Mechanisms of Strontium and Uranium Removal from High-Level Radioactive Waste Simulant Solutions by the Sorbent Monosodium Titanate Page: 2 of 20
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Mechanisms of Strontium and Uranium Removal from High-level Radioactive
Waste Simulant Solutions by the Sorbent Monosodium Titanate
M. C. Duff '*, D. B. Hunter 1, D. T. Hobbs 1, S. D. Fink 1, Z. Dai 2,3, and J. P. Bradley 2,3
i Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC), Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC),
Aiken, SC 29808. * Corresponding author.
2 MVA Incorporated, 5500 Oakbrook Parkway, Norcross, GA, 30093, USA.
3 Presently with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, 94551, USA.
Abstract
High-Level Waste (HLW) is a waste associated with the dissolution of spent nuclear fuel for the
recovery of weapons-grade material. It is the priority problem for the U.S. Department of Energy's
Environmental Management Program. Current HLW treatment processes at the Savannah River Site
(Aiken, SC) include the use of monosodium titanate (MST, with a similar stoichiometry to
NaTi2O5.xH2O) to concentrate strontium (Sr) and actinides. The high affinity of MST for Sr and
actinides in HLW solutions rich in Na+ is poorly understood. Mechanistic information about the
nature of radionuclide uptake will provide insight about MST treatment reliability. Our study
characterized the morphology of MST and the chemistry of sorbed Sr2+ and uranium [U(VI)] as
uranyl ion, U022+, on MST, which were added (individually) from stock solutions of Sr and
238U(VI) with spectroscopic and transmission electron microscopic techniques. The local structural
speciation of sorbed U varied with loading and but not for Sr. Sorbed Sr exhibited specific
adsorption as partially-hydrated species whereas sorbed U exhibited specific adsorption as
monomeric and dimeric U(VI)-carbonate complexes. Sorption proved site specific. These
differences in site specificity and sorption mechanism may account for the difficulties associated
with predicting Sr and U loading and removal kinetics using MST.
Introduction
High-Level Waste (HLW) is a radioactive waste associated with the dissolution of spent
nuclear fuel rods for the recovery of weapons grade material. At the Savannah River Site (SRS,
Aiken, SC), nearly 130 million L of HLW await disposition. This waste is highly alkaline,
concentrated in Na+ and NO3 (added to prevent tank corrosion). The waste is stored in three typicalWSRC-MS-2003-00588
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Duff, M.C. Mechanisms of Strontium and Uranium Removal from High-Level Radioactive Waste Simulant Solutions by the Sorbent Monosodium Titanate, article, November 4, 2003; South Carolina. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc735489/m1/2/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.