Organic ion-exchangers are currently used to clean up water in Boiling Water Reactors. This procedure creates large volumes of radwaste for disposal and is unable to meet Federal regulations for waste characteristics. The possibility of replacing the low-temperature, ion exchange beds by high-temperature, high pressure magnetite beds has been identified. This would significantly reduce the size and the costs of the radwaste disposal. Besides, it would also eliminate the need for heat exchangers, result in significant heat savings and thus additional cost reductions, and would simplify clean-up procedures that would in turn reduce the possibility of radioactive contamination of the surroundings and the radioactive exposure of the personnel. To achieve this, research is planned to synthesize and characterize porous magnetite beads; to determine the efficiency of C060 and the overall radioactivity removal by magnetite; and to study the effect of other ions on C060 adsorption capacity, the threshold temperature at which magnetite becomes effective, and the release of C060 and other species at the shutdown temperatures, optimal bed depths, etc. Anticipated Results/Potential Commercial Applications as described by the awardee: The findings of this research would form the basis for replacing low-temperature ion-exchangers with high-temperature, high-pressure magnetite beds. This would reduce significantly the costs and the size of the low-level radwaste disposal. There also would be significant side benefits such as simplification of water clean-up procedures. This procedure potentially could be used by all US operating nuclear power plants.
