Ion exchange removal of strontium from simulated and actual N-Springs well water at the Hanford 100-N Area

Experimental ion exchange studies are being conducted by the Pacific Northwest national Laboratory (PNNL) under the Efficient Separations and Processing (ESP) Crosscutting Program to evaluate newly emerging materials and technologies for removing cesium, strontium, technetium, and transuranic elements from simulated and actual wastes at Hanford. Previous work focused on applications to treat high-level alkaline tank wastes, but many of the technologies can also be applied in process and ground-water remediation. Ultimately, each process must be evaluated in terms of life-cycle costs, removal efficiency, process chemical consumption and recycle, stability of materials exposed to chemicals and radiation, compatibility with other process streams, secondary waste generation, process and maintenance costs, and final material disposal. This report assesses the performance of the 3M-designed Process Absorber Development Unit (PADU) and the AlliedSignal-produced sodium nonatitanate (NaTi) material in trace quantities of strontium from simulated and actual Hanford N-Springs ground water. The experimental objective was to determine the strontium-loading breakthrough profile of a proprietary 3M-engineered material in either disk or cartridge forms.