Results of Caustic Dissolution of ALuminosilicate Scale and Characterization Data for Samples from the Evaporator Pot and Gravity Drain Line

摘要

The build-up of sodium aluminosilicate scale in the 2H Evaporator system continues to cause operational difficulties. The use of a nitric acid cleaning operation proved successful in 2001. However, the operation required additional facilities to support spent cleaning solution neutralization and was quite costly. A proposed caustic cleaning flowsheet has many advantages over the acid flowsheet. Therefore, samples were retrieved from the evaporator system (gravity drain line and pot) for both chemical and radiological characterization and dissolution testing. The characterization of these scale samples showed the presence of nitrated cancrinite along with a dehydrated zeolite. Small amounts of depleted uranium were also found in these samples as expected and the amount of uranium ranged from 0.5 wt% to 2 wt%. Dissolution in sodium hydroxide solutions of various caustic concentrations showed that the scale slowly dissolves at elevated temperature (90 C). Data from similar testing indicate that the scale removed from the GDL in 2005 dissolves slower than that removed in 1997. Differences in the particle size of these samples of scale may well explain the measured dissolution rate differences.