass waste form [I]. The WTP HLW melter design, unlike earlier DOE melter designs, incorporates an active glass bubbler system. The bubblers create active glass pool convection and thereby improve heat and mass transfer and increase glass melting rates. The WTP HLW melter has a glass surface area of 3.75 m{sup 2} and depth ofmore » ~ 1.1 m. The two melters in the HLW facility together are designed to produce up to 7.5 MT of glass per day at 100% availability. Further increases in HL W waste processing rates can potentially be achieved by increasing the melter operating temperature above 1150°C and by increasing the waste loading in the glass product. Increasing the waste loading also has the added benefit of decreasing the number of canisters for storage.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

Exxon Company U.S.A. may be the first company ever exempted from federal restrictions that prohibit companies from disposing of untreated hazardous waste on land. EPA recently proposed to grant a [open quotes]no-migration variance[close quotes] to Exxon at the New South Land Treatment Unit of the company's Billings, Mont., refinery. Exxon seeks to continue disposing of hazardous wastes, including solids, emulsions, and wastes that contain benzene, from its refinery operations on land. Citizens and environmental groups are concerned about land farming, the method by which Exxon proposes to dispose of the waste. Land farming involves tilling waste into the upper 300more » mm (12 in.) of soil. Microbes in the soil break down the organic wastes, while inorganic wastes such as heavy metals are immobilized by way of adsorption. Exxon has installed berms and dikes around the farm to prevent runoff from reaching surface water. EPA and its state counterpart say that Exxon has shown, to a reasonable degree of certainty, that the hazardous constituents will not migrate. Groundwater analysis so far has shown no migration.« less

Immobilized ligninolytic enzymes: An innovative and environmental responsive technology to tackle dye-based industrial pollutants - A review.

PubMed

Bilal, Muhammad; Asgher, Muhammad; Parra-Saldivar, Roberto; Hu, Hongbo; Wang, Wei; Zhang, Xuehong; Iqbal, Hafiz M N

2017-01-15

In the twenty-first century, chemical and associated industries quest a transition prototype from traditional chemical-based concepts to a greener, sustainable and environmentally-friendlier catalytic alternative, both at the laboratory and industrial scale. In this context, bio-based catalysis offers numerous benefits along with potential biotechnological and environmental applications. The bio-based catalytic processes are energy efficient than conventional methodologies under moderate processing, generating no and negligible secondary waste pollution. Thanks to key scientific advances, now, solid-phase biocatalysts can be economically tailored on a large scale. Nevertheless, it is mandatory to recover and reprocess the enzyme for their commercial feasibility, and immobilization engineering can efficiently accomplish this challenge. The first part of the present review work briefly outlines the immobilization of lignin-modifying enzymes (LMEs) including lignin peroxidase (LiP), manganese peroxidase (MnP) and laccase of white-rot fungi (WRF). Whereas, in the second part, a particular emphasis has been given on the recent achievements of carrier-immobilized LMEs for the degradation, decolorization, or detoxification of industrial dyes and dye-based industrial wastewater effluents. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microbial transformations of uranium in wastes and implication on its mobility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Suzuki,Y.; Nankawa, T.; Ozaki, T.

2008-09-14

Uranium exists in several chemical forms in mining and mill tailings and in nuclear and weapons production wastes. Under appropriate conditions, microorganisms can affect the stability and mobility of U in wastes by altering the chemical speciation, solubility and sorption properties and thus could increase or decrease the concentrations of U in solution and the bioavailability. Dissolution or immobilization of U is brought about by direct enzymatic action or indirect nonenzymatic action of microorganisms. Although the physical, chemical, and geochemical processes affecting dissolution, precipitation, and mobilization of U have been extensively investigated, we have only limited information on the mechanismsmore » of microbial transformations of various chemical forms of U in the presence of electron donors and acceptors.« less

Melt processed crystalline ceramic waste forms for advanced nuclear fuel cycles: CRP T21027 1813: Processing technologies for high level waste, formulation of matrices and characterization of waste forms, task 17208: Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Amoroso, J. W.; Marra, J. C.

2015-08-26

A multi-phase ceramic waste form is being developed at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) for treatment of secondary waste streams generated by reprocessing commercial spent nuclear. The envisioned waste stream contains a mixture of transition, alkali, alkaline earth, and lanthanide metals. Ceramic waste forms are tailored (engineered) to incorporate waste components as part of their crystal structure based on knowledge from naturally found minerals containing radioactive and non-radioactive species similar to the radionuclides of concern in wastes from fuel reprocessing. The ability to tailor ceramics to mimic naturally occurring crystals substantiates the long term stability of such crystals (ceramics)more » over geologic timescales of interest for nuclear waste immobilization [1]. A durable multi-phase ceramic waste form tailored to incorporate all the waste components has the potential to broaden the available disposal options and thus minimize the storage and disposal costs associated with aqueous reprocessing. This report summarizes results from three years of work on the IAEA Coordinated Research Project on “Processing technologies for high level waste, formulation of matrices and characterization of waste forms” (T21027), and specific task “Melt Processed Crystalline Ceramic Waste Forms for Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycles” (17208).« less

Melt processed crystalline ceramic waste forms for advanced nuclear fuel cycles: CRP T21027 1813: Processing technologies for high level waste, formulation of matrices and characterization of waste forms, Task 17208: Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Amoroso, J. W.; Marra, J. C.

2015-08-26

A multi-phase ceramic waste form is being developed at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) for treatment of secondary waste streams generated by reprocessing commercial spent nuclear. The envisioned waste stream contains a mixture of transition, alkali, alkaline earth, and lanthanide metals. Ceramic waste forms are tailored (engineered) to incorporate waste components as part of their crystal structure based on knowledge from naturally found minerals containing radioactive and non-radioactive species similar to the radionuclides of concern in wastes from fuel reprocessing. The ability to tailor ceramics to mimic naturally occurring crystals substantiates the long term stability of such crystals (ceramics)more » over geologic timescales of interest for nuclear waste immobilization [1]. A durable multi-phase ceramic waste form tailored to incorporate all the waste components has the potential to broaden the available disposal options and thus minimize the storage and disposal costs associated with aqueous reprocessing. This report summarizes results from three years of work on the IAEA Coordinated Research Project on “Processing technologies for high level waste, formulation of matrices and characterization of waste forms” (T21027), and specific task “Melt Processed Crystalline Ceramic Waste Forms for Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycles” (17208).« less

Novel synthesis and applications of Thiomer solidification for heavy metals immobilization in hazardous ASR/ISW thermal residue.

PubMed

Baek, Jin Woong; Mallampati, Srinivasa Reddy; Park, Hung Suck

2016-03-01

The present paper reports the novel synthesis and application of Thiomer solidification for heavy metal immobilization in hazardous automobile shredder residues and industrial solid waste (ASR/ISW) thermal residues. The word Thiomer is a combination of the prefix of a sulfur-containing compound "Thio" and the suffix of "Polymer" meaning a large molecule compound of many repeated subunits. To immobilize heavy metals, either ASR/ISW thermal residues (including bottom and fly ash) was mixed well with Thiomer and heated at 140°C. After Thiomer solidification, approximately 91-100% heavy metal immobilization was achieved. The morphology and mineral phases of the Thiomer-solidified ASR/ISW thermal residue were characterized by field emission-scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD), which indicated that the amounts of heavy metals detectable on the ASR/ISW thermal residue surface decreased and the sulfur mass percent increased. XRD indicated that the main fraction of the enclosed/bound materials on the ASR/ISW residue contained sulfur associated crystalline complexes. The Thiomer solidified process could convert the heavy metal compounds into highly insoluble metal sulfides and simultaneously encapsulate the ASR/ISW thermal residue. These results show that the proposed method can be applied to the immobilization of ASR/ISW hazardous ash involving heavy metals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CONTROL TECHNOLOGY EXTRACTION OF MERCURY FROM GROUNDWATER IMMOBILIZED ALGAE

EPA Science Inventory

Bio-Recovery Systems, Inc. conducted a project under the Emerging Technology portion of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPAs) Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program to evaluate the ability of immobilized algae to adsorb mercury from contamina...

Separating and stabilizing phosphate from high-level radioactive waste: process development and spectroscopic monitoring.

PubMed

Lumetta, Gregg J; Braley, Jenifer C; Peterson, James M; Bryan, Samuel A; Levitskaia, Tatiana G

2012-06-05

Removing phosphate from alkaline high-level waste sludges at the Department of Energy's Hanford Site in Washington State is necessary to increase the waste loading in the borosilicate glass waste form that will be used to immobilize the highly radioactive fraction of these wastes. We are developing a process which first leaches phosphate from the high-level waste solids with aqueous sodium hydroxide, and then isolates the phosphate by precipitation with calcium oxide. Tests with actual tank waste confirmed that this process is an effective method of phosphate removal from the sludge and offers an additional option for managing the phosphorus in the Hanford tank waste solids. The presence of vibrationally active species, such as nitrate and phosphate ions, in the tank waste processing streams makes the phosphate removal process an ideal candidate for monitoring by Raman or infrared spectroscopic means. As a proof-of-principle demonstration, Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra were acquired for all phases during a test of the process with actual tank waste. Quantitative determination of phosphate, nitrate, and sulfate in the liquid phases was achieved by Raman spectroscopy, demonstrating the applicability of Raman spectroscopy for the monitoring of these species in the tank waste process streams.

DuraLith geopolymer waste form for Hanford secondary waste: correlating setting behavior to hydration heat evolution.

PubMed

Xu, Hui; Gong, Weiliang; Syltebo, Larry; Lutze, Werner; Pegg, Ian L

2014-08-15

The binary furnace slag-metakaolin DuraLith geopolymer waste form, which has been considered as one of the candidate waste forms for immobilization of certain Hanford secondary wastes (HSW) from the vitrification of nuclear wastes at the Hanford Site, Washington, was extended to a ternary fly ash-furnace slag-metakaolin system to improve workability, reduce hydration heat, and evaluate high HSW waste loading. A concentrated HSW simulant, consisting of more than 20 chemicals with a sodium concentration of 5 mol/L, was employed to prepare the alkaline activating solution. Fly ash was incorporated at up to 60 wt% into the binder materials, whereas metakaolin was kept constant at 26 wt%. The fresh waste form pastes were subjected to isothermal calorimetry and setting time measurement, and the cured samples were further characterized by compressive strength and TCLP leach tests. This study has firstly established quantitative linear relationships between both initial and final setting times and hydration heat, which were never discovered in scientific literature for any cementitious waste form or geopolymeric material. The successful establishment of the correlations between setting times and hydration heat may make it possible to efficiently design and optimize cementitious waste forms and industrial wastes based geopolymers using limited testing results. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An amperometric new methylene blue N-mediating sensor for hydrogen peroxide based on regenerated silk fibroin as an immobilization matrix for peroxidase.

PubMed

Qian, J; Liu, Y; Liu, H; Yu, T; Deng, J

1996-05-01

A simple and effective procedure was described for the immobilization of peroxidase in regenerated silk fibroin membrane prepared from waste silk. The membranes of regenerated silk fibroin with or without peroxidase, before or after the ethanol treatment, were characterized by ir spectra. An amperometric H202 sensor, based on the immobilized peroxidase in regenerated silk fibroin membrane, in the use of new methylene blue N as an electron transfer mediator, was fabricated. The characteristics of the sensor with respect to linearity, response time, effect of pH and temperature, stability, and reproducibility were investigated. Dependences of Michaelis-Menten constant KMapp on the concentration of the mediator, and the applied potential were also studied and the results were presented. The sensor was highly sensitive to H2O2 with a detection limit of 1.0 x 10(-7)M and with response time of less than 40 s.

Transesterification of Waste Frying Oil and Soybean Oil by Combi-lipases Under Ultrasound-Assisted Reactions.

PubMed

Poppe, Jakeline Kathiele; Matte, Carla Roberta; Fernandez-Lafuente, Roberto; Rodrigues, Rafael C; Ayub, Marco Antônio Záchia

2018-04-21

This work describes the use of an ultrasound system for the enzymatic transesterification of oils using combi-lipases as biocatalyst. The reactions were carried out evaluating the individual use of waste oil and fresh soybean oil, and the immobilized lipases CALB, TLL, and RML were used as biocatalysts. It was performed in a mixture design of three factors to obtain the ideal mixture of lipases according to the composition of fatty acids present in each oil, and the main reaction variables were optimized. After 18 h of reaction, ultrasound provided a biodiesel yield of about 90% when using soybean oil and 70% using the waste oil. The results showed that ultrasound technology, in combination with the application of enzyme mixtures, known as combi-lipases, and the use of waste oil, could be a promising route to reduce the overall process costs of enzymatic production of biodiesel.

Sodium aluminum-iron phosphate glass-ceramics for immobilization of lanthanide oxide wastes from pyrochemical reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stefanovsky, S. V.; Stefanovsky, O. I.; Kadyko, M. I.; Nikonov, B. S.

2018-03-01

Sodium aluminum (iron) phosphate glass ceramics containing of up to 20 wt.% rare earth (RE) oxides simulating pyroprocessing waste were produced by melting at 1250 °C followed by either quenching or slow cooling to room temperature. The iron-free glass-ceramics were composed of major glass and minor phosphotridymite and monazite. The iron-bearing glass-ceramics were composed of major glass and minor monazite and Na-Al-Fe orthophosphate at low waste loadings (5-10 wt.%) and major orthophosphate and minor monazite as well as interstitial glass at high waste loadings (15-20 wt.%). Slowly cooled samples contained higher amount of crystalline phases than quenched ones. Monazite is major phase for REs. Leach rates from the materials of major elements (Na, Al, Fe, P) are 10-5-10-7 g cm-2 d-1, RE elements - lower than 10-5 g cm-2 d-1.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Poloski, Adam P.; Wells, Beric E.; Tingey, Joel M.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of River Protection’s Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) will process and treat radioactive waste that is stored in tanks at the Hanford Site. Piping, pumps, and mixing vessels have been selected to transport, store, and mix the high-level waste slurries in the WTP. This report addresses the analyses performed by the Rheology Working Group (RWG) and Risk Assessment Working Group composed of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Bechtel National Inc. (BNI), CH2M HILL, DOE Office of River Protection (ORP) and Yasuo Onishi Consulting, LLC staff on data obtained from documented Hanford wastemore » analyses to determine a best-estimate of the rheology of the Hanford tank wastes and their settling behavior. The actual testing activities were performed and reported separately in referenced documentation. Because of this, many of the required topics below do not apply and are so noted.« less

Treatment of copper industry waste and production of sintered glass-ceramic.

PubMed

Coruh, Semra; Ergun, Osman Nuri; Cheng, Ta-Wui

2006-06-01

Copper waste is iron-rich hazardous waste containing heavy metals such as Cu, Zn, Co, Pb. The results of leaching tests show that the concentration of these elements exceeds the Turkish and EPA regulatory limits. Consequently, this waste cannot be disposed of in its present form and therefore requires treatment to stabilize it or make it inert prior to disposal. Vitrification was selected as the technology for the treatment of the toxic waste under investigation. During the vitrification process significant amounts of the toxic organic and inorganic chemical compounds could be destroyed, and at the same time, the metal species are immobilized as they become an integral part of the glass matrix. The copper flotation waste samples used in this research were obtained from the Black Sea Copper Works of Samsun, Turkey. The samples were vitrified after being mixed with other inorganic waste and materials. The copper flotation waste and their glass-ceramic products were characterized by X-ray analysis (XRD), scanning electron microscopy and by the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure test. The products showed very good chemical durability. The glass-ceramics fabricated at 850 degrees C/2 h have a large application potential especially as construction and building materials.

Three-dimensional mapping of crystalline ceramic waste form materials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cocco, Alex P.; DeGostin, Matthew B.; Wrubel, Jacob A.

Here, we demonstrate the use of synchrotron-based, transmission X-ray microscopy (TXM) and scanning electron microscopy to image the 3-D morphologies and spatial distributions of Ga-doped phases within model, single- and two-phase waste form material systems. Gallium doping levels consistent with those commonly used for nuclear waste immobilization (e.g., Ba 1.04Cs 0.24Ga 2.32Ti 5.68O 16) could be readily imaged. This analysis suggests that a minority phase with different stoichiometry/composition from the primary hollandite phase can be formed by the solid-state ceramic processing route with varying morphology (globular vs. cylindrical) as a function of Cs content. Our results represent a crucial stepmore » in developing the tools necessary to gain an improved understanding of the microstructural and chemical properties of waste form materials that influence their resistance to aqueous corrosion. This understanding will aid in the future design of higher durability waste form materials.« less

Long-term leaching behavior of phenol in cement/activated-carbon solidified/stabilized hazardous waste.

PubMed

Liu, Jianguo; Nie, Xiaoqin; Zeng, Xianwei; Su, Zhaoji

2013-01-30

The long-term leaching behavior of phenol in solidified/stabilized (S/S) hazardous wastes cured for 28 d with different amounts of activated carbon (AC) was investigated using synthetic inorganic acid (H(2)SO(4):HNO(3) = 2:1, pH = 3.2), acetic acid buffer (HAc/NaAc, pH = 4.93), and deionized water as leachants to simulate the leaching of phenol in three exposure scenarios: acid-precipitation, co-disposal, and neutral-precipitation. Phenol immobilization was enhanced by AC adsorption and impaired by the growth of micropores with increasing amount of AC; thus the optimal added amount of AC to be to added S/S wastes was 2%. The leaching behavior of phenol in co-disposal scenario was unpredictable due to inadequate ionization of HAc in the HAc-NaAc buffer solution. The findings indicated that S/S products should be disposed of in hazardous waste landfills rather than municipal solid waste landfills. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Three-dimensional mapping of crystalline ceramic waste form materials

DOE PAGES

Cocco, Alex P.; DeGostin, Matthew B.; Wrubel, Jacob A.; ...

2017-04-21

Here, we demonstrate the use of synchrotron-based, transmission X-ray microscopy (TXM) and scanning electron microscopy to image the 3-D morphologies and spatial distributions of Ga-doped phases within model, single- and two-phase waste form material systems. Gallium doping levels consistent with those commonly used for nuclear waste immobilization (e.g., Ba 1.04Cs 0.24Ga 2.32Ti 5.68O 16) could be readily imaged. This analysis suggests that a minority phase with different stoichiometry/composition from the primary hollandite phase can be formed by the solid-state ceramic processing route with varying morphology (globular vs. cylindrical) as a function of Cs content. Our results represent a crucial stepmore » in developing the tools necessary to gain an improved understanding of the microstructural and chemical properties of waste form materials that influence their resistance to aqueous corrosion. This understanding will aid in the future design of higher durability waste form materials.« less

Process for the encapsulation and stabilization of radioactive, hazardous and mixed wastes

DOEpatents

Colombo, Peter; Kalb, Paul D.; Heiser, III, John H.

1997-11-14

The present invention provides a method for encapsulating and stabilizing radioactive, hazardous and mixed wastes in a modified sulfur cement composition. The waste may be incinerator fly ash or bottom ash including radioactive contaminants, toxic metal salts and other wastes commonly found in refuse. The process may use glass fibers mixed into the composition to improve the tensile strength and a low concentration of anhydrous sodium sulfide to reduce toxic metal solubility. The present invention preferably includes a method for encapsulating radioactive, hazardous and mixed wastes by combining substantially anhydrous wastes, molten modified sulfur cement, preferably glass fibers, as well as anhydrous sodium sulfide or calcium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide in a heated double-planetary orbital mixer. The modified sulfur cement is preheated to about 135.degree..+-.5.degree. C., then the remaining substantially dry components are added and mixed to homogeneity. The homogeneous molten mixture is poured or extruded into a suitable mold. The mold is allowed to cool, while the mixture hardens, thereby immobilizing and encapsulating the contaminants present in the ash.

Reductive immobilization of chromate in water and soil using stabilized iron nanoparticles.

PubMed

Xu, Yinhui; Zhao, Dongye

2007-05-01

Laboratory batch and column experiments were conducted to investigate the feasibility of using a new class of stabilized zero-valent iron (ZVI) nanoparticles for in situ reductive immobilization of Cr(VI) in water and in a sandy loam soil. Batch kinetic tests indicated that 0.08g/L of the ZVI nanoparticles were able to rapidly reduce 34mg/L of Cr(VI) in water at an initial pseudo first-order rate constant of 0.08h(-1). The extent of Cr(VI) reduction was increased from 24% to 90% as the ZVI dosage was increased from 0.04 to 0.12g/L. The leachability of Cr preloaded in a Cr-loaded sandy soil was reduced by nearly 50% when the soil was amended with 0.08g/L of the ZVI nanoparticles in batch tests at a soil-to-solution ratio of 1g: 10mL. Column experiments indicated that the stabilized ZVI nanoparticles are highly deliverable in the soil column. When the soil column was treated with 5.7 bed volumes of 0.06g/L of the nanoparticles at pH 5.60, only 4.9% of the total Cr was eluted compared to 12% for untreated soil under otherwise identical conditions. The ZVI treatment reduced the TCLP leachability of Cr in the soil by 90%, and the California WET (Waste Extraction Test) leachability by 76%. The stabilized ZVI nanoparticles may serve as a highly soil-dispersible and effective agent for in situ reductive immobilization of chromium in soils, groundwater, or industrial wastes.

Immobilization and bonding scheme of radioactive iodine-129 in silver tellurite glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Cheong Won; Pyo, Jae-Young; Park, Hwan-Seo; Yang, Jae Hwan; Heo, Jong

2017-08-01

Silver tellurite glasses with melting temperatures < 700 °C were prepared to immobilize the 129I that normally volatilizes during high-temperature melting. Glasses have densities of 6.31 ± 0.1 g/cm3 and glass transition temperatures of 165 ± 3 °C that provide thermal stability at the disposal site. Iodine waste loading in glasses was as high as 12.64 wt% of all metallic elements and 11.21 wt% including oxygen. Normalized elemental releases obtained from the product consistency test were well below US regulation of 2 g/m2. Iodines are surrounded by four Ag+ ions forming [Ag4I]3+ units that are further connected to tellurite network through bonds with non-bridging oxygens.

Conversion of radioactive ferrocyanide compounds to immobile glasses

DOEpatents

Schulz, W.W.; Dressen, A.L.

1975-11-21

A method is described for converting complex radioactive ferrocyanide compounds of /sup 134/Cs and /sup 137/Cs to immobile glass that is resistant to leaching by water. The /sup 134/Cs and /sup 137/Cs are separated from nuclear waste solutions by precipitation from alkaline solutions by the addition of a soluble Ni/sup 2 +/, Zn/sup 2 +/, Cu/sup 2 +/, Co/sup 2 +/, UO/sub 2//sup 2 +/, or Mn/sup 2 +/ and K/sub 4/Fe(CN)/sub 6/. The dried, finely ground precipitate is mixed with Na/sub 2/CO/sub 3/ and a mixture of (a) basalt and B/sub 2/O/sub 3/ or (b) SiO/sub 2/ and CaO, melted, and allowed to solidify. (BLM)

High level radioactive waste vitrification process equipment component testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siemens, D. H.; Health, W. C.; Larson, D. E.; Craig, S. N.; Berger, D. N.; Goles, R. W.

1985-04-01

Remote operability and maintainability of vitrification equipment were assessment under shielded cell conditions. The equipment tested will be applied to immobilize high level and transuranic liquid waste slurries that resulted from plutonium production for defense weapons. Equipment tested included: a turntable for handling waste canisters under the melter; a removable discharge cone in the melter overflow section; a thermocouple jumper that extends into a shielded cell; remote instrument and electrical connectors; remote, mechanical, and heat transfer aspects of the melter glass overflow section; a reamer to clean out plugged nozzles in the melter top; a closed circuit camera to view the melter interior; and a device to retrieve samples of the glass product. A test was also conduucted to evaluate liquid metals for use in a liquid metal sealing system.

Method for treating liquid wastes

DOEpatents

Katti, K.V.; Volkert, W.A.; Singh, P.; Ketring, A.R.

1995-12-26

The method of treating liquid waste in a media is accomplished by exposing the media to phosphinimines and sequestering {sup 99}Tc from the media by the phosphinimine (PN) functionalities. The system for treating the liquid waste in the media includes extraction of {sup 99}TcO{sub 4}{sup {minus}} from aqueous solutions into organic solvents or mixed organic/polar media, extraction of {sup 99}Tc from solutions on a solid matrix by using a container containing PN functionalities on solid matrices including an inlet and outlet for allowing flow of media through an immobilized phosphinimine ligand system contained within the container. Also, insoluble suspensions of phosphinimine functionalities on solid matrices in liquid solutions or present on supported liquid membranes (SLM) can be used to sequester {sup 99}Tc from those liquids. 6 figs.

Method for treating liquid wastes

DOEpatents

Katti, Kattesh V.; Volkert, Wynn A.; Singh, Prahlad; Ketring, Alan R.

1995-01-01

The method of treating liquid waste in a media is accomplished by exposing the media to phosphinimines and sequestering .sup.99 Tc from the media by the phosphinimine (PN) functionalities. The system for treating the liquid waste in the media includes extraction of .sup.99 TcO.sub.4.sup.- from aqueous solutions into organic solvents or mixed organic/polar media, extraction of .sup.99 Tc from solutions on a solid matrix by using a container containing PN functionalities on solid matrices including an inlet and outlet for allowing flow of media through an immobilized phosphinimine ligand system contained within the container. Also, insoluble suspensions of phosphinimine functionalities on solid matrices in liquid solutions or present on supported liquid membranes (SLM) can be used to sequester .sup.99 Tc from those liquids.

Research of ceramic matrix for a safe immobilization of radioactive sludge waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dorofeeva, Ludmila; Orekhov, Dmitry

2018-03-01

The research and improvement of the existing method for radioactive waste hardening by fixation in a ceramic matrix was carried out. For the samples covered with the sodium silicate and tested after the storage on the air the speed of a radionuclides leaching was determined. The properties of a clay ceramics and the optimum conditions of sintering were defined. The experimental data about the influence of a temperature mode sintering, water quantities, sludge and additives in the samples on their mechanical durability and a water resistance were obtained. The comparative analysis of the conducted research is aimed at improvement of the existing method of the hardening radioactive waste by inclusion in a ceramic matrix and reveals the advantages of the received results over analogs.

Photofermentative hydrogen production from wastes.

PubMed

Keskin, Tugba; Abo-Hashesh, Mona; Hallenbeck, Patrick C

2011-09-01

In many respects, hydrogen is an ideal biofuel. However, practical, sustainable means of its production are presently lacking. Here we review recent efforts to apply the capacity of photosynthetic bacteria to capture solar energy and use it to drive the nearly complete conversion of substrates to hydrogen and carbon dioxide. This process, called photofermentation, has the potential capacity to use a variety of feedstocks, including the effluents of dark fermentations, leading to the development of various configurations of two-stage systems, or various industrial and agricultural waste streams rich in sugars or organic acids. The metabolic and enzymatic properties of this system are presented and the possible waste streams that might be successfully used are discussed. Recently, various immobilized systems have been developed and their advantages and disadvantages are examined. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaporation Of Hanford Waste Treatment Plant Direct Feed Low Activity Waste Effluent Management Facility Core Simulant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Adamson, D.; Nash, C.; Mcclane, D.

The Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) Low Activity Waste (LAW) vitrification facility will generate an aqueous condensate recycle stream (LAW Melter Off-Gas Condensate, LMOGC) from the off-gas system. The baseline plan for disposition of this stream during full WTP operations is to send it to the WTP Pretreatment Facility, where it will be blended with LAW, concentrated by evaporation, and recycled to the LAW vitrification facility. However, during the Direct Feed LAW (DFLAW) scenario, planned disposition of this stream is to evaporate it in a new evaporator, in the Effluent Management Facility (EMF), and then return it tomore » the LAW melter. It is important to understand the composition of the effluents from the melter and new evaporator, so that the disposition of these streams can be accurately planned and accommodated. Furthermore, alternate disposition of the LMOGC stream would eliminate recycling of problematic components, and would reduce the need for closely integrated operation of the LAW melter and the Pretreatment Facilities. Long-term implementation of this option after WTP start-up would decrease the LAW vitrification mission duration and quantity of glass waste, amongst the other operational complexities such a recycle stream presents. In order to accurately plan for the disposition path, it is key to experimentally determine the fate of contaminants. To do this, testing is needed to accurately account for the buffering chemistry of the components, determine the achievable evaporation end point, identify insoluble solids that form, and determine the distribution of key regulatory-impacting constituents. The LAW Melter Off-Gas Condensate stream will contain components that are volatile at melter temperatures, have limited solubility in the glass waste form, and represent a materials corrosion concern, such as halides and sulfate. Because this stream will recycle within WTP, these components will accumulate in the Melter Condensate stream, exacerbating their impact on the number of LAW glass containers that must be produced. Diverting the stream reduces the halides and sulfates in the recycled Condensate and is a key outcome of this work. This overall program examines the potential treatment and immobilization of this stream to enable alternative disposal. The objective of this task was to demonstrate evaporation of a simulant of the LAW Melter Off-gas Condensate expected during DFLAW operations, in order to predict the composition of the effluents from the EMF evaporator to aid in planning for their disposition. This document describes the results of that test using the core simulant. This simulant formulation is designated as the “core simulant”; other additives will be included for specific testing, such as volatiles for evaporation or hazardous metals for measuring leaching properties of waste forms. The results indicate that the simulant can easily be concentrated via evaporation. During that the pH adjustment step in simulant preparation, ammonium is quickly converted to ammonia, and most of the ammonia was stripped from the simulated waste and partitioned to the condensate. Additionally, it was found that after concentrating (>12x) and cooling that a small amount of LiF and Na 3(SO 4)F precipitate out of solution. With the exception of ammonia, analysis of the condensate indicated very low to below detectable levels of many of the constituents in the simulant, yielding very high decontamination factors (DF).« less

Organic Separation Test Results

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Russell, Renee L.; Rinehart, Donald E.; Peterson, Reid A.

2014-09-22

Separable organics have been defined as “those organic compounds of very limited solubility in the bulk waste and that can form a separate liquid phase or layer” (Smalley and Nguyen 2013), and result from three main solvent extraction processes: U Plant Uranium Recovery Process, B Plant Waste Fractionation Process, and Plutonium Uranium Extraction (PUREX) Process. The primary organic solvents associated with tank solids are TBP, D2EHPA, and NPH. There is concern that, while this organic material is bound to the sludge particles as it is stored in the tanks, waste feed delivery activities, specifically transfer pump and mixer pump operations,more » could cause the organics to form a separated layer in the tank farms feed tank. Therefore, Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) is experimentally evaluating the potential of organic solvents separating from the tank solids (sludge) during waste feed delivery activities, specifically the waste mixing and transfer processes. Given the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) waste acceptance criteria per the Waste Feed Acceptance Criteria document (24590-WTP-RPT-MGT-11-014) that there is to be “no visible layer” of separable organics in the waste feed, this would result in the batch being unacceptable to transfer to WTP. This study is of particular importance to WRPS because of these WTP requirements.« less

Radionuclide and contaminant immobilization in the fluidized bed steam reforming waste products

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Neeway, James J.; Qafoku, Nikolla; Westsik, Joseph H.

2012-05-01

The goal of this chapter is to introduce the reader to the Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) process and resulting waste form. The first section of the chapter gives an overview of the potential need for FBSR processing in nuclear waste remediation followed by an overview of the engineering involved in the process itself. This is followed by a description of waste form production at a chemical level followed by a section describing different process streams that have undergone the FBSR process. The third section describes the resulting mineral product in terms of phases that are present and the abilitymore » of the waste form to encapsulate hazardous and radioactive wastes from several sources. Following this description is a presentation of the physical properties of the granular and monolith waste form product including and contaminant release mechanisms. The last section gives a brief summary of this chapter and includes a section on the strengths associated with this waste form and the needs for additional data and remaining questions yet to be answered. The reader is directed elsewhere for more information on other waste forms such as Cast Stone (Lockrem, 2005), Ceramicrete (Singh et al., 1997, Wagh et al., 1999) and geopolymers (Kyritsis et al., 2009; Russell et al., 2006).« less

Final Report - Crystal Settling, Redox, and High Temperature Properties of ORP HLW and LAW Glasses, VSL-09R1510-1, Rev. 0, dated 6/18/09

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kruger, Albert A.; Wang, C.; Gan, H.

2013-11-13

The radioactive tank waste treatment programs at the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) have featured joule heated ceramic melter technology for the vitrification of high level waste (HLW). The Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) employs this same basic technology not only for the vitrification of HLW streams but also for the vitrification of Low Activity Waste (LAW) streams. Because of the much greater throughput rates required of the WTP as compared to the vitrification facilities at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) or the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF), the WTP employs advanced joule heated meltersmore » with forced mixing of the glass pool (bubblers) to improve heat and mass transport and increase melting rates. However, for both HLW and LAW treatment, the ability to increase waste loadings offers the potential to significantly reduce the amount of glass that must be produced and disposed and, therefore, the overall project costs. This report presents the results from a study to investigate several glass property issues related to WTP HLW and LAW vitrification: crystal formation and settling in selected HLW glasses; redox behavior of vanadium and chromium in selected LAW glasses; and key high temperature thermal properties of representative HLW and LAW glasses. The work was conducted according to Test Plans that were prepared for the HLW and LAW scope, respectively. One part of this work thus addresses some of the possible detrimental effects due to considerably higher crystal content in waste glass melts and, in particular, the impact of high crystal contents on the flow property of the glass melt and the settling rate of representative crystalline phases in an environment similar to that of an idling glass melter. Characterization of vanadium redox shifts in representative WTP LAW glasses is the second focal point of this work. The third part of this work focused on key high temperature thermal properties of representative WTP HLW and LAW glasses over a wide range of temperatures, from the melter operating temperature to the glass transition.« less

Evaluation of heavy metals in hazardous automobile shredder residue thermal residue and immobilization with novel nano-size calcium dispersed reagent.

PubMed

Lee, Chi-Hyeon; Truc, Nguyen Thi Thanh; Lee, Byeong-Kyu; Mitoma, Yoshiharu; Mallampati, Srinivasa Reddy

2015-10-15

This study was conducted to synthesize and apply a nano-size calcium dispersed reagent as an immobilization material for heavy metal-contaminated automobile shredder residues (ASR) dust/thermal residues in dry condition. Simple mixing with a nanometallic Ca/CaO/PO4 dispersion mixture immobilized 95-100% of heavy metals in ASR dust/thermal residues (including bottom ash, cavity ash, boiler and bag filter ash). The quantity of heavy metals leached from thermal residues after treatment by nanometallic Ca/CaO/PO4 was lower than the Korean standard regulatory limit for hazardous waste landfills. The morphology and elemental composition of the nanometallic Ca/CaO-treated ASR residue were characterized by field emission scanning election microscopy combined with electron dispersive spectroscopy (FE-SEM/EDS). The results indicated that the amounts of heavy metals detectable on the ASR thermal residue surface decreased and the Ca/PO4 mass percent increased. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern analysis indicated that the main fraction of enclosed/bound materials on ASR residue included Ca/PO4- associated crystalline complexes, and that immobile Ca/PO4 salts remarkably inhibited the desorption of heavy metals from ASR residues. These results support the potential use of nanometallic Ca/CaO/PO4 as a simple, suitable and highly efficient material for the gentle immobilization of heavy metals in hazardous ASR thermal residue in dry condition. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Detoxification and immobilization of chromite ore processing residue in spinel-based glass-ceramic.

PubMed

Liao, Chang-Zhong; Tang, Yuanyuan; Lee, Po-Heng; Liu, Chengshuai; Shih, Kaimin; Li, Fangbai

2017-01-05

A promising strategy for the detoxification and immobilization of chromite ore processing residue (COPR) in a spinel-based glass-ceramic matrix is reported in this study. In the search for a more chemically durable matrix for COPR, the most critical crystalline phase for Cr immobilization was found to be a spinel solid solution with a chemical composition of MgCr 1.32 Fe 0.19 Al 0.49 O 4 . Using Rietveld quantitative X-ray diffraction analysis, we identified this final product is with the phases of spinel (3.5wt.%), diopside (5.2wt.%), and some amorphous contents (91.2wt.%). The partitioning ratio of Cr reveals that about 77% of the Cr was incorporated into the more chemically durable spinel phase. The results of Cr K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy show that no Cr(VI) was observed after conversion of COPR into a glass-ceramic, which indicates successful detoxification of Cr(VI) into Cr(III) in the COPR-incorporated glass-ceramic. The leaching performances of Cr 2 O 3 and COPR-incorporated glass-ceramic were compared with a prolonged acid-leaching test, and the results demonstrate the superiority of the COPR-incorporated glass-ceramic matrix in the immobilization of Cr. The overall results suggest that the use of affordable additives has potential in more reliably immobilizing COPR with a spinel-based glass-ceramic for safer disposal of this hazardous waste. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Concentration and immobilization of 137Cs from liquid radioactive waste using sorbents based on hydrated titanium and zirconium oxides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voronina, A. V.; Noskova, A. Y.; Gritskevich, E. Y.; Mashkovtsev, M. A.; Semenishchev, V. S.

2017-09-01

The possibility of use of sorbents based on hydrated titanium and zirconium oxides (T-3A, T-35, NPF-HTD) for concentration and immobilization of 137Cs from liquid radioactive waste of various chemical composition (fresh water, seawater, solutions containing NaNO3, ammonium acetate, EDTA) was evaluated. It was shown that the NPF-HTD and T-35 sorbents separate 137Cs from fresh water and seawater with distribution coefficients as high as 6.2.104 and 6.1.104, 4.0.105 and 1.6.105 L kg-1 respectively; in 1 M ammonium acetate these values were 2.0.103 and 1.0.103 L kg-1. The NPF-HTD sorbent showed the highest selectivity for cesium in NaNO3 solution: cesium distribution coefficients in 1M NaNO3 was 1.4.106 L kg-1. All studied sorbents are suitable for deactivation of solutions containing EDTA. Cesium distribution coefficients were around 102-103 L kg-1 depending on EDTA concentration. Chemical stability of the sorbents was also studied. It was shown that 137Cs leaching rate from all sorbents meet the requirements for matrix materials.

Stable solidification of silica-based ammonium molybdophosphate by allophane: Application to treatment of radioactive cesium in secondary solid wastes generated from fukushima.

PubMed

Wu, Yan; Lee, Chuan-Pin; Mimura, Hitoshi; Zhang, Xiaoxia; Wei, Yuezhou

2018-01-05

Silica-based ammonium molybdophosphate (AMP/SiO 2 ) is an absorbent material that can effectively remove Cs from radioactive-contaminated wastewater (RCW) generated by Fukushima nuclide accident. Pressing/sintering method was used for final disposal of secondary waste (spent absorbent) to achieve the volume reduction of AMP-Cs/SiO 2 (AMP/SiO 2 saturation adsorption of Cs) and stable solidification of Cs by adding natural allophane. The structure of AMP-Cs completely collapsed at approximately 700°C, and most Mo and P species in AMP sublimed. The optimal sintering temperature was estimated as 900°C. The stable crystalline phase of Cs 4 Al 4 Si 20 O 48 was recrystallized by the reaction of Cs 2 O, Al 2 O 3 , and SiO 2 , and the immobilization ratio of Cs was approximately 100%. The leachability of Cs from the sintered product in distilled water was approximately 0.41%. The high immobilization and low leachability of Cs were attributed to the excellent solidification properties of the sintered products of AMP-Cs/SiO 2 -allophane. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sustainable hybrid photocatalysts: titania immobilized on ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This review comprises the preparation, properties and heterogeneous photocatalytic applications of TiO2 immobilized on carbon materials derived from earth-abundant, renewable and biodegradable agricultural residues and sea food waste resources. The overview provides key scientific insights into widely used TiO2 supported on carbonaceous materials emanating from biopolymeric materials such as lignin, cellulose, cellulose acetate, bacterial cellulose, bamboo, wood, starch, chitosan and agricultural residues (biochar, charcoal, activated carbon and their magnetic forms, coal fly ash) or seafood wastes namely eggshell, clamshell and fish scales; materials that serve as a support/template for TiO2. Heightened awareness and future inspirational developments for the valorisation of various forms of carbonaceous functional materials is the main objective. This appraisal abridges various strategies available to upgrade renewable carbon-based feedstock via the generation of sustainable TiO2/carbon functional materials and provides remarks on their future prospects. Hopefully, this will stimulate the development of efficient and novel composite photocatalysts and engender the necessary knowledge base for further advancements in greener photocatalytic technologies. Prepared as a Critical Review for the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) journal, Green Chemistry. This review discusses the sustainable use of earth-abundant materials exemplified by Titanium dioxide and carbon.

EXAFS/XANES studies of plutonium-loaded sodalite/glass waste forms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richmann, Michael K.; Reed, Donald T.; Kropf, A. Jeremy; Aase, Scott B.; Lewis, Michele A.

2001-09-01

A sodalite/glass ceramic waste form is being developed to immobilize highly radioactive nuclear wastes in chloride form, as part of an electrochemical cleanup process. Two types of simulated waste forms were studied: where the plutonium was alone in an LiCl/KCl matrix and where simulated fission-product elements were added representative of the electrometallurgical treatment process used to recover uranium from spent nuclear fuel also containing plutonium and a variety of fission products. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS) and X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) studies were performed to determine the location, oxidation state, and particle size of the plutonium within these waste form samples. Plutonium was found to segregate as plutonium(IV) oxide with a crystallite size of at least 4.8 nm in the non-fission-element case and 1.3 nm with fission elements present. No plutonium was observed within the sodalite in the waste form made from the plutonium-loaded LiCl/KCl eutectic salt. Up to 35% of the plutonium in the waste form made from the plutonium-loaded simulated fission-product salt may be segregated with a heavy-element nearest neighbor other than plutonium or occluded internally within the sodalite lattice.

Radioactive Demonstration Of Mineralized Waste Forms Made From Hanford Low Activity Waste (Tank SX-105 And AN-103) By Fluidized Bed Steam Reformation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jantzen, Carol; Herman, Connie; Crawford, Charles

One of the immobilization technologies under consideration as a Supplemental Treatment for Hanford’s Low Activity Waste (LAW) is Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR). The FBSR technology forms a mineral waste form at moderate processing temperatures thus retaining and atomically bonding the halides, sulfates, and technetium in the mineral phases (nepheline, sodalite, nosean, carnegieite). Additions of kaolin clay are used instead of glass formers and the minerals formed by the FBSR technology offers (1) atomic bonding of the radionuclides and constituents of concern (COC) comparable to glass, (2) short and long term durability comparable to glass, (3) disposal volumes comparable tomore » glass, and (4) higher Na2O and SO{sub 4} waste loadings than glass. The higher FBSR Na{sub 2}O and SO{sub 4} waste loadings contribute to the low disposal volumes but also provide for more rapid processing of the LAW. Recent FBSR processing and testing of Hanford radioactive LAW (Tank SX-105 and AN-103) waste is reported and compared to previous radioactive and non-radioactive LAW processing and testing.« less

Leaching Characteristics of Hanford Ferrocyanide Wastes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Edwards, Matthew K.; Fiskum, Sandra K.; Peterson, Reid A.

2009-12-21

A series of leach tests were performed on actual Hanford Site tank wastes in support of the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). The samples were targeted composite slurries of high-level tank waste materials representing major complex, radioactive, tank waste mixtures at the Hanford Site. Using a filtration/leaching apparatus, sample solids were concentrated, caustic leached, and washed under conditions representative of those planned for the Pretreatment Facility in the WTP. Caustic leaching was performed to assess the mobilization of aluminum (as gibbsite, Al[OH]3, and boehmite AlO[OH]), phosphates [PO43-], chromium [Cr3+] and, to a lesser extent, oxalates [C2O42-]). Ferrocyanidemore » waste released the solid phase 137Cs during caustic leaching; this was antithetical to the other Hanford waste types studied. Previous testing on ferrocyanide tank waste focused on the aging of the ferrocyanide salt complex and its thermal compatibilities with nitrites and nitrates. Few studies, however, examined cesium mobilization in the waste. Careful consideration should be given to the pretreatment of ferrocyanide wastes in light of this new observed behavior, given the fact that previous testing on simulants indicates a vastly different cesium mobility in this waste form. The discourse of this work will address the overall ferrocyanide leaching characteristics as well as the behavior of the 137Cs during leaching.« less

Biodiesel Production by Aspergillus niger Lipase Immobilized on Barium Ferrite Magnetic Nanoparticles

PubMed Central

El-Batal, Ahmed I.; Farrag, Ayman A.; Elsayed, Mohamed A.; El-Khawaga, Ahmed M.

2016-01-01

In this study, Aspergillus niger ADM110 fungi was gamma irradiated to produce lipase enzyme and then immobilized onto magnetic barium ferrite nanoparticles (BFN) for biodiesel production. BFN were prepared by the citrate sol-gel auto-combustion method and characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive analysis of X-ray (SEM/EDAX) analysis. The activities of free and immobilized lipase were measured at various pH and temperature values. The results indicate that BFN–Lipase (5%) can be reused in biodiesel production without any treatment with 17% loss of activity after five cycles and 66% loss in activity in the sixth cycle. The optimum reaction conditions for biodiesel production from waste cooking oil (WCO) using lipase immobilized onto BFN as a catalyst were 45 °C, 4 h and 400 rpm. Acid values of WCO and fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) were 1.90 and 0.182 (mg KOH/g oil), respectively. The measured flash point, calorific value and cetane number were 188 °C, 43.1 MJ/Kg and 59.5, respectively. The cloud point (−3 °C), pour point (−9 °C), water content (0.091%) and sulfur content (0.050%), were estimated as well. PMID:28952576

Biodiesel Production by Aspergillus niger Lipase Immobilized on Barium Ferrite Magnetic Nanoparticles.

PubMed

El-Batal, Ahmed I; Farrag, Ayman A; Elsayed, Mohamed A; El-Khawaga, Ahmed M

2016-05-12

In this study, Aspergillus niger ADM110 fungi was gamma irradiated to produce lipase enzyme and then immobilized onto magnetic barium ferrite nanoparticles (BFN) for biodiesel production. BFN were prepared by the citrate sol-gel auto-combustion method and characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive analysis of X-ray (SEM/EDAX) analysis. The activities of free and immobilized lipase were measured at various pH and temperature values. The results indicate that BFN-Lipase (5%) can be reused in biodiesel production without any treatment with 17% loss of activity after five cycles and 66% loss in activity in the sixth cycle. The optimum reaction conditions for biodiesel production from waste cooking oil (WCO) using lipase immobilized onto BFN as a catalyst were 45 °C, 4 h and 400 rpm. Acid values of WCO and fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) were 1.90 and 0.182 (mg KOH/g oil), respectively. The measured flash point, calorific value and cetane number were 188 °C, 43.1 MJ/Kg and 59.5, respectively. The cloud point (-3 °C), pour point (-9 °C), water content (0.091%) and sulfur content (0.050%), were estimated as well.

Simultaneous immobilization of lead and atrazine in contaminated soils using dairy-manure biochar.

PubMed

Cao, Xinde; Ma, Lena; Liang, Yuan; Gao, Bin; Harris, Willie

2011-06-01

Biochar produced from waste biomass is increasingly being recognized as a green, cost-effective amendment for environmental remediation. This work was to determine the ability of biochar to immobilize heavy metal Pb and organic pesticide atrazine in contaminated soils. Biochar prepared from dairy manure was incubated with contaminated soils at rates of 0, 2.5, and 5.0% by weight for 210 d. A commercial activated carbon (AC) was included as a comparison. The AC was effective in immobilizing atrazine, but was ineffective for Pb. However, biochar was effective in immobilizing both atrazine and Pb and the effectiveness was enhanced with increasing incubation time and biochar rates. After 210 d, soils treated with the highest rate of 5.0% biochar showed more than 57% and 66% reduction in Pb and atrazine concentrations in 0.01 M CaCl(2) extraction, respectively. Lead and atrazine concentrations in the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure solutions were reduced by 70-89% and 53-77%, respectively. Uptake of Pb and atrazine by earthworms (Eisenia fetida) was reduced by up to 79% and 73%. Phosphorus originally contained in biochar reacted with soil Pb to form insoluble hydroxypyromorphite Pb(5)(PO(4))(3)(OH), as determined by X-ray diffraction, which was presumably responsible for soil Pb immobilization, whereas atrazine stabilization may result from its adsorption by biochar demonstrated by the significant exponential decrease of extractable atrazine with increasing organic C in biochar (r(2) > 0.97, p < 0.05). The results highlighted the potential of dairy-manure biochar as a unique amendment for immobilization of both heavy metal and organic contaminants in cocontaminated soils.

Glass-bonded iodosodalite waste form for immobilization of 129I

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chong, Saehwa; Peterson, Jacob A.; Riley, Brian J.; Tabada, Diana; Wall, Donald; Corkhill, Claire L.; McCloy, John S.

2018-06-01

Immobilization of radioiodine is an important requirement for current and future nuclear fuel cycles. Iodosodalite [Na8(AlSiO4)6I2] was synthesized hydrothermally from metakaolin, NaI, and NaOH. Dried unwashed sodalite powders were used to synthesize glass-bonded iodosodalite waste forms (glass composite materials) by heating pressed pellets at 650, 750, or 850 °C with two types of sodium borosilicate glass binders. These heat-treated specimens were characterized with X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, thermal analysis, porosity and density measurements, neutron activation analysis, and inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry. For the best waste form produced (pellets mixed with 10 mass% of glass binder and heat-treated at 750 °C), the maximum possible elemental iodine loading was 19.8 mass%, but only ∼8-9 mass% waste loading of iodine was retained in the waste form after thermal processing. Other pellets with higher iodine retention either contained higher porosity or were incompletely sintered. ASTM C1308 and C1285 (product consistency test, PCT) experiments were performed to understand chemical durability under diffusive and static conditions. The C1308 test resulted in significantly higher normalized loss compared to the C1285 test, most likely because of the strong effect of neutral pH solution renewal and prevention of ion saturation in solution. Both experiments indicated that release rates of Na and Si were higher than for Al and I, probably due to a poorly durable Na-Si-O phase from the glass bonding matrix or from initial sodalite synthesis; however the C1308 test result indicated that congruent dissolution of iodosodalite occurred. The average release rates of iodine obtained from C1308 were 0.17 and 1.29 g m-2 d-1 for 80 or 8 m-1, respectively, and the C1285 analysis gave a value of 2 × 10-5 g m-2 d-1, which is comparable to or better than the durability of other iodine waste forms.

Low Activity Waste Pretreatment System Bench-Scale Testing: Supporting Integrated Testing and Facility Safety Analyses - 17171

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schonewill, Philip P.; Russell, Renee L.; Daniel, Richard C.

The Low Activity Waste Pretreatment System (LAWPS) is being designed to enable the direct feed of waste to the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) Low Activity Waste (LAW) facility to be immobilized. Prior to construction of the LAWPS, pilot-scale integrated testing of the key unit operations (crossflow filtration, ion exchange using spherical resorcinol-formaldehyde (sRF) resin) will be conducted by a team led by Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) to increase the technology maturation level of the facility’s critical technology elements. As a part of this effort, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has conducted a series of bench-scalemore » (or engineering-scale) tests to perform two major objectives: (1) support pilot-scale integrated testing of the LAWPS by supplying information or performance data in advance of operating the pilot-scale facility; and (2) collect data needed to establish or confirm assumptions/approaches planned for implementation in the LAWPS safety basis. The first objective was focused in two technical areas: developing simulants that are representative of expected waste feed and can be produced at larger scales, and using these simulants in a bench-scale crossflow filter to establish expected solid-liquid separation performance. The crossflow filter was also used to observe the efficacy (with respect to filter production rate) of selected operational strategies. The second objective also included two technical areas: measuring the effect of sRF resin on hydrogen generation rate under irradiation, and demonstrating that the planned hydrogen management approach is effective and robust. The hydrogen management strategy involves fluidization of the sRF resin bed in the ion exchange columns and recirculating the liquid, a scenario that is planned for testing at full column height. The full height tests at PNNL also supported full-scale IX column testing conducted as part of the technology maturation plan. The experimental approaches used at PNNL in these four technical areas are summarized and selected key preliminary results are provided.« less

Process for converting cellulosic materials into fuels and chemicals

DOEpatents

Scott, Charles D.; Faison, Brendlyn D.; Davison, Brian H.; Woodward, Jonathan

1994-01-01

A process for converting cellulosic materials, such as waste paper, into fuels and chemicals utilizing enzymatic hydrolysis of the major constituent of paper, cellulose. A waste paper slurry is contacted by cellulase in an agitated hydrolyzer. The cellulase is produced from a continuous, columnar, fluidized-bed bioreactor utilizing immobilized microorganisms. An attritor and a cellobiase reactor are coupled to the agitated hydrolyzer to improve reaction efficiency. The cellulase is recycled by an adsorption process. The resulting crude sugars are converted to dilute product in a fluidized-bed bioreactor utilizing microorganisms. The dilute product is concentrated and purified by utilizing distillation and/or a biparticle fluidized-bed bioreactor system.

Excess Weapons Plutonium Immobilization in Russia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jardine, L.; Borisov, G.B.

2000-04-15

The joint goal of the Russian work is to establish a full-scale plutonium immobilization facility at a Russian industrial site by 2005. To achieve this requires that the necessary engineering and technical basis be developed in these Russian projects and the needed Russian approvals be obtained to conduct industrial-scale immobilization of plutonium-containing materials at a Russian industrial site by the 2005 date. This meeting and future work will provide the basis for joint decisions. Supporting R&D projects are being carried out at Russian Institutes that directly support the technical needs of Russian industrial sites to immobilize plutonium-containing materials. Special R&Dmore » on plutonium materials is also being carried out to support excess weapons disposition in Russia and the US, including nonproliferation studies of plutonium recovery from immobilization forms and accelerated radiation damage studies of the US-specified plutonium ceramic for immobilizing plutonium. This intriguing and extraordinary cooperation on certain aspects of the weapons plutonium problem is now progressing well and much work with plutonium has been completed in the past two years. Because much excellent and unique scientific and engineering technical work has now been completed in Russia in many aspects of plutonium immobilization, this meeting in St. Petersburg was both timely and necessary to summarize, review, and discuss these efforts among those who performed the actual work. The results of this meeting will help the US and Russia jointly define the future direction of the Russian plutonium immobilization program, and make it an even stronger and more integrated Russian program. The two objectives for the meeting were to: (1) Bring together the Russian organizations, experts, and managers performing the work into one place for four days to review and discuss their work with each other; and (2) Publish a meeting summary and a proceedings to compile reports of all the excellent Russian plutonium immobilization contract work. This proceedings document presents the wide extent of Russian immobilization activities, provides a reference for their work, and makes it available to others.« less

Alginate Immobilization of Metabolic Enzymes (AIME) for High-Throughput Screening Assays (SOT)

EPA Science Inventory

Alginate Immobilization of Metabolic Enzymes (AIME) for High-Throughput Screening Assays DE DeGroot, RS Thomas, and SO SimmonsNational Center for Computational Toxicology, US EPA, Research Triangle Park, NC USAThe EPA’s ToxCast program utilizes a wide variety of high-throughput s...

The solid waste dilemma

USGS Publications Warehouse

Amey, E.B.; Russell, J.A.; Hurdelbrink, R.J.

1996-01-01

In 1976, the U.S. Congress enacted the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to further address the problem of increasing industrial and municipal waste. The main objectives of RCRA were to responsibly manage hazardous and solid waste and to procure materials made from recovered wastes. To fulfill these objectives, four main programs of waste management were developed. These programs were defined under Subtitle C, the Hazardous Waste Program; Subtitle D, the Solid Waste Program; Subtitle I, the Underground Storage Tank Program; and Subtitle J, the Medical Waste Program. Subtitle D illustrates the solid waste dilemma occurring in the United States. Under this program, states are encouraged to develop and implement their own waste management plans. These plans include the promotion of recycling solid wastes and the closing and upgrading of all environmentally unsound dumps. ?? 1996 International Association for Mathematical Geology.

Using polymerization, glass structure, and quasicrystalline theory to produce high level radioactive borosilicate glass remotely: a 20+ year legacy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jantzen, Carol M.

Vitrification is currently the most widely used technology for the treatment of high level radioactive wastes (HLW) throughout the world. Most of the nations that have generated HLW are immobilizing in borosilicate glass. One of the primary reasons that glass has become the most widely used immobilization media is the relative simplicity of the vitrification process, e.g. melt a highly variable waste with some glass forming additives such as SiO 2 and B 2O 3 in the form of a premelted frit and pour the molten mixture into a stainless steel canister. Seal the canister before moisture can enter themore » canister (10’ tall by 2’ in diameter) so the canister does not corrode from the inside out. Glass has also become widely used for HLW is that due to the fact that the short range order (SRO) and medium range order (MRO) found in the structure of glass atomistically bonds the radionuclides and hazardous species in the waste. The SRO and MRO have also been found to govern the melt properties such as viscosity and resistivity of the melt and the crystallization potential and solubility of certain species. Furthermore, the molecular structure of the glass also controls the glass durability, i.e. the contaminant/radionuclide release, by establishing the distribution of ion exchange sites, hydrolysis sites, and the access of water to those sites. The molecular structure is flexible and hence accounts for the flexibility of glass formulations to HLW waste variability. Nuclear waste glasses melt between 1050-1150°C which minimizes the volatility of radioactive components such as 99Tc, 137Cs, and 129I. Nuclear waste glasses have good long term stability including irradiation resistance. Process control models were developed based on the molecular structure of glass, polymerization theory of glass, and quasicrystalline theory of glass crystallization. These models create a glass which is durable, pourable, and processable with 95% accuracy without knowing from batch to batch what the composition of the waste coming out of the storage tanks will be. These models have operated the Savannah River Site Defense Waste Processing Facility (SRS DWPF), which is the world’s largest HLW Joule heated ceramic melter, since 1996. This unique “feed forward” process control, which qualifies the durability, pourability, and processability of the waste plus glass additive mixture before it enters the melter, has enabled ~8000 tons of HLW glass and 4242 canisters to be produced since 1996 with only one melter replacement.« less

Using polymerization, glass structure, and quasicrystalline theory to produce high level radioactive borosilicate glass remotely: a 20+ year legacy

DOE PAGES

Jantzen, Carol M.

2017-03-27

Vitrification is currently the most widely used technology for the treatment of high level radioactive wastes (HLW) throughout the world. Most of the nations that have generated HLW are immobilizing in borosilicate glass. One of the primary reasons that glass has become the most widely used immobilization media is the relative simplicity of the vitrification process, e.g. melt a highly variable waste with some glass forming additives such as SiO 2 and B 2O 3 in the form of a premelted frit and pour the molten mixture into a stainless steel canister. Seal the canister before moisture can enter themore » canister (10’ tall by 2’ in diameter) so the canister does not corrode from the inside out. Glass has also become widely used for HLW is that due to the fact that the short range order (SRO) and medium range order (MRO) found in the structure of glass atomistically bonds the radionuclides and hazardous species in the waste. The SRO and MRO have also been found to govern the melt properties such as viscosity and resistivity of the melt and the crystallization potential and solubility of certain species. Furthermore, the molecular structure of the glass also controls the glass durability, i.e. the contaminant/radionuclide release, by establishing the distribution of ion exchange sites, hydrolysis sites, and the access of water to those sites. The molecular structure is flexible and hence accounts for the flexibility of glass formulations to HLW waste variability. Nuclear waste glasses melt between 1050-1150°C which minimizes the volatility of radioactive components such as 99Tc, 137Cs, and 129I. Nuclear waste glasses have good long term stability including irradiation resistance. Process control models were developed based on the molecular structure of glass, polymerization theory of glass, and quasicrystalline theory of glass crystallization. These models create a glass which is durable, pourable, and processable with 95% accuracy without knowing from batch to batch what the composition of the waste coming out of the storage tanks will be. These models have operated the Savannah River Site Defense Waste Processing Facility (SRS DWPF), which is the world’s largest HLW Joule heated ceramic melter, since 1996. This unique “feed forward” process control, which qualifies the durability, pourability, and processability of the waste plus glass additive mixture before it enters the melter, has enabled ~8000 tons of HLW glass and 4242 canisters to be produced since 1996 with only one melter replacement.« less

Glass binder development for a glass-bonded sodalite ceramic waste form

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Riley, Brian J.; Vienna, John D.; Frank, Steven M.

This paper discusses work to develop Na2O-B2O3-SiO2 glass binders for immobilizing LiCl-KCl eutectic salt waste in a glass-bonded sodalite waste form following electrochemical reprocessing of used metallic nuclear fuel. Here, five new glasses with high Na2O contents were designed to generate waste forms having higher sodalite contents and fewer stress fractures. The structural, mechanical, and thermal properties of the new glasses were measured using variety of analytical techniques. The glasses were then used to produce ceramic waste forms with surrogate salt waste. The materials made using the glasses developed during this study were formulated to generate more sodalite than materialsmore » made with previous baseline glasses used. The coefficients of thermal expansion for the glass phase in the glass-bonded sodalite waste forms made with the new binder glasses were closer to the sodalite phase in the critical temperature region near and below the glass transition temperature. These improvements should result in lower probability of cracking in the full-scale monolithic ceramic waste form, leading to better long-term chemical durability. Additionally, a model generated during this study for predicting softening temperature of silicate binder glasses is presented.« less

77 FR 59879 - Idaho: Incorporation by Reference of Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-01

...: Incorporation by Reference of Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Program AGENCY: Environmental Protection... ``Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Programs,'' Idaho's authorized hazardous waste program. The EPA... Federal Register, the EPA is codifying and incorporating by reference the State's hazardous waste program...

Waste certification program plan for Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Revision 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Orrin, R.C.

1997-05-01

This document defines the waste certification program developed for implementation at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The document describes the program structure, logic, and methodology for certification of ORNL wastes. The purpose of the waste certification program is to provide assurance that wastes are properly characterized and that the Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) for receiving facilities are met. The program meets the waste certification requirements outlined in US Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5820.2A, Radioactive Waste Management, and ensures that 40 CFR documentation requirements for waste characterization are met for mixed (both radioactive and hazardous) and hazardous (including polychlorinated biphenyls)more » waste. Program activities will be conducted according to ORNL Level 1 document requirements.« less

Degradation of diesel oil by immobilized Candida tropicalis and biofilm formed on gravels.

PubMed

Chandran, Preethy; Das, Nilanjana

2011-11-01

The performance of diesel oil degradation by Candida tropicalis immobilized on various conventional matrices (sodium alginate, carboxyl methyl cellulose, chitosan) and biowaste materials (wheat bran, sawdust, peanut hull powder) was investigated using the method of entrapment and physical adsorption. The yeast species immobilized in wheat bran showed enhanced efficiency in degrading diesel oil (98%) compared to free cells culture (80%) over a period of 7 days. Copious amount of exopolysaccharides were also produced in the presence of diesel oil. The biofilm forming ability of C. tropicalis on PVC strips was evaluated using XTT (2,3-bis[2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl]-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide) reduction assay and monitored by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Yeast biofilm formed on gravels showed 97% degradation of diesel oil over a period of 10 days. The potential use of the biofilms for preparing trickling filters (gravel particles), for attenuating hydrocarbons in oily liquid wastes before their disposal in the open environment is suggested and discussed. This is the first successful attempt for 'artificially' establishing hydrocarbon degrading yeast biofilm on solid substrates.

Gold nanoworms immobilized graphene oxide polymer brush nanohybrid for catalytic degradation studies of organic dyes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mogha, Navin Kumar; Gosain, Saransh; Masram, Dhanraj T.

2017-02-01

In the present work, we report gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on poly (dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) brushes immobilized reduced graphene oxide (Au/PDMAEMA/RGO) as catalyst for degradation kinetic studies of Rhodamine B (RB), Methyl Orange (MO) and Eosine Y (EY) dyes, having an excellent catalytic activity, as evident by the apparent rate constant (kapp), which is found to be 21.8, 26.2, and 8.7 (×10-3 s-1), for RB, MO and EY respectively. Au/PDMAEMA/RGO catalyst is easy to use, highly efficient, recyclable, which make it suitable for applications in waste water management. Foremost, synthesis of PDMAEMA brushes on graphene oxide is accomplished by Atom transfer radical polymerization method (ATRP), whereas AuNPs are synthesized by simple chemical reduction method.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reed, S.A.; Senf, S.M.; Cornwell, E.W.

Research highlights: {yields} Independent inhibition of Foxo, IKK{alpha} and IKK{beta} activities does not alter muscle fiber size in weight bearing muscles. {yields} Inhibition of Foxo activity plus IKK{alpha} or IKK{beta} activities increases muscle fiber size. {yields} Independent inhibition of Foxo and IKK{beta} activities attenuates cast immobilization-induced muscle fiber atrophy. {yields} Disuse muscle fiber atrophy is abolished by inhibition of Foxo activity plus IKK{alpha} or IKK{beta} activities. -- Abstract: Two transcription factor families that are activated during multiple conditions of skeletal muscle wasting are nuclear factor {kappa}B (NF-{kappa}B) and forkhead box O (Foxo). There is clear evidence that both NF-{kappa}B andmore » Foxo activation are sufficient to cause muscle fiber atrophy and they are individually required for at least half of the fiber atrophy during muscle disuse, but there is no work determining the combined effect of inhibiting these factors during a physiological condition of muscle atrophy. Here, we determined whether inhibition of Foxo activation plus inhibition of NF-{kappa}B activation, the latter by blocking the upstream inhibitor of kappaB kinases (IKK{alpha} and IKK{beta}), would prevent muscle atrophy induced by 7 days of cast immobilization. Results were based on measurements of mean fiber cross-sectional area (CSA) from 72 muscles transfected with 5 different mutant expression plasmids or plasmid combinations. Immobilization caused a 47% decrease in fiber CSA in muscles injected with control plasmids. Fibers from immobilized muscles transfected with dominant negative (d.n.) IKK{alpha}-EGFP, d.n. IKK{beta}-EGFP or d.n. Foxo-DsRed showed a 22%, 57%, and 76% inhibition of atrophy, respectively. Co-expression of d.n. IKK{alpha}-EGFP and d.n. Foxo-DsRed significantly inhibited 89% of the immobilization-induced fiber atrophy. Similarly, co-expression of d.n. IKK{beta}-EGFP and d.n. Foxo-DsRed inhibited the immobilization-induced fiber atrophy by 95%. These findings demonstrate that the combined effects of inhibiting immobilization-induced NF-{kappa}B and Foxo transcriptional activity has an additive effect on preventing immobilization-induced atrophy, indicating that NF-{kappa}B and Foxo have a cumulative effect on atrophy signaling and/or atrophy gene expression.« less

2020 Vision for Tank Waste Cleanup (One System Integration) - 12506

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harp, Benton; Charboneau, Stacy; Olds, Erik

2012-07-01

The mission of the Department of Energy's Office of River Protection (ORP) is to safely retrieve and treat the 56 million gallons of Hanford's tank waste and close the Tank Farms to protect the Columbia River. The millions of gallons of waste are a by-product of decades of plutonium production. After irradiated fuel rods were taken from the nuclear reactors to the processing facilities at Hanford they were exposed to a series of chemicals designed to dissolve away the rod, which enabled workers to retrieve the plutonium. Once those chemicals were exposed to the fuel rods they became radioactive andmore » extremely hot. They also couldn't be used in this process more than once. Because the chemicals are caustic and extremely hazardous to humans and the environment, underground storage tanks were built to hold these chemicals until a more permanent solution could be found. The Cleanup of Hanford's 56 million gallons of radioactive and chemical waste stored in 177 large underground tanks represents the Department's largest and most complex environmental remediation project. Sixty percent by volume of the nation's high-level radioactive waste is stored in the underground tanks grouped into 18 'tank farms' on Hanford's central plateau. Hanford's mission to safely remove, treat and dispose of this waste includes the construction of a first-of-its-kind Waste Treatment Plant (WTP), ongoing retrieval of waste from single-shell tanks, and building or upgrading the waste feed delivery infrastructure that will deliver the waste to and support operations of the WTP beginning in 2019. Our discussion of the 2020 Vision for Hanford tank waste cleanup will address the significant progress made to date and ongoing activities to manage the operations of the tank farms and WTP as a single system capable of retrieving, delivering, treating and disposing Hanford's tank waste. The initiation of hot operations and subsequent full operations of the WTP are not only dependent upon the successful design and construction of the WTP, but also on appropriately preparing the tank farms and waste feed delivery infrastructure to reliably and consistently deliver waste feed to the WTP for many decades. The key components of the 2020 vision are: all WTP facilities are commissioned, turned-over and operational, achieving the earliest possible hot operations of completed WTP facilities, and supplying low-activity waste (LAW) feed directly to the LAW Facility using in-tank/near tank supplemental treatment technologies. A One System Integrated Project Team (IPT) was recently formed to focus on developing and executing the programs that will be critical to successful waste feed delivery and WTP startup. The team is comprised of members from Bechtel National, Inc. (BNI), Washington River Protection Solutions LLC (WRPS), and DOE-ORP and DOE-WTP. The IPT will combine WTP and WRPS capabilities in a mission-focused model that is clearly defined, empowered and cost efficient. The genesis for this new team and much of the 2020 vision is based on the work of an earlier team that was tasked with identifying the optimum approach to startup, commissioning, and turnover of WTP facilities for operations. This team worked backwards from 2020 - a date when the project will be completed and steady-state operations will be underway - and identified success criteria to achieving safe and efficient operations of the WTP. The team was not constrained by any existing contract work scope, labor, or funding parameters. Several essential strategies were identified to effectively realize the one-system model of integrated feed stream delivery, WTP operations, and product delivery, and to accomplish the team's vision of hot operations beginning in 2016: - Use a phased startup and turnover approach that will allow WTP facilities to be transitioned to an operational state on as short a timeline as credible. - Align Tank Farm (TF) and WTP objectives such that feed can be supplied to the WTP when it is required for hot operations. - Ensure immobilized waste and waste recycle streams can be received by the TF when required to support 2016 production of immobilized low-activity waste (ILAW). - Ensure the required baseline and additional funding is provided beginning in fiscal year 2011. - Modify TF and WTP contracts to adequately address this vision. The 2020 Vision provides a summary of strategies and key actions that optimize the approach to startup, commissioning, and turnover of WTP facilities. This vision focuses on the legally enforceable requirement to achieve the Consent Decree milestones of starting radioactive operations in 2019, and achieving initial WTP operations in 2022. (authors)« less

Biosorbents for Removing Hazardous Metals and Metalloids †

PubMed Central

Inoue, Katsutoshi; Parajuli, Durga; Ghimire, Kedar Nath; Biswas, Biplob Kumar; Kawakita, Hidetaka; Oshima, Tatsuya; Ohto, Keisuke

2017-01-01

Biosorbents for remediating aquatic environmental media polluted with hazardous heavy metals and metalloids such as Pb(II), Cr(VI), Sb(III and V), and As(III and V) were prepared from lignin waste, orange and apple juice residues, seaweed and persimmon and grape wastes using simple and cheap methods. A lignophenol gel such as lignocatechol gel was prepared by immobilizing the catechol functional groups onto lignin from sawdust, while lignosulfonate gel was prepared directly from waste liquor generated during pulp production. These gels effectively removed Pb(II). Orange and apple juice residues, which are rich in pectic acid, were easily converted using alkali (e.g., calcium hydroxide) into biosorbents that effectively removed Pb(II). These materials also effectively removed Sb(III and V) and As(III and V) when these were preloaded with multi-valent metal ions such as Zr(IV) and Fe(III). Similar biosorbents were prepared from seaweed waste, which is rich in alginic acid. Other biosorbents, which effectively removed Cr(VI), were prepared by simply treating persimmon and grape wastes with concentrated sulfuric acid. PMID:28773217

DATA QUALITY OBJECTIVES FOR SELECTING WASTE SAMPLES FOR BENCH-SCALE REFORMER TREATABILITY STUDIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

BANNING DL

2011-02-11

This document describes the data quality objectives to select archived samples located at the 222-S Laboratory for Bench-Scale Reforming testing. The type, quantity, and quality of the data required to select the samples for Fluid Bed Steam Reformer testing are discussed. In order to maximize the efficiency and minimize the time to treat Hanford tank waste in the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, additional treatment processes may be required. One of the potential treatment processes is the fluidized bed steam reformer. A determination of the adequacy of the fluidized bed steam reformer process to treat Hanford tank waste is required.more » The initial step in determining the adequacy of the fluidized bed steam reformer process is to select archived waste samples from the 222-S Laboratory that will be used in a bench scale tests. Analyses of the selected samples will be required to confirm the samples meet the shipping requirements and for comparison to the bench scale reformer (BSR) test sample selection requirements.« less

Structure and Thermochemistry of Perrhenate Sodalite and Mixed Guest Perrhenate/Pertechnetate Sodalite

DOE PAGES

Pierce, Eric M.; Lilova, Kristina; Missimer, David M.; ...

2016-12-05

Here we report that treatment and immobilization of technetium-99 ( 99Tc) contained in reprocessed nuclear waste and present in contaminated subsurface systems represents a major environmental challenge. One potential approach to managing this highly mobile and long-lived radionuclide is immobilization into micro- and meso-porous crystalline solids, specifically sodalite. We synthesized and characterized the structure of perrhenate sodalite, Na 8[AlSiO 4]6(ReO 4) 2, and the structure of a mixed guest perrhenate/pertechnetate sodalite, Na 8[AlSiO 4] 6(ReO 4) 2-x(TcO 4) x. Perrhenate was used as a chemical analogue for pertechnetate. Bulk analyses of each solid confirm a cubic sodalite-type structure (Pmore » $$\\overline{43}$$n, No. 218 space group) with rhenium and technetium in the 7+ oxidation state. High-resolution nanometer scale characterization measurements provide first-of-a-kind evidence that the ReO 4 – anions are distributed in a periodic array in the sample, nanoscale clustering is not observed, and the ReO 4 – anion occupies the center of the sodalite β-cage in Na8[AlSiO4]6(ReO4)2. We also demonstrate, for the first time, that the TcO4– anion can be incorporated into the sodalite structure. Lastly, thermochemistry measurements for the perrhenate sodalite were used to estimate the thermochemistry of pertechnetate sodalite based on a relationship between ionic potential and the enthalpy and Gibbs free energy of formation for previously measured oxyanion-bearing feldspathoid phases. The results collected in this study suggest that micro- and mesoporous crystalline solids maybe viable candidates for the treatment and immobilization of 99Tc present in reprocessed nuclear waste streams and contaminated subsurface environments.« less

Accelerated Biodegradation of Cement by Sulfur-Oxidizing Bacteria as a Bioassay for Evaluating Immobilization of Low-Level Radioactive Waste

PubMed Central

Aviam, Orli; Bar-Nes, Gabi; Zeiri, Yehuda; Sivan, Alex

2004-01-01

Disposal of low-level radioactive waste by immobilization in cement is being evaluated worldwide. The stability of cement in the environment may be impaired by sulfur-oxidizing bacteria that corrode the cement by producing sulfuric acid. Since this process is so slow that it is not possible to perform studies of the degradation kinetics and to test cement mixtures with increased durability, procedures that accelerate the biodegradation are required. Semicontinuous cultures of Halothiobacillus neapolitanus and Thiomonas intermedia containing thiosulfate as the sole energy source were employed to accelerate the biodegradation of cement samples. This resulted in a weight loss of up to 16% after 39 days, compared with a weight loss of 0.8% in noninoculated controls. Scanning electron microscopy of the degraded cement samples revealed deep cracks, which could be associated with the formation of low-density corrosion products in the interior of the cement. Accelerated biodegradation was also evident from the leaching rates of Ca2+ and Si2+, the major constituents of the cement matrix, and Ca exhibited the highest rate (up to 20 times greater than the control rate) due to the reaction between free lime and the biogenic sulfuric acid. Leaching of Sr2+ and Cs+, which were added to the cement to simulate immobilization of the corresponding radioisotopes, was also monitored. In contrast to the linear leaching kinetics of calcium, silicon, and strontium, the leaching pattern of cesium produced a saturation curve similar to the control curve. Presumably, the leaching of cesium is governed by the diffusion process, whereas the leaching kinetics of the other three ions seems to governed by dissolution of the cement. PMID:15466547

Comparative analysis for the production of fatty acid alkyl esterase using whole cell biocatalyst and purified enzyme from Rhizopus oryzae on waste cooking oil (sunflower oil).

PubMed

Balasubramaniam, Bharathiraja; Sudalaiyadum Perumal, Ayyappasamy; Jayaraman, Jayamuthunagai; Mani, Jayakumar; Ramanujam, Praveenkumar

2012-08-01

The petroleum fuel is nearing the line of extinction. Recent research and technology have provided promising outcomes to rely on biodiesel as the alternative and conventional source of fuel. The use of renewable source - vegetable oil constitutes the main stream of research. In this preliminary study, Waste Cooking Oil (WCO) was used as the substrate for biodiesel production. Lipase enzyme producing fungi Rhizopus oryzae 262 and commercially available pure lipase enzyme were used for comparative study in the production of Fatty Acid Alkyl Esters (FAAE). The whole cell (RO 262) and pure lipase enzyme (PE) were immobilized using calcium alginate beads. Calcium alginate was prepared by optimizing with different molar ratios of calcium chloride and different per cent sodium alginate. Entrapment immobilization was done for whole cell biocatalyst (WCB). PE was also immobilized by entrapment for the transesterification reaction. Seven different solvents - methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, n-butanol, iso-propanol, iso-butanol and iso-amyl alcohol were used as the acyl acceptors. The reaction parameters like temperature (30°C), molar ratio (1:3 - oil:solvent), reaction time (24 h), and amount of enzyme (10% mass ratio to oil) were also optimized for methanol alone. The same parameters were adopted for the other acyl acceptors too. Among the different acyl acceptors - methanol, whose reaction parameters were optimized showed maximum conversion of triglycerides to FAAE-94% with PE and 84% with WCB. On the whole, PE showed better catalytic converting ability with all the acyl acceptor compared to WCB. Gas chromatography analysis (GC) was done to determine the fatty acid composition of WCO (sunflower oil) and FAAE production with different acyl acceptors. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anaerobic treatment of palm oil mill effluent in batch reactor with digested biodiesel waste as starter and natural zeolite for microbial immobilization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setyowati, Paulina Adina Hari; Halim, Lenny; Mellyanawaty, Melly; Sudibyo, Hanifrahmawan; Budhijanto, Wiratni

2017-05-01

Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is the wastewater discharged from sludge separation, sterilization, and clarification process of palm oil industries. Each ton of palm oil produces about half ton of high organic load wastewater. Up to now, POME treatment is done in lagoon, leaving major problems in land requirement and greenhouse gasses release. The increasing of palm oil production provokes the urgency of appropriate technology application in treating POME to prevent the greenhouse gasses emission while exploit POME as renewable energy source. The purposes of this study were firstly to test the effectiveness of using the digested biodiesel waste as the inoculum and secondly to evaluate the effectiveness of natural zeolite addition in minimizing the inhibitory effect in digesting POME. It was expected that the oil-degrading bacteria in the inoculum would shorten the adaptation period in digesting POME. Furthermore, the consortium formation of anaerobic bacteria accelerated by natural zeolite powder addition would increase the microbial resistance to the inhibitors contained in the POME. The batch digesters, containing 0 (control); 17; 38; and 63 g natural zeolite/g sCOD substrate were observed for 43 days. The result showed that zeolite addition did not give significant effect on sCOD reduction (97.3-98.6% of initial sCOD). Moreover, addition of immobilization media up to 17 g natural zeolite/g stimulated the acidification and biogas production up to 10% higher than control. The purity of methane produced with various amount of immobilization media did not differ for each variation, i.e. 50-54% v/v methane. The increasing amount of natural zeolite up to 63 g/g sCOD did not significantly enhance biogas product rate nor methane content.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Heitkamp, M.A.; Adams, W.J.; Camel, V.

Immobilized bacteria technology (IBT) utilizes inert biocarriers to support high concentrations of chemical-degrading bacteria in reactors designed to provide optimal conditions for microbial activity. This study evaluated IBT performance inpacked bed reactors (PBRs) using a porous inorganic biocarrier (diatomaceous earth), nonporous biocarriers (glass beads), and organic biocarriers having carbon adsorption properties (granular activated carbon) with different porosity. Each reactor was challenged with high chemical loading, acid, dryness, and heat shock conditions. Benchtop PBSs inoculated with a p-nitrophenol (PNP)-degrading Pseudomonas sp. and fed a synthetic waste containing 100 to 1,300 mg/L of PNP showed removal of PNP from effluents within 24more » h of start-up. Chemical loading studies showed maximum PNP removal rates of 6.45 to 7.35 kg/m[sup 3]/d for bacteria in PBRs containing diatomaceous earth beads, glass beads, and activated coconut carbon. A lower PNP removal rate of 1.47 kg/m[sup 3]/d was determined for the activated anthracite carbon, and this PBR responded more slowly to increases in chemical loading. The PBR containing bacteria immobilized on activated coconut carbon showed exceptional tolerance to acid shocking, drying, and heat shocking by maintaining PNP removal rates > 85% throughout the entire study. The other biocarriers showed nearly complete loss of PNP degradation during the perturbations, but all recovered high rates of PNP degradation (> 98% removal) within 48 h after an acid shock at pH2, within 8 d after an acid shock at pH 1.0, within 24 h after drying for 72 h, and within 48 h of heat shocking. The resiliency and high chemical removal efficiency demonstrated by immobilized bacteria in this study support the concept of using IBT for the biotreatment of industrial wastes..« less

Dilute condition corrosion behavior of glass-ceramic waste form

DOE PAGES

Crum, Jarrod V.; Neeway, James J.; Riley, Brian J.; ...

2016-08-11

Borosilicate glass-ceramics are being developed to immobilize high-level waste generated by aqueous reprocessing into a stable waste form. The corrosion behavior of this multiphase waste form is expected to be complicated by multiple phases and crystal-glass interfaces. A modified single-pass flow-through test was performed on polished monolithic coupons at a neutral pH (25 °C) and 90 °C for 33 d. The measured glass corrosion rates by micro analysis in the samples ranged from 0.019 to 0.29 g m -2 d -1 at a flow rate per surface area = 1.73 × 10 -6 m s -1. The crystal phases (oxyapatitemore » and Ca-rich powellite) corroded below quantifiable rates, by micro analysis. While, Ba-rich powellite corroded considerably in O10 sample. The corrosion rates of C1 and its replicate C20 were elevated an order of magnitude by mechanical stresses at crystal-glass interface caused by thermal expansion mismatch during cooling and unique morphology (oxyapatite clustering).« less

Predictive modeling of crystal accumulation in high-level waste glass melters processing radioactive waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matyáš, Josef; Gervasio, Vivianaluxa; Sannoh, Sulaiman E.; Kruger, Albert A.

2017-11-01

The effectiveness of high-level waste vitrification at Hanford's Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant may be limited by precipitation/accumulation of spinel crystals [(Fe, Ni, Mn, Zn)(Fe, Cr)2O4] in the glass discharge riser of Joule-heated ceramic melters during idling. These crystals do not affect glass durability; however, if accumulated in thick layers, they can clog the melter and prevent discharge of molten glass into canisters. To address this problem, an empirical model was developed that can predict thicknesses of accumulated layers as a function of glass composition. This model predicts well the accumulation of single crystals and/or small-scale agglomerates, but excessive agglomeration observed in high-Ni-Fe glass resulted in an underprediction of accumulated layers, which gradually worsened over time as an increased number of agglomerates formed. The accumulation rate of ∼53.8 ± 3.7 μm/h determined for this glass will result in a ∼26 mm-thick layer after 20 days of melter idling.

Dilute condition corrosion behavior of glass-ceramic waste form

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Crum, Jarrod V.; Neeway, James J.; Riley, Brian J.

Borosilicate glass-ceramics are being developed to immobilize high-level waste generated by aqueous reprocessing into a stable waste form. The corrosion behavior of this multiphase waste form is expected to be complicated by multiple phases and crystal-glass interfaces. A modified single-pass flow-through test was performed on polished monolithic coupons at a neutral pH (25 °C) and 90 °C for 33 d. The measured glass corrosion rates by micro analysis in the samples ranged from 0.019 to 0.29 g m -2 d -1 at a flow rate per surface area = 1.73 × 10 -6 m s -1. The crystal phases (oxyapatitemore » and Ca-rich powellite) corroded below quantifiable rates, by micro analysis. While, Ba-rich powellite corroded considerably in O10 sample. The corrosion rates of C1 and its replicate C20 were elevated an order of magnitude by mechanical stresses at crystal-glass interface caused by thermal expansion mismatch during cooling and unique morphology (oxyapatite clustering).« less

Incorporating technetium in minerals and other solids: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luksic, Steven A.; Riley, Brian J.; Schweiger, Michael; Hrma, Pavel

2015-11-01

Technetium (Tc) can be incorporated into a number of different solids including spinel, sodalite, rutile, tin dioxide, pyrochlore, perovskite, goethite, layered double hydroxides, cements, and alloys. Synthetic routes are possible for each of these phases, ranging from high-temperature ceramic sintering to ball-milling of constituent oxides. However, in practice, Tc has only been incorporated into solid materials by a limited number of the possible syntheses. A review of the diverse ways in which Tc-immobilizing materials can be made shows the wide range of options available. Special consideration is given to hypothetical application to the Hanford Tank Waste and Vitrification Plant, such as adding a Tc-bearing mineral to waste glass melter feed. A full survey of solid Tc waste forms, the common synthesis routes to those waste forms, and their potential for application to vitrification processes are presented. The use of tin dioxide or ferrite spinel precursors to reduce Tc(VII) out of solution and into a durable form are shown to be of especially high potential.

Sorption Capacity Measurement of Chlorella Vulgaris and Scenedesmus Acutus to Remove Chromium from Tannery Waste Water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ardila, Liliana; Godoy, Rubén; Montenegro, Luis

2017-08-01

Tanning process is a polluting activity due to the release of toxic agents into the environment. One of the most important of those toxic chemicals is chromium. Different alternatives have been proposed for the removal of this metal from tanning waste water which include the optimization of the productive processes, physicochemical and biochemical waste water treatment. In this study, the biological adsorption process of trivalent chromium was carried out in synthetic water and tannery waste water through two types of native green microalgae, called Chlorella vulgaris and Scenedesmus acutus in Free State and immobilized in PVA state. This, considering that cellular wall of microalgae has functional groups like amines and carboxyl that might bind with trivalent chromium. Statistical significance of variables as pH temperature, chromium and algae concentrations was evaluated just like bio sorption capacity of different types of water and kind of bioadsorbent was calculated to determine if this process is a competitive solution comparing to other heavy metal removal processes.

Corrosion Behavior and Microstructure Influence of Glass-Ceramic Nuclear Waste Forms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Matthew Asmussen, R.; Neeway, James J.; Kaspar, Tiffany C.

Glass ceramic waste forms present a potentially viable technology for the long term immobilization and disposal of liquid nuclear wastes. Through control of chemistry during fabrication, such waste forms can have designed secondary crystalline phases within a borosilicate glass matrix. In this work, a glass ceramic containing powellite and oxyapatite secondary phases was tested for its corrosion properties in dilute conditions using single pass flow through testing (SPFT). Three glass ceramic samples were prepared using different cooling rates to produce samples with varying microstructure sizes. In testing at 90 °C in buffered pH 7 and pH 9 solutions, it wasmore » found that increasing pH and decreasing microstructure size (resulting from rapid cooling during fabrication) both led to a reduction in overall corrosion rate. The phases of the glass ceramic were found, using a combination of solutions analysis, SEM and AFM, to corrode preferably in the order of powellite > bulk glass matrix > oxyapatite.« less

Speciation and Oxidative Stability of Alkaline Soluble, Non-Pertechnetate Technetium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Levitskaia, Tatiana G.; Rapko, Brian M.; Anderson, Amity

2014-09-30

The long half-life, complex chemical behavior in tank waste, limited incorporation in mid- to high-temperature immobilization processes, and high mobility in subsurface environments make technetium (Tc) one of the most difficult contaminants to dispose of and/or remediate. Technetium exists predominantly in the liquid tank waste phase as the relatively mobile form of pertechnetate, TcO 4 -. However, based on experimentation to date a significant fraction of the soluble Tc cannot be effectively separated from the wastes and may be present as a non- pertechnetate species. The presence of a non-pertechnetate species significantly complicates disposition of low-activity waste (LAW), and themore » development of methods to either convert them to pertechnetate or to separate directly is needed. The challenge is the uncertainty regarding the chemical form of the alkaline-soluble low-valent non-pertechnetate species in the liquid tank waste. This report summarizes work done in fiscal year (FY) 2014 exploring the chemistry of a low-valence technetium(I) species, [(CO) 3Tc(H 2O) 3] +, a compound of interest due to its implication in the speciation of alkaline-soluble technetium in several Hanford tank waste supernatants.« less

Evaluation of Flygt Propeller Xixers for Double Shell Tank (DST) High Level Waste Auxiliary Solids Mobilization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

PACQUET, E.A.

The River Protection Project (RPP) is planning to retrieve radioactive waste from the single-shell tanks (SST) and double-shell tanks (DST) underground at the Hanford Site. This waste will then be transferred to a waste treatment plant to be immobilized (vitrified) in a stable glass form. Over the years, the waste solids in many of the tanks have settled to form a layer of sludge at the bottom. The thickness of the sludge layer varies from tank to tank, from no sludge or a few inches of sludge to about 15 ft of sludge. The purpose of this technology and engineeringmore » case study is to evaluate the Flygt{trademark} submersible propeller mixer as a potential technology for auxiliary mobilization of DST HLW solids. Considering the usage and development to date by other sites in the development of this technology, this study also has the objective of expanding the knowledge base of the Flygt{trademark} mixer concept with the broader perspective of Hanford Site tank waste retrieval. More specifically, the objectives of this study delineated from the work plan are described.« less

FERRATE TREATMENT FOR REMOVING CHROMIUM FROM HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE TANK WASTE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sylvester, Paul; Rutherford, Andy; Gonzalez-Martin, Anuncia

2000-12-01

A method has been developed for removing chromium from alkaline high-level radioactive tank waste. Removing chromium from these wastes is critical in reducing the volume of waste requiring expensive immobilization and deep geologic disposition. The method developed is based on the oxidation of insoluble chromium(III) compounds to soluble chromate using ferrate. The tests conducted with a simulated Hanford tank sludge indicate that the chromium removal with ferrate is more efficient at 5 M NaOH than at 3 M NaOH. Chromium removal increases with increasing Fe(VI)/Cr(III) molar ratio, but the chromium removal tends to level out for Fe(VI)/Cr(III) greater than 10.more » Increasing temperature leads to better chromium removal, but higher temperatures also led to more rapid ferrate decomposition. Tests with radioactive Hanford tank waste generally confirmed the simulant results. In all cases examined, ferrate enhanced the chromium removal, with a typical removal of around 60-70% of the total chromium present in the washed sludge solids. The ferrate leachate solutions did not contain significant concentrations of transuranic elements, so these solutions could be handled as low-activity waste.« less

In situ arsenic oxidation and sorption by a Fe-Mn binary oxide waste in soil.

PubMed

McCann, Clare M; Peacock, Caroline L; Hudson-Edwards, Karen A; Shrimpton, Thomas; Gray, Neil D; Johnson, Karen L

2018-01-15

The ability of a Fe-Mn binary oxide waste to adsorb arsenic (As) in a historically contaminated soil was investigated. Initial laboratory sorption experiments indicated that arsenite [As(III)] was oxidized to arsenate [As(V)] by the Mn oxide component, with concurrent As(V) sorption to the Fe oxide. The binary oxide waste had As(III) and As(V) adsorption capacities of 70mgg -1 and 32mgg -1 respectively. X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Structure and Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure at the As K-edge confirmed that all binary oxide waste surface complexes were As(V) sorbed by mononuclear bidentate corner-sharing, with 2 Fe at ∼3.27Ǻ. The ability of the waste to perform this coupled oxidation-sorption reaction in real soils was investigated with a 10% by weight addition of the waste to an industrially As contaminated soil. Electron probe microanalysis showed As accumulation onto the Fe oxide component of the binary oxide waste, which had no As innately. The bioaccessibility of As was also significantly reduced by 7.80% (p<0.01) with binary oxide waste addition. The results indicate that Fe-Mn binary oxide wastes could provide a potential in situ remediation strategy for As and Pb immobilization in contaminated soils. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The production of chemicals from food processing wastes using a novel fermenter separator. Annual progress report, January 1993--March 1994

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dale, M.C.; Venkatesh, K.V.; Choi, H.

The basic objective of this project is to convert waste streams from the food processing industry to usable fuels and chemicals using novel bioreactors. These bioreactors should allow economical utilization of waste (whey, waste sugars, waste starch, bottling wastes, candy wastes, molasses, and cellulosic wastes) by the production of ethanol, acetone/butanol, organic acids (acetic, lactic, and gluconic), yeast diacetyl flavor, and antifungal compounds. Continuous processes incorporating various processing improvements such as simultaneous product separation and immobilized cells are being developed to allow commercial scale utilization of waste stream. The production of ethanol by a continuous reactor-separator is the process closestmore » to commercialization with a 7,500 liter pilot plant presently sited at an Iowa site to convert whey lactose to ethanol. Accomplishments during 1993 include installation and start-up of a 7,500 liter ICRS for ethanol production at an industry site in Iowa; Donation and installation of a 200 liter yeast pilot Plant to the project from Kenyon Enterprises; Modeling and testing of a low energy system for recovery of ethanol from vapor is using a solvent absorption/extractive distillation system; Simultaneous saccharification/fermentation of raw corn grits and starch in a stirred reactor/separator; Testing of the ability of `koji` process to ferment raw corn grits in a `no-cook` process.« less

Stabilization and disposal of Argonne-West low-level mixed wastes in ceramicrete waste forms.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barber, D. B.; Singh, D.; Strain, R. V.

1998-02-17

The technology of room-temperature-setting phosphate ceramics or Ceramicrete{trademark} technology, developed at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)-East is being used to treat and dispose of low-level mixed wastes through the Department of Energy complex. During the past year, Ceramicrete{trademark} technology was implemented for field application at ANL-West. Debris wastes were treated and stabilized: (a) Hg-contaminated low-level radioactive crushed light bulbs and (b) low-level radioactive Pb-lined gloves (part of the MWIR {number_sign} AW-W002 waste stream). In addition to hazardous metals, these wastes are contaminated with low-level fission products. Initially, bench-scale waste forms with simulated and actual waste streams were fabricated by acid-base reactionsmore » between mixtures of magnesium oxide powders and an acid phosphate solution, and the wastes. Size reduction of Pb-lined plastic glove waste was accomplished by cryofractionation. The Ceramicrete{trademark} process produces dense, hard ceramic waste forms. Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) results showed excellent stabilization of both Hg and Pb in the waste forms. The principal advantage of this technology is that immobilization of contaminants is the result of both chemical stabilization and subsequent microencapsulation of the reaction products. Based on bench-scale studies, Ceramicrete{trademark} technology has been implemented in the fabrication of 5-gal waste forms at ANL-West. Approximately 35 kg of real waste has been treated. The TCLP is being conducted on the samples from the 5-gal waste forms. It is expected that because the waste forms pass the limits set by the EPAs Universal Treatment Standard, they will be sent to a radioactive-waste disposal facility.« less

77 FR 46994 - Oklahoma: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-07

... State regulations that are authorized and that the EPA will enforce under the Solid Waste Disposal Act...: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency... ``Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Programs'', Oklahoma's authorized hazardous waste program. The...

77 FR 29275 - Oklahoma: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-17

... State regulations that are authorized and that the EPA will enforce under the Solid Waste Disposal Act...: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency... ``Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Programs'', Oklahoma's authorized hazardous waste program. The...

75 FR 36609 - Oklahoma: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-28

...: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency... ``Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Programs'', Oklahoma's authorized hazardous waste program. The... State regulations that are authorized and that the EPA will enforce under the Solid Waste Disposal Act...

Waste certification program plan for Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Revision 2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1997-09-01

This document defines the waste certification program (WCP) developed for implementation at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The document describes the program structure, logic, and methodology for certification of ORNL wastes. The purpose of the WCP is to provide assurance that wastes are properly characterized and that the Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) for receiving facilities are met. The program meets the waste certification requirements for mixed (both radioactive and hazardous) and hazardous [including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB)] waste. Program activities will be conducted according to ORNL Level 1 document requirements.

Development of Alternative Technetium Waste Forms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Czerwinski, Kenneth

2013-09-13

The UREX+1 process is under consideration for the separation of transuranic elements from spent nuclear fuel. The first steps of this process extract the fission product technicium-99 ({sup 99}Tc) into an organic phase containing tributylphosphate together with uranium. Treatment of this stream requires the separation of Tc from U and placement into a suitable waste storage form. A potential candidate waste form involves immobilizing the Tc as an alloy with either excess metallic zirconium or stainless steel. Although Tc-Zr alloys seem to be promising waste forms, alternative materials must be investigated. Innovative studies related to the synthesis and behavior ofmore » a different class of Tc materials will increase the scientific knowledge related to development of Tc waste forms. These studies will also provide a better understanding of the behavior of {sup 99}Tc in repository conditions. A literature survey has selected promising alternative waste forms for further study: technetium metallic alloys, nitrides, oxides, sulfides, and pertechnetate salts. The goals of this project are to 1) synthesize and structurally characterize relevant technetium materials that may be considered as waste forms, 2) investigate material behavior in solution under different conditions of temperature, electrochemical potential, and radiation, and 3) predict the long-term behavior of these materials.« less

Process for converting cellulosic materials into fuels and chemicals

DOEpatents

Scott, C.D.; Faison, B.D.; Davison, B.H.; Woodward, J.

1994-09-20

A process is described for converting cellulosic materials, such as waste paper, into fuels and chemicals utilizing enzymatic hydrolysis of the major constituent of paper, cellulose. A waste paper slurry is contacted by cellulase in an agitated hydrolyzer. The cellulase is produced from a continuous, columnar, fluidized-bed bioreactor utilizing immobilized microorganisms. An attrition mill and a cellobiase reactor are coupled to the agitated hydrolyzer to improve reaction efficiency. The cellulase is recycled by an adsorption process. The resulting crude sugars are converted to dilute product in a fluidized-bed bioreactor utilizing microorganisms. The dilute product is concentrated and purified by utilizing distillation and/or a biparticle fluidized-bed bioreactor system. 1 fig.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Riley, Brian J.; Kroll, Jared O.; Peterson, Jacob A.

This paper provides an overview of research evaluating the use of tellurite glass as a waste form for salt wastes from electrochemical processing. The capacities to immobilize different salts were evaluated including: a LiCl-Li2O oxide reduction salt (for oxide fuel) containing fission products, a LiCl-KCl eutectic salt (for metallic fuel) containing fission products, and SrCl2. Physical and chemical properties of the glasses were characterized by using X-ray diffraction, bulk density measurements, chemical durability tests, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray emission spectroscopy. These glasses were found to accommodate high concentrations of halide salts and have high densities. However, improvementsmore » are needed to meet chemical durability requirements.« less

Literature Review: Assessment of DWPF Melter and Melter Off-gas System Lifetime

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reigel, M.

2015-07-30

Testing to date for the MOC for the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) melters is being reviewed with the lessons learned from DWPF in mind and with consideration to the changes in the flowsheet/feed compositions that have occurred since the original testing was performed. This information will be presented in a separate technical report that identifies any potential gaps for WTP processing.

Self-propagating plus quick pressing synthesis and characterizations of Gd2-xNdxTi1.3Zr0.7O7 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1.4) pyrochlores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Zongsheng; Zhang, Kuibao; Peng, Le; Zhao, Wenwen; Xue, Jiali; Zhang, Haibin

2018-06-01

Synroc is recognized as an ideal matrice for the immobilization of high-level radioactive waste (HLW). In this study, the Synroc mineral of pyrochlore was employed as host phase for the immobilization of Nd2O3, which was selected as surrogate of trivalent actinide nuclides. Gd2-xNdxTi1.3Zr0.7O7/Cu composites were rapidly synthesized by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis plus quick pressing (SHS/QP) using CuO as the oxidant and Ti as the reductant. The result shows that the Nd2O3 doped reactions could be ignited as x ≤ 1.4 and Gd2-xNdxTi1.3Zr0.7O7 pyrochlores were successfully prepared with Cu as the secondary phase. The synthesized pyrochlore-based waste form exhibits density of 4.93 g/cm3 and Vickers hardness of 14.90 GPa, as well as promising aqueous durability. The LRGd and LRNd value of the x = 1.4 sample are as low as 3.28 × 10-5 and 2.27 × 10-5 g m-2·d-1 after 42 days leaching.

Systematic investigation of the strontium zirconium phosphate ceramic form for nuclear waste immobilization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pet'kov, Vladimir; Asabina, Elena; Loshkarev, Vladimir; Sukhanov, Maksim

2016-04-01

We have summarized our data and literature ones on the thermophysical properties and hydrolytic stability of Sr0.5Zr2(PO4)3 compound as a host NaZr2(PO4)3-type (NZP) structure for immobilization of 90Sr-containing radioactive waste. Absence of any polymorphic transformations on the temperature dependence of its heat capacity between 7 and 665 K is caused by the stability of crystalline Sr0.5Zr2(PO4)3. Calculated values of thermal conductivity coefficients at zero porosity in the range 298-673 K were 1.86-2.40 W·m-1 K-1. The compound may be classified as low thermal expanding material due to its average linear thermal expansion coefficient. Study of the hydrolytic stability in acid and alkaline media has shown that the relative mass fraction of Sr2+ ions, released into aggressive leaching media, didn't exceed 1% of the mass of sample. Soxhlet leaching studies have shown substantial resistance towards the release of Sr2+ ions into distilled water. Feeble sinterability constrains practical applications of NZP substances, that is why known in literature methods of Sr0.5Zr2(PO4)3 dense ceramics obtaining have been reviewed.

Production of extremely alkaliphilic, halotolerent, detergent, and thermostable mannanase by the free and immobilized cells of Bacillus halodurans PPKS-2. Purification and characterization.

PubMed

Vijayalaxmi, S; Prakash, P; Jayalakshmi, S K; Mulimani, V H; Sreeramulu, K

2013-09-01

The alkaliphilic Bacillus halodurans strain PPKS-2 was shown to produce extracellular extreme alkaliphilic, halotolerent, detergent, and thermostable mannanase activity. The cultural conditions for the maximum enzyme production were optimized with respect to pH, temperature, NaCl, and inexpensive agro wastes as substrates. Mannanase production was enhanced more than 4-fold in the presence of 1 % defatted copra meal and 0.5 % peptone or feather hydrolysate at pH 11 and 40 °C. Mannanase was purified to 10.3-fold with 34.6 % yield by ion exchange and gel filtration chromatography methods. Its molecular mass was estimated to be 22 kDa by SDS-PAGE. The mannanase had maximal activity at pH 11 and 70 °C. This enzyme was active over a broad range of NaCl (0-16 %) and thermostable retaining 100 % of the original activity at 70 °C for 3 h. Immobilization of whole cells proved to be effective for continuous production of mannanase. Since the strain PPKS-2 grows on cheaper agro wastes such as defatted copra meal, corn husk, jowar bagasse, and wheat bran, these can be exploited for mannanase production on an industrial scale.

Equilibrium, kinetic and thermodynamic studies on the removal of U(VI) by low cost agricultural waste.

PubMed

Kausar, Abida; Bhatti, Haq Nawaz; MacKinnon, Gillian

2013-11-01

In this research, biosorption efficiency of different agro-wastes was evaluated with rice husk showing maximum biosorption capacity among the selected biosorbents. Optimization of native, SDS-treated and immobilized rice husk adsorption parameters including pH, biosorbent amount, contact time, initial U(VI) concentration and temperature for maximum U(VI) removal was investigated. Maximum biosorption capacity for native (29.56 mg g(-1)) and immobilized biomass (17.59 mg g(-1)) was observed at pH 4 while SDS-treated biomass showed maximum removal (28.08 mg g(-1)) at pH 5. The Langmuir sorption isotherm model correlated best with the U(IV) biosorption equilibrium data for the 10-100 mg L(-1) concentration range. The kinetics of the reaction followed pseudo-second order kinetic model. Thermodynamic parameters like free energy (ΔG(0)) and enthalpy (ΔH°) confirmed the spontaneous and exothermic nature of the process. Experiments to determine the regeneration capacity of the selected biosorbents and the effect of competing metal ions on biosorption capacity were also conducted. The biomass was characterized using scanning electron microscopy, surface area analysis, Fourier transformed infra-red spectroscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis. The study proved that rice husk has potential to treat uranium in wastewater. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Recent trends in bioethanol production from food processing byproducts.

PubMed

Akbas, Meltem Yesilcimen; Stark, Benjamin C

2016-11-01

The widespread use of corn starch and sugarcane as sources of sugar for the production of ethanol via fermentation may negatively impact the use of farmland for production of food. Thus, alternative sources of fermentable sugars, particularly from lignocellulosic sources, have been extensively investigated. Another source of fermentable sugars with substantial potential for ethanol production is the waste from the food growing and processing industry. Reviewed here is the use of waste from potato processing, molasses from processing of sugar beets into sugar, whey from cheese production, byproducts of rice and coffee bean processing, and other food processing wastes as sugar sources for fermentation to ethanol. Specific topics discussed include the organisms used for fermentation, strategies, such as co-culturing and cell immobilization, used to improve the fermentation process, and the use of genetic engineering to improve the performance of ethanol producing fermenters.

Crystallization in high level waste (HLW) glass melters: Savannah River Site operational experience

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fox, Kevin M.; Peeler, David K.; Kruger, Albert A.

2015-06-12

This paper provides a review of the scaled melter testing that was completed for design input to the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) melter. Testing with prototype melters provided the data to define the DWPF operating limits to avoid bulk (volume) crystallization in the un-agitated DWPF melter and provided the data to distinguish between spinels generated by refractory corrosion versus spinels that precipitated from the HLW glass melt pool. A review of the crystallization observed with the prototype melters and the full-scale DWPF melters (DWPF Melter 1 and DWPF Melter 2) is included. Examples of actual DWPF melter attainment withmore » Melter 2 are given. The intent is to provide an overview of lessons learned, including some example data, that can be used to advance the development and implementation of an empirical model and operating limit for crystal accumulation for a waste treatment and immobilization plant.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cramer, Alisha J.; Cole, Jacqueline M.

The ever-increasing demands of the modern world continue to place substantial strain on the environment. To help alleviate the damage done to the natural world, the encapsulation of small molecules or ions (guests) into porous inorganic structural frameworks (hosts) provides a potential remedy for some of the environmental concerns facing us today. These concerns include the removal of harmful pollutants from water or air, the safe entrapment of nuclear waste materials, or the purification and storage of small molecules that act as alternative fuel sources. For this study, we review the trends in using inorganic materials as hostmedia for themore » removal or storage of various wastes and alternative fuels. In conclusion, we cover the treatment of water contaminated with dyes or heavy metals, air pollution alleviation via CO 2, SO x, NO x, and volatile organic compound containment, nuclear waste immobilization, and storage for H 2 and methane as alternative fuels.« less

Docking 90Sr radionuclide in cement: An atomistic modeling study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Youssef, Mostafa; Pellenq, Roland J.-M.; Yildiz, Bilge

Cementitious materials are considered to be a waste form for the ultimate disposal of radioactive materials in geological repositories. We investigated by means of atomistic simulations the encapsulation of strontium-90, an important radionuclide, in calcium-silicate-hydrate (C-S-H) and its crystalline analog, the 9 Å-tobermorite. C-S-H is the major binding phase of cement. Strontium was shown to energetically favor substituting calcium in the interlayer sites in C-S-H and 9 Å-tobermorite with the trend more pronounced in the latter. The integrity of the silicate chains in both cementitious waste forms were not affected by strontium substitution within the time span of molecular dynamics simulation. Finally, we observed a limited degradation of the mechanical properties in the strontium-containing cementitious waste form with the increasing strontium concentration. These results suggest the cement hydrate as a good candidate for immobilizing radioactive strontium.

Technical assistance for hazardous-waste reduction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thompson, F.M.; McComas, C.A.

1987-12-01

Minnesota's Waste Management Board has established, developed, and funded the Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP). The MnTAP programs offers technical assistance to generators of hazardous waste by offering telephone and onsite consultation, a waste reduction resource bank, information dissemination, a student intern program, and research awards for waste reduction projects. The program has completed three years of successful operation. The increasing interest in and use of MnTAP's services by hazardous-waste generators has justified the belief that state technical assistance programs have an important role to play in helping generators to reduce their waste production.

Chemical Restraint of Exotic Animals in a Disease Regulatory Program

PubMed Central

Wright, J. F.

1963-01-01

The African red tick (Rhipicephalus evertsi Neuman) is widely distributed in Africa but had never been identified in North America until September 1960 when it was found in a wild animal compound in Florida. The red tick is a vector of cattle fever (piroplasmosis) and several other exotic diseases including the highly fatal East Coast fever. The 130 acre compound contained more than 300 African and Asian animals, including giraffes, camels, zebras, elands, nilghais, blackbuck, aoudads, ostriches and Abyssinian asses. To determine the extent of the infestation, representative numbers of animals were immobilized with succinylcholine chloride for visual and manual examination. The grounds were treated with 2 lbs. of DDT per acre at three week intervals for six weeks and another group of animals were immobilized to determine the efficacy of the program. In all more than 50 wild animals were successfully immobilized with succinylcholine PMID:17649416

Stabilization process of metallic mercury by sulphur

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vaudey, Claire-Emilie; Bardy, Maud; Huc, Christelle

2013-07-01

The technical field of this subject can be described as the treatment of mercury based wastes in order to stock or eliminate them. Toxic mercury vapours prevent from directly stocking or incinerating the wastes. Therefore, some processes have already been implemented to reduce the mercury mobility. Those immobilization processes are created to avoid mercury release in the atmosphere by volatilization or in the soil by leaching. Among the 3 current processes: encapsulation, amalgamation and stabilization, we took an interest on the last one. Stabilization can be defined as an immobilization due to a combination between a molecule and motionless particlesmore » to reduce the release of dangerous elements in the atmosphere or the biosphere. The most common technique of metallic mercury stabilization found in readings is the sulphur amalgamation technique. It consists in the chemical reaction: Hg + S → HgS. A mercury sulphide is then produced and is very insoluble in the water. A 386 deg. C heating transforms it in red sulphide. The obtained mixture can be easily and safely stored in a waste storage. In this context, solid sulphur is added in wide excess compared to the liquid mercury to cause the reaction: Hg(l) + S(s) → HgS(s) with a molar ratio between 1/6.5 and 1/19. The main drawback of this technique is the generation of an important waste quantity: a mixture of HgS and sulphur. Moreover there's no guarantee about the absence of mercury vapours. Therefore there's a real need to improve the ratio and the safety of the reaction, which is the purpose of this study. The volume of the created product is greatly reduced in this case and authorizes significant savings on storage costs. The other experimental parameters discussed in this study are temperature, volume, flask type and mixing speed. (authors)« less

78 FR 20073 - Adequacy of Oregon's Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Permit Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-03

...] Adequacy of Oregon's Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Permit Program AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency... Oregon's approved Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Program. On March 22, 2004, EPA issued final regulations... Oregon's Municipal Solid Waste Landfill permit program to allow for Research, Development, and...

40 CFR 272.1351 - Montana State-Administered Program: Final Authorization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) APPROVED STATE HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS Montana § 272.1351... its hazardous waste management program. However, EPA retains the authority to exercise its inspection... this section are incorporated by reference as part of the hazardous waste management program under...

Integrated Disposal Facility FY 2012 Glass Testing Summary Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pierce, Eric M.; Kerisit, Sebastien N.; Krogstad, Eirik J.

2013-03-29

PNNL is conducting work to provide the technical basis for estimating radionuclide release from the engineered portion of the disposal facility for Hanford immobilized low-activity waste (ILAW). Before the ILAW can be disposed, DOE must conduct a performance assessment (PA) for the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF) that describes the long-term impacts of the disposal facility on public health and environmental resources. As part of the ILAW glass testing program, PNNL is implementing a strategy, consisting of experimentation and modeling, to provide the technical basis for estimating radionuclide release from the glass waste form in support of future IDF PAs. Keymore » activities in FY12 include upgrading the STOMP/eSTOMP codes to do near-field modeling, geochemical modeling of PCT tests to determine the reaction network to be used in the STOMP codes, conducting PUF tests on selected glasses to simulate and accelerate glass weathering, developing a Monte Carlo simulation tool to predict the characteristics of the weathered glass reaction layer as a function of glass composition, and characterizing glasses and soil samples exhumed from an 8-year lysimeter test. The purpose of this report is to summarize the progress made in fiscal year (FY) 2012 and the first quarter of FY 2013 toward implementing the strategy with the goal of developing an understanding of the long-term corrosion behavior of LAW glasses.« less

FINAL REPORT SUMMARY OF DM 1200 OPERATION AT VSL VSL-06R6710-2 REV 0 9/7/06

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

KRUGER AA; MATLACK KS; DIENER G

2011-12-29

The principal objective of this report was to summarize the testing experience on the DuraMelter 1200 (DMI200), which is the High Level Waste (HLW) Pilot Melter located at the Vitreous State Laboratory (VSL). Further objectives were to provide descriptions of the history of all modifications and maintenance, methods of operation, problems and unit failures, and melter emissions and performance while processing a variety of simulated HL W and low activity waste (LAW) feeds for the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) and employing a variety of operating methods. All of these objectives were met. The River Protection Project -more » Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (RPP-WTP) Project has undertaken a 'tiered' approach to vitrification development testing involving computer-based glass formulation, glass property-composition models, crucible melts, and continuous melter tests of increasing, more realistic scales. Melter systems ranging from 0.02 to 1.2 m{sup 2} installed at the Vitreous State Laboratory (VSL) have been used for this purpose, which, in combination with the 3.3 m{sup 2} low activity waste (LAW) Pilot Melter at Duratek, Inc., span more than two orders of magnitude in melt surface area. In this way, less-costly small-scale tests can be used to define the most appropriate tests to be conducted at the larger scales in order to extract maximum benefit from the large-scale tests. For high level waste (HLW) vitrification development, a key component in this approach is the one-third scale DuraMelter 1200 (DM 1200), which is the HLW Pilot Melter that has been installed at VSL with an integrated prototypical off-gas treatment system. That system replaced the DM1000 system that was used for HLW throughput testing during Part B1. Both melters have similar melt surface areas (1.2 m{sup 2}) but the DM1200 is prototypical of the present RPP-WTP HLW melter design whereas the DM1000 was not. In particular, the DM1200 provides for testing on a vitrification system with the specific train of unit operations that has been selected for both HLW and LAW RPP-WTP off-gas treatment.« less

Liquid Secondary Waste Grout Formulation and Waste Form Qualification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Um, Wooyong; Williams, B. D.; Snyder, Michelle M. V.

This report describes the results from liquid secondary waste (LSW) grout formulation and waste form qualification tests performed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) to evaluate new formulations for preparing a grout waste form with high-sulfate secondary waste simulants and the release of key constituents from these grout monoliths. Specific objectives of the LSW grout formulation and waste form qualification tests described in this report focused on five activities: 1.preparing new formulations for the LSW grout waste form with high-sulfate LSW simulants and solid characterization of the cured LSW grout waste form; 2.conducting themore » U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Method 1313 leach test (EPA 2012) on the grout prepared with the new formulations, which solidify sulfate-rich Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) off-gas condensate secondary waste simulant, using deionized water (DIW); 3.conducting the EPA Method 1315 leach tests (EPA 2013) on the grout monoliths made with the new dry blend formulations and three LSW simulants (242-A evaporator condensate, Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF) leachate, and WTP off-gas condensate) using two leachants, DIW and simulated Hanford Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF) Site vadose zone pore water (VZPW); 4.estimating the 99Tc desorption K d (distribution coefficient) values for 99Tc transport in oxidizing conditions to support the IDF performance assessment (PA); 5.estimating the solubility of 99Tc(IV)-bearing solid phases for 99Tc transport in reducing conditions to support the IDF PA.« less

77 FR 3224 - New Mexico: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-23

... Mexico: Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program AGENCY: Environmental... entitled ``Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Programs,'' New Mexico's authorized hazardous waste... of the State regulations that are authorized and that the EPA will enforce under the Solid Waste...

Demonstration of Plasma Arc Environmental Technology Applications for the Demilitrization of DOD Stockpiles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Ed; Dee, P. E.; Zaghloul, Hany; Filius, Krag; Rivers, Tim

2000-01-01

Since 1989 the US Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories (USACERL) have been active participants in the research and development towards establishing Plasma Arc Technology (PAT) as an efficient, economical, and safe hazardous waste immobilization tool. A plasma torch capable of generating high temperatures makes this technology a viable and powerful tool for the thermal destruction of various military industrial waste streams into an innocuous ceramic material no longer requiring hazardous waste landfill disposal. The emerging plasma environmental thermal treatment process has been used to safely and efficiently meet the waste disposal needs for various demilitarized components disposal needs, such as: (1) pyrotechnic smoke assemblies, (2) thermal batteries, (3) proximity fuses, (4) cartridge actuated devices (CADs), and (5) propellant actuated devices (PADs). MSE Technology Applications, Inc., (MSE) has proposed and fabricated a Mobile Plasma Treatment System to be a technology demonstrator for pilotscale mobile plasma waste processing. The system is capable of providing small-scale waste remediation services, and conducting waste stream applicability demonstrations. The Mobile Plasma Treatment System's innovative concept provides the flexibility to treat waste streams at numerous sites and sites with only a limited quantity of waste, yet too hazardous to transport to a regional fixed facility. The system was designed to be operated as skid mounted modules; consisting of a furnace module, controls module, offgas module, and ancillary systems module. All system components have been integrated to be operated from a single control station with both semi-continuous feeding and batch slag-pouring capability.

Demonstration of Plasma Arc Environmental Technology Applications for the Demilitarization of DOD Stockpiles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Ed; Zaghloul, Hany; Filius, Krag; Rivers, Tim

2000-01-01

Since 1989 the U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories (USACERL) have been active participants in the research and development toward establishing Plasma Arc Technology (PAT) as an efficient, economical, and safe hazardous waste immobilization tool. A plasma torch capable of generating high temperatures makes this technology a viable and powerful tool for the thermal destruction of various military industrial waste streams into an innocuous ceramic material no longer requiring hazardous waste landfill (Class 1) disposal. The emerging pl asma environmental thermal treatment process, has been used to safely and efficiently meet the waste disposal needs for various demilitarized components disposal needs, such as: pyrotechnic smoke assemblies, thermal batteries, proximity fuses, cartridge actuated devices (CAD's), and propellant actuated devices (PAD's). MSE Technology Applications, Inc., (MSE) has proposed and fabricated a Mobile Plasma Treatment System to be a technology demonstrator for pilot-scale mobile plasma waste processing. The system is capable of providing small-scale waste remediation services, and conducting waste stream applicability demonstrations. The Mobile Plasma Treatment System's innovative concept provides the flexibility to treat waste streams at numerous sites and sites with only a limited quantity of waste, yet too hazardous to transport to a regional fixed facility. The system was designed to be operated as skid mounted modules; consisting of a furnace module, controls module, offgas module, and ancillary systems module. All system components have been integrated to be operated from a single control station with both semi-continuous feeding and batch slag-pouring capability.

Two schemes for production of biosurfactant from Pseudomonas aeruginosa MR01: Applying residues from soybean oil industry and silica sol-gel immobilized cells.

PubMed

Bagheri Lotfabad, Tayebe; Ebadipour, Negisa; Roostaazad, Reza; Partovi, Maryam; Bahmaei, Manochehr

2017-04-01

Rhamnolipids are the most common biosurfactants and P. aeruginosa strains are the most frequently studied microorganisms for the production of rhamnolipids. Eco-friendly advantages and promising applications of rhamnolipids in various industries are the major reasons for pursuing the economic production of these biosurfactants. This study shows that cultivation of P. aeruginosa MR01 in medium contained inexpensive soybean oil refinery wastes which exhibited similar levels and homologues of rhamnolipids. Mass spectrometry indicated that the Rha-C10-C10 and Rha-Rha-C10-C10 constitute the main rhamnolipids in different cultures of MR01 including one of oil carbon source analogues. Moreover, rhamnolipid mixtures extracted from different cultures showed critical micelle concentrations (CMC) in the range of ≃24 to ≃36mg/l with capability to reduce the surface tension of aqueous solution from 72 to ≃27-32mN/m. However, the sol-gel technique using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) was used as a gentler method in order to entrap the P. aeruginosa MR01 cells in mold silica gels. Immobilized cells can be utilized several times in consecutive fermentation batches as well as in flow fermentation processes. In this way, reusability of the cells may lead to a more economical fermentation process. Approximately 90% of cell viability was retained during the silica sol-gel immobilization and ≃84% of viability of immobilized cells was preserved for 365days of immobilization and storage of the cells in phosphate buffer at 4°C and 25°C. Moreover, mold gels showed good mechanical stability during the seven successive fermentation batches and the entrapped cells were able to efficiently preserve their biosurfactant-producing potential. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

77 FR 60919 - Tennessee: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-05

...: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions AGENCY: Environmental..., Division of Solid Waste Management, 5th Floor, L & C Tower, 401 Church Street, Nashville, Tennessee 37243... RCRA hazardous waste management program. We granted authorization for changes to Tennessee's program on...

40 CFR 272.2501 - Wisconsin State-administered program; final authorization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) APPROVED STATE HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS Wisconsin § 272.2501... cited in this paragraph are incorporated by reference as part of the hazardous waste management program... Applicable to the Hazardous Waste Management Program, (dated August 9, 1993). (2) EPA Approved Wisconsin...

Adequacy of a Small Quantity Site RH-TRU Waste Program in Meeting Proposed WIPP Characterization Objectives

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Biedscheid, J.; Stahl, S.; Devarakonda, M.

2002-02-26

The first remote-handled transuranic (RH-TRU) waste is expected to be permanently disposed of at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) during Fiscal Year (FY) 2003. The first RH-TRU waste shipments are scheduled from the Battelle Columbus Laboratories (BCL) to WIPP in order to facilitate compliance with BCL Decommissioning Project (BCLDP) milestones. Milestones requiring RH-TRU waste containerization and removal from the site by 2004 in order to meet a 2006 site closure goal, established by Congress in the Defense Facilities Closure Projects account, necessitated the establishment and implementation of a site-specific program to direct the packaging of BCLDP RH-TRU waste priormore » to the finalization of WIPP RH-TRU waste characterization requirements. The program was designed to collect waste data, including audio and videotape records of waste packaging, such that upon completion of waste packaging, comprehensive data records exist from which compliance with final WIPP RH-TRU waste characterization requirements can be demonstrated. With the BCLDP data records generated to date and the development by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) of preliminary documents proposing the WIPP RH-TRU waste characterization program, it is possible to evaluate the adequacy of the BCLDP program with respect to meeting proposed characterization objectives. The BCLDP characterization program uses primarily acceptable knowledge (AK) and visual examination (VE) during waste packaging to characterize RH-TRU waste. These methods are used to estimate physical waste parameters, including weight percentages of metals, cellulosics, plastics, and rubber in the waste, and to determine the absence of prohibited items, including free liquids. AK combined with computer modeling is used to estimate radiological waste parameters, including total activity on a waste container basis, for the majority of BCLDP RH-TRU waste. AK combined with direct analysis is used to characterize radiological parameters for the small populations of the RH-TRU waste generated by the BCLDP. All characterization based on AK is verified. Per its design for comprehensive waste data collection, the BCLDP characterization program using AK and waste packaging procedures, including VE during packaging, meets the proposed WIPP RH-TRU waste characterization objectives. The conservative program design implemented generates certification data that will be adequate to meet any additional program requirements that may be imposed by the CBFO.« less

A-site compositional effects in Ga-doped hollandite materials of the form BaxCsyGa2x+yTi8−2x−yO16: implications for Cs immobilization in crystalline ceramic waste forms

PubMed Central

Xu, Yun; Wen, Yi; Grote, Rob; Amoroso, Jake; Shuller Nickles, Lindsay; Brinkman, Kyle S.

2016-01-01

The hollandite structure is a promising crystalline host for Cs immobilization. A series of Ga-doped hollandite BaxCsyGa2x+yTi8−2x−yO16 (x = 0, 0.667, 1.04, 1.33; y = 1.33, 0.667, 0.24, 0) was synthesized through a solid oxide reaction method resulting in a tetragonal hollandite structure (space group I4/m). The lattice parameter associated with the tunnel dimension was found to increases as Cs substitution in the tunnel increased. A direct investigation of cation mobility in tunnels using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was conducted to evaluate the ability of the hollandite structure to immobilize cations over a wide compositional range. Hollandite with the largest tunnel size and highest aspect ratio grain morphology resulting in rod-like microstructural features exhibited the highest ionic conductivity. The results indicate that grain size and optimized Cs stoichiometry control cation motion and by extension, the propensity for Cs release from hollandite. PMID:27273791

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fox, K. M.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Environmental Management (EM) is sponsoring an international, collaborative project to develop a fundamental model for sulfate solubility in nuclear waste glass. The solubility of sulfate has a significant impact on the achievable waste loading for nuclear waste forms within the DOE complex. These wastes can contain relatively high concentrations of sulfate, which has low solubility in borosilicate glass. This is a significant issue for low-activity waste (LAW) glass and is projected to have a major impact on the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). Sulfate solubility has also been amore » limiting factor for recent high level waste (HLW) sludge processed at the Savannah River Site (SRS) Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF). The low solubility of sulfate in glass, along with melter and off-gas corrosion constraints, dictate that the waste be blended with lower sulfate concentration waste sources or washed to remove sulfate prior to vitrification. The development of enhanced borosilicate glass compositions with improved sulfate solubility will allow for higher waste loadings and accelerate mission completion.The objective of the current scope being pursued by SHU is to mature the sulfate solubility model to the point where it can be used to guide glass composition development for DWPF and WTP, allowing for enhanced waste loadings and waste throughput at these facilities. A series of targeted glass compositions was selected to resolve data gaps in the model and is identified as Stage III. SHU fabricated these glasses and sent samples to SRNL for chemical composition analysis. SHU will use the resulting data to enhance the sulfate solubility model and resolve any deficiencies. In this report, SRNL provides chemical analyses for the Stage III, simulated HLW glasses fabricated by SHU in support of the sulfate solubility model development.« less

78 FR 15299 - New York: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revision

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-11

... authorization of changes to its hazardous waste program under the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended, commonly... Solid Waste Amendments of 1984 (HSWA). New Federal requirements and prohibitions imposed by Federal...: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revision AGENCY: Environmental...

Thiacrown polymers for removal of mercury from waste streams

DOEpatents

Baumann, Theodore F.; Reynolds, John G.; Fox, Glenn A.

2002-01-01

Thiacrown polymers immobilized to a polystyrene-divinylbenzene matrix react with Hg.sup.2+ under a variety of conditions to efficiently and selectively remove Hg.sup.2+ ions from acidic aqueous solutions, even in the presence of a variety of other metal ions. The mercury can be recovered and the polymer regenerated. This mercury removal method has utility in the treatment of industrial wastewater, where a selective and cost-effective removal process is required.

Thiacrown polymers for removal of mercury from waste streams

DOEpatents

Baumann, Theodore F.; Reynolds, John G.; Fox, Glenn A.

2004-02-24

Thiacrown polymers immobilized to a polystyrene-divinylbenzene matrix react with Hg.sup.2+ under a variety of conditions to efficiently and selectively remove Hg.sup.2+ ions from acidic aqueous solutions, even in the presence of a variety of other metal ions. The mercury can be recovered and the polymer regenerated. This mercury removal method has utility in the treatment of industrial wastewater, where a selective and cost-effective removal process is required.

Volatile species of technetium and rhenium during waste vitrification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, Dongsang; Kruger, Albert A.

Volatile loss of technetium (Tc) during vitrification of low-activity wastes is a technical challenge for treating and immobilizing the large volumes of radioactive and hazardous wastes stored at the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site. There are various research efforts being pursued to develop technologies that can be implemented for cost effective management of Tc, including studies to understand the behavior of Tc during vitrification, with the goal of eventually increasing Tc retention in glass. Furthermore, one of these studies has focused on identifying the form or species of Tc and Re (surrogate for Tc) that evolve during the waste-to-glassmore » conversion process. This information is important for understanding the mechanism of Tc volatilization. In this paper, available information collected from the literature is critically evaluated to clarify the volatile species of Tc and Re and, more specifically, whether they volatilize as alkali pertechnetate and perrhenate or as technetium and rhenium oxides after decomposition of alkali pertechnetate and perrhenate. The evaluated data ranged from mass spectrometric identification of species volatilized from pure and binary alkali pertechnetate and perrhenate salts to structural and chemical analyses of volatilized materials during crucible melting and scaled melter processing of simulated wastes.« less

Bentonite-Clay Waste Form for the Immobilization of Cesium and Strontium from Fuel Processing Waste Streams

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kaminski, Michael D.; Mertz, Carol J.

2016-01-01

The physical properties of a surrogate waste form containing cesium, strontium, rubidium, and barium sintered into bentonite clay were evaluated for several simulant feed streams: chlorinated cobalt dicarbollide/polyethylene glycol (CCD-PEG) strip solution, nitrate salt, and chloride salt feeds. We sintered bentonite clay samples with a loading of 30 mass% of cesium, strontium, rubidium, and barium to a density of approximately 3 g/cm 3. Sintering temperatures of up to 1000°C did not result in volatility of cesium. Instead, there was an increase in crystallinity of the waste form upon sintering to 1000ºC for chloride- and nitrate-salt loaded clays. The nitrate saltmore » feed produced various cesium pollucite phases, while the chloride salt feed did not produce these familiar phases. In fact, many of the x-ray diffraction peaks could not be matched to known phases. Assemblages of silicates were formed that incorporated the Sr, Rb, and Ba ions. Gas evolution during sintering to 1000°C was significant (35% weight loss for the CCD-PEG waste-loaded clay), with significant water being evolved at approximately 600°C.« less

Corrosion assessment of refractory materials for high temperature waste vitrification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Marra, J.C.; Congdon, J.W.; Kielpinski, A.L.

1995-11-01

A variety of vitrification technologies are being evaluated to immobilize radioactive and hazardous wastes following years of nuclear materials production throughout the Department of Energy (DOE) complex. The compositions and physical forms of these wastes are diverse ranging from inorganic sludges to organic liquids to heterogeneous debris. Melt and off-gas products can be very corrosive at the high temperatures required to melt many of these waste streams. Ensuring material durability is required to develop viable treatment processes. Corrosion testing of materials in some of the anticipated severe environments is an important aspect of the materials identification and selection process. Corrosionmore » coupon tests on typical materials used in Joule heated melters were completed using glass compositions with high salt contents. The presence of chloride in the melts caused the most severe attack. In the metal alloys, oxidation was the predominant corrosion mechanism, while in the tested refractory material enhanced dissolution of the refractory into the glass was observed. Corrosion testing of numerous different refractory materials was performed in a plasma vitrification system using a surrogate heterogeneous debris waste. Extensive corrosion was observed in all tested materials.« less

Bench scale experiments for the remediation of Hanford Waste Treatment Plant low activity waste melter off-gas condensate

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Taylor-Pashow, Kathryn M.L.; Poirier, Michael; McCabe, Daniel J.

The Low Activity Waste (LAW) vitrification facility at the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) will generate an aqueous condensate recycle stream (LAW Off-Gas Condensate) from the off-gas system. The plan for disposition of this stream during baseline operations is to send it to the WTP Pretreatment Facility, where it will be blended with LAW, concentrated by evaporation and recycled to the LAW vitrification facility again. The primary reason to recycle this stream is so that the semi-volatile 99Tc isotope eventually becomes incorporated into the glass. This stream also contains non-radioactive salt components that are problematic in the melter,more » so diversion of this stream to another process would eliminate recycling of these salts and would enable simplified operation of the LAW melter and the Pretreatment Facilities. This diversion from recycling this stream within WTP would have the effect of decreasing the LAW vitrification mission duration and quantity of glass waste. The concept being tested here involves removing the 99Tc so that the decontaminated aqueous stream, with the problematic salts, can be disposed elsewhere.« less

Investigation of variable compositions on the removal of technetium from Hanford Waste Treatment Plant low activity waste melter off-gas condensate simulant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Taylor-Pashow, Kathryn M. L.; McCabe, Daniel J.; Pareizs, John M.

The Low Activity Waste (LAW) vitrification facility at the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) will generate an aqueous condensate recycle stream (LAW Off-Gas Condensate) from the offgas system. The plan for disposition of this stream during baseline operations is to send it to the WTP Pretreatment Facility, where it will be blended with LAW, concentrated by evaporation and recycled to the LAW vitrification facility again. The primary reason to recycle this stream is so that the semi-volatile 99Tc isotope eventually becomes incorporated into the glass. This stream also contains non-radioactive salt components that are problematic in the melter,more » so diversion of this stream to another process would eliminate recycling of these salts and would enable simplified operation of the LAW melter and the Pretreatment Facilities. This diversion from recycling this stream within WTP would have the effect of decreasing the LAW vitrification mission duration and quantity of glass waste. The concept being tested here involves removing the 99Tc so that the decontaminated aqueous stream, with the problematic salts, can be disposed elsewhere.« less

Volatile species of technetium and rhenium during waste vitrification

DOE PAGES

Kim, Dongsang; Kruger, Albert A.

2017-10-26

Volatile loss of technetium (Tc) during vitrification of low-activity wastes is a technical challenge for treating and immobilizing the large volumes of radioactive and hazardous wastes stored at the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site. There are various research efforts being pursued to develop technologies that can be implemented for cost effective management of Tc, including studies to understand the behavior of Tc during vitrification, with the goal of eventually increasing Tc retention in glass. Furthermore, one of these studies has focused on identifying the form or species of Tc and Re (surrogate for Tc) that evolve during the waste-to-glassmore » conversion process. This information is important for understanding the mechanism of Tc volatilization. In this paper, available information collected from the literature is critically evaluated to clarify the volatile species of Tc and Re and, more specifically, whether they volatilize as alkali pertechnetate and perrhenate or as technetium and rhenium oxides after decomposition of alkali pertechnetate and perrhenate. The evaluated data ranged from mass spectrometric identification of species volatilized from pure and binary alkali pertechnetate and perrhenate salts to structural and chemical analyses of volatilized materials during crucible melting and scaled melter processing of simulated wastes.« less

Comparison of solidification/stabilization effects of calcite between Australian and South Korean cements

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Dongjin; Waite, T. David; Swarbrick, Gareth

2005-11-15

The differences in the effect of calcite on the strength and stability of Pb-rich wastes solidified and stabilized using Australian and South Korean ordinary Portland cements are examined in this study. Pb-rich waste stabilized using Australian OPC has been shown to possess both substantially higher unconfined compressive strength and lead immobilization ability than South Korean OPC as a result of its higher C{sub 3}S content and the associated enhanced degree of precipitation of lead on the surfaces of silicate phases present. Calcite addition is observed to have an accelerating effect on the OPC-induced solidification/stabilization of Pb-rich wastes as gauged bymore » the unconfined compressive strength and leachability of the solids formed. This effect is observed to be far more dramatic for South Korean OPC than for Australian OPC. Using scanning electron microscopy, waste stabilized with cement and calcite was observed to develop significantly greater proportions of hydrated crystals than wastes stabilized with cement alone. The results of X-ray diffraction studies have shown that the presence of calcite in South Korean OPC results in greater acceleration in the formation of portlandite than is the case for Australian OPC.« less

Environmental Sciences Division annual progress report for period ending September 30, 1981

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Auerbach, S.I.; Reichle, D.E.

1982-04-01

Research programs from the following sections and programs are summarized: aquatic ecology, environmental resources, earth sciences, terrestrial ecology, advanced fossil energy program, toxic substances program, environmental impacts program, biomass, low-level waste research and development program, US DOE low-level waste management program, and waste isolation program.

75 FR 76691 - Oregon; Correction of Federal Authorization of the State's Hazardous Waste Management Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-09

...; Correction of Federal Authorization of the State's Hazardous Waste Management Program AGENCY: Environmental... to the State of Oregon's federally authorized RCRA hazardous waste management program. On January 7... changes the State of Oregon made to its federally authorized RCRA Hazardous Waste Management Program...

75 FR 918 - Oregon: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revision

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-07

... Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revision AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA... hazardous waste management program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as amended (RCRA). On... has decided that the revisions to the Oregon hazardous waste management program satisfy all of the...

77 FR 69788 - Colorado: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-21

...: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions AGENCY: Environmental... authorization of changes to its hazardous waste program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The EPA proposes to grant final authorization to the hazardous waste program changes submitted by the...

40 CFR 272.151 - Arizona State-administered program: Final authorization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) APPROVED STATE HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS Arizona § 272.151... the hazardous waste management program under Subtitle C of RCRA, 42 U.S.C. 6921 et seq. (i) EPA Approved Arizona Statutory Requirements Applicable to the Hazardous Waste Management Program, June 1995...

40 CFR 272.151 - Arizona State-administered program: Final authorization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) APPROVED STATE HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS Arizona § 272.151... the hazardous waste management program under Subtitle C of RCRA, 42 U.S.C. 6921 et seq. (i) EPA Approved Arizona Statutory Requirements Applicable to the Hazardous Waste Management Program, June 1995...

40 CFR 272.1301 - State-administered program; Final authorization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) APPROVED STATE HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS Missouri § 272.1301 State... incorporated by reference as part of the hazardous waste management program under subtitle C of RCRA, 42 U.S.C. 6921 et seq. (i) Missouri Statutory Requirements Applicable to the Hazardous Waste Management Program...

40 CFR 272.1301 - State-administered program; Final authorization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) APPROVED STATE HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS Missouri § 272.1301 State... incorporated by reference as part of the hazardous waste management program under subtitle C of RCRA, 42 U.S.C. 6921 et seq. (i) Missouri Statutory Requirements Applicable to the Hazardous Waste Management Program...

40 CFR 272.1301 - State-administered program; Final authorization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) APPROVED STATE HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS Missouri § 272.1301 State... incorporated by reference as part of the hazardous waste management program under subtitle C of RCRA, 42 U.S.C. 6921 et seq. (i) Missouri Statutory Requirements Applicable to the Hazardous Waste Management Program...

40 CFR 272.151 - Arizona State-administered program: Final authorization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) APPROVED STATE HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS Arizona § 272.151... the hazardous waste management program under Subtitle C of RCRA, 42 U.S.C. 6921 et seq. (i) EPA Approved Arizona Statutory Requirements Applicable to the Hazardous Waste Management Program, June 1995...

40 CFR 272.751 - Indiana state-administered program: Final authorization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) APPROVED STATE HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS Indiana § 272.751... the hazardous waste management program under subtitle C of RCRA, 42 U.S.C. 6921 et seq. This... Applicable to the Hazardous Waste Management Program, dated March 2001. (ii) The EPA approved Indiana...

40 CFR 272.751 - Indiana state-administered program: Final authorization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) APPROVED STATE HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS Indiana § 272.751... the hazardous waste management program under subtitle C of RCRA, 42 U.S.C. 6921 et seq. This... Applicable to the Hazardous Waste Management Program, dated March 2001. (ii) The EPA approved Indiana...

40 CFR 272.501 - Florida State-administered program: Final authorization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) APPROVED STATE HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS Florida § 272.501... part of the hazardous waste management program under Subtitle C of RCRA, 42 U.S.C. 6921 et seq. (i) EPA Approved Florida's Statutory Requirements Applicable to the Hazardous Waste Management Program, dated...

40 CFR 272.1301 - State-administered program; Final authorization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) APPROVED STATE HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS Missouri § 272.1301 State... incorporated by reference as part of the hazardous waste management program under subtitle C of RCRA, 42 U.S.C. 6921 et seq. (i) Missouri Statutory Requirements Applicable to the Hazardous Waste Management Program...

40 CFR 272.151 - Arizona State-administered program: Final authorization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) APPROVED STATE HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS Arizona § 272.151... the hazardous waste management program under Subtitle C of RCRA, 42 U.S.C. 6921 et seq. (i) EPA Approved Arizona Statutory Requirements Applicable to the Hazardous Waste Management Program, June 1995...

40 CFR 272.501 - Florida State-administered program: Final authorization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) APPROVED STATE HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS Florida § 272.501... part of the hazardous waste management program under Subtitle C of RCRA, 42 U.S.C. 6921 et seq. (i) EPA Approved Florida's Statutory Requirements Applicable to the Hazardous Waste Management Program, dated...

40 CFR 272.501 - Florida State-administered program: Final authorization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) APPROVED STATE HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS Florida § 272.501... part of the hazardous waste management program under Subtitle C of RCRA, 42 U.S.C. 6921 et seq. (i) EPA Approved Florida's Statutory Requirements Applicable to the Hazardous Waste Management Program, dated...

40 CFR 272.751 - Indiana state-administered program: Final authorization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) APPROVED STATE HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS Indiana § 272.751... the hazardous waste management program under subtitle C of RCRA, 42 U.S.C. 6921 et seq. This... Applicable to the Hazardous Waste Management Program, dated March 2001. (ii) The EPA approved Indiana...

40 CFR 272.501 - Florida State-administered program: Final authorization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) APPROVED STATE HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS Florida § 272.501... part of the hazardous waste management program under Subtitle C of RCRA, 42 U.S.C. 6921 et seq. (i) EPA Approved Florida's Statutory Requirements Applicable to the Hazardous Waste Management Program, dated...

40 CFR 272.501 - Florida State-administered program: Final authorization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) APPROVED STATE HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS Florida § 272.501... part of the hazardous waste management program under Subtitle C of RCRA, 42 U.S.C. 6921 et seq. (i) EPA Approved Florida's Statutory Requirements Applicable to the Hazardous Waste Management Program, dated...

40 CFR 272.1301 - State-administered program; Final authorization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) APPROVED STATE HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS Missouri § 272.1301 State... incorporated by reference as part of the hazardous waste management program under subtitle C of RCRA, 42 U.S.C. 6921 et seq. (i) Missouri Statutory Requirements Applicable to the Hazardous Waste Management Program...