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Denitration of simulated radioactive liquid waste

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Abstract

Radioactive liquid wastes containing large amounts of nitric acid (approx. 4–7 M) generated in the nuclear fuel cycle are very undesirable by-products. Denitration of highly acidic radioactive liquid wastes with organic reducing agents has several advantages, such as a significant pH increase, possibility of separation of radioisotopes which can be utilized in other technologies, reduction of volatility of radioisotopes and fixation of certain mono- and divalent radioisotopes with zeolite. In the present work some aspects of denitration of simulated radioactive liquid wastes at laboratory level were investigated. Denitration of HNO3 with formic acid was investigated for different [HCOOH]/[HNO3] ratios. The changes in the induction time, pH increase and volume reduction were determined. It was shown that by the denitration of simulated radioactive liquid waste high pH values could be achieved which in real systems would create more possibilities in radioactive waste management. Analysis of solid phases formed after the oxidation of excess HCOOH with H2O2 showed the presence of amorphous fraction as well as goethite and hematite phases, which could remove different radioactive cations from the liquid phase. The immobilization of simulated solid radioactive waste with borosilicate glass matrix was also shown.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Fedor Jakšić and Jasmin Forić for their assistance in the experiments.

Funding

This work was supported by Hrvatska Zaklada za Znanost (Grant No. IP-2016-06-8254).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, P.O. Box 180, 10002, Zagreb, Croatia

    Mira Ristić, Svetozar Musić, Marijan Marciuš & Stjepko Krehula

  2. Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Trg Nikole Šubića Zrinskog 11, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

    Svetozar Musić

  3. Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary

    Ernő Kuzmann & Zoltán Homonnay

Authors
  1. Mira Ristić
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  2. Svetozar Musić
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  3. Marijan Marciuš
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  4. Stjepko Krehula
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  5. Ernő Kuzmann
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  6. Zoltán Homonnay
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Correspondence to Svetozar Musić.

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Ristić, M., Musić, S., Marciuš, M. et al. Denitration of simulated radioactive liquid waste. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 322, 1477–1485 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-019-06736-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-019-06736-x

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