Catalytic effect of cesium on the oxidation behavior of cation exchange resins in Li2CO3-Na2CO3-K2CO3 melt

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 29; no. 42; pp. 64215 - 64224
• Main Authors: Zheng, Yang-Hai, Yan, Yong-De, Xue, Yun, Wang, Yue-Lin, Liu, Xin, Mi, Wan-Sheng, Zhang, Qing-Guo, Li, Yu, Ma, Fu-Qiu, Zhang, Mi-Lin, Gan, Zhi-Hao, Zhu, Kai
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.09.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Cation exchange; Cation exchanging; Cationic polymerization; Cesium; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Functional groups; Heat treatment; Liquid wastes; Lithium carbonate; Molten salts; Oxidation; Oxygen; Potassium carbonate; Radioactive wastes; Radioisotopes; Resins; Salts; Short Research and Discussion Article; Sodium carbonate; Thermal stability; Vaporization; Volatilization; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Cesium sulfate; Carbonate salt; Molten salt oxidation; Cation exchange resin; Lithium peroxide, Radioactive waste
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-22158-x

After the treatment of liquid radioactive waste, there is a certain amount of Cs in the waste resin, and these Cs-doped resins are prone to volatilize during the thermal treatment process and cause radionuclide leakage. The molten salt oxidation (MSO) can effectively prevent the volatilization of toxic metal, especially the volatilization of Cs. Under nitrogen and air conditions, it is found that the oxidation behavior between Cs-doped and clean cation exchange resins (CERs) is quite different. In the presence of oxygen and molten carbonate salt, Cs 2 CO 3 is generated by the destruction of functional groups in Cs-doped CERs. The Cs 2 CO 3 in Na 2 CO 3 -K 2 CO 3 -Li 2 CO 3 reacts with oxygen to form Li 2 O 2 , which reduces the content of S in residue from 26.33 to 13.38% in air conditions at 400 °C and promotes the generation of sulfate in the molten carbonate salt. The elements Cs and S in the Cs doped CERs spontaneously form thermally stable Cs 2 SO 4 in the molten carbonate salt.