Feasibility Studies on Pd Removal from Molten BSG Containing Simulated Nuclear Waste Using Lead or Aluminum as a Solvent Metal
Publication: Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste
Volume 19, Issue 2
Abstract
Experiments were conducted to remove palladium (Pd) from molten borosilicate glass (BSG) containing simulated nuclear waste using lead (Pb) or aluminum (Al) as solvent metal. The removal of Pd from molten BSG could be carried out successfully when lead was used as the solvent metal, and the percentage extraction fraction was nearly 100%. Significant quantities of Ni, Mo, and Fe also settled into the solvent metal phase along with Pd. The metal phase found to contain intermetallic compounds of and . However, when Al was used as the collecting metal separation of metal and glass phase did not occur. The results of the experiments are interpreted based on the thermodynamic stabilities of the oxides of the collecting metals and the constituent elements in the molten BSG. Even though the experiments were conducted in argon atmosphere, the traces of oxygen present in the Ar are sufficient to oxidize Al metal powder to its oxide, leading to the formation of alumino-silicates (mullites) in molten BSG.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The analytical chemistry section of Materials Chemistry Division/Chemistry Group, IGCAR is duly acknowledged for analyzing the samples for determining the elemental composition of the metal buttons. Dr. B. Prabhakara Reddy and Mr. P. Venkatesh are acknowledged for melting the glass samples by induction melting. The authors do acknowledge Dr. R. Sudha and Mr. Swapan Kumar Mahato for examining the metal and glass samples by SEM-EDAX. The authors also acknowledge Dr. K. Nagarajan, Associate Director, Chemistry Group for his constant encouragement.
References
Advocat, T., Jollivet, P., Crovisier, J. L., and del Nero, M. (2001). “Long term alteration mechanisms in water for SON68 radioactive borosilicate glass.” J. Nucl. Mater., 298(1–2), 55–62.
Balta, P., Spurcaciu, C., Radu, D., and Dumitrescu, O. (1985). “The influence of the melting conditions on the basicity of glasses.” J. Non-Cryst. Solids, 71(1–3), 69–75.
Barin, I., and Knacke, O. (1973). Thermophysical properties of inorganic substances, Springer, Berlin.
Champman, C. C., Pope, J. M., and Barnes, S. M. (1986). “Electric melting of nuclear waste glasses: State of the art.” J. Non-Cryst. Solids, 84(1–3), 226–240.
Chase, M. W., Davies, C. A., Downey, J. R., Jr., Fruip, D. J., McDonald, R. A., and Syverud, A. N. (1985). JANAF thermochemical tables, 3rd Ed., Parts I and II, American Chemical Society and the American Institute of Physics for the National Bureau of Standards, Washington, DC, 5–14.
Ellingham, H. J. T. (1944). “Transactions and communications.” J. Soc. Chem. Ind., 63(5), 125.
Igarashi, H., and Takahashi, T. (1991). “The draining of noble metals in vitrified nuclear waste by a melter with a sloping floor.” Glass Technol., 32(2), 46–50.
Inoue, T., Sakata, M., Miyashiro, H., Matsumura, T., and Sasahara, A. (1991). “Development of partitioning and transmutation technology for long lived nuclides.” Nucl. Technol., 93(2), 206–220.
Jena, H., Kutty, K. V. G., and Rao, P. R. V. (2011). “Effect of temperature on the extraction of Pd by liquid tin from molten borosilicate glass containing simulated radwaste.” J. Non-Cryst. Solids, 357(15), 2911–2919.
Jensen, G. A., Platt, A. M., Mellinger, G. B., and Bjorklund, W. J. (1984). “Recovery of noble metals from fission products.” Nucl. Technol., 65(2), 305–324.
Kolarik, Z., and Renard, E. V. (2005). “Potential applications of fission platinoids in industry.” Platinum Met. Rev., 49(2), 79–90.
Luckscheiter, B., and Nesovic, M. (1996). “Development of glasses for the vitrification of high level liquid waste (HLLW) in a joule heated ceramic melter.” Waste Manage., 16(7), 571–578.
Lutze, W., and Ewing, R. C., eds. (1988). Radioactive waste forms for the future, Elsevier Science Publishers B.V, North-Holland, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Naito, K., et al. (1986). “Recovery of noble-metals from insoluble residue of spent fuel.” J. Nucl. Sci. Technol., 23(6), 540.
Paul, A. (1990). “Oxidation-reduction equilibrium in glass.” J. Non-Cryst. Solids, 123(1–3), 354–362.
Rindone, G. E., and Rhoads, J. L. (1956). “The colors of platinum, palladium and rhodium in simple glasses.” J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 39(5), 173–180.
Schreiber, H. D., and Balazs, G. B. (1985). “An electromotive force series for redox couples in a borosilicate melt: The basis for electron exchange interactions of the redox couples.” J. Non-Cryst. Solids, 71(1–3), 59–67.
Schreiber, H. D., Harville, T. R., and Damron, G. N. (1990). “Redox controlled solubility of palladium in a borosilicate glass melt.” J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 73(5), 1435–1437.
Tooley, F. V. (1984). The handbook of glass manufacture: A book of reference for the plant executive and engineer, 3rd Ed., Ashlee, New York.
Uruga, K., Arita, Y., Enokida, Y., and Yamamoto, I. (2007). “Removal of platinum group metals contained in molten glass using copper.” J. Nucl. Sci. Technol., 44(7), 1024–1031.
Uruga, K., Sawada, K., Enokida, Y., and Yamamoto, Y. (2008). “Liquid metal extraction for removal of molybdenum from molten glass containing simulated nuclear waste elements.” J. Nucl. Sci. Techol., 45(10), 1063–1071.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste
Volume 19 • Issue 2 • April 2015
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 12, 2013
Accepted: Jan 13, 2014
Published online: Mar 17, 2014
Discussion open until: Aug 17, 2014
Published in print: Apr 1, 2015
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.