Chemistry of sludge washing and caustic leaching processes for selected Hanford tank wastes

摘要

A broad-based study on washing and caustic leaching of Hanford tank sludges was performed in FY 1995 to gain a better understanding of the basic chemical processes that underlie this process. This approach involved testing of the baseline sludge washing and caustic leaching method on several Hanford tank sludges, and characterization of the solids both before and after testing by electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. A thermodynamically based model was employed to help understand the factors involved in individual specie distribution in the various stages of the sludge washing and caustic leaching treatment. The behavior of the important chemical and radiochemical components throughout the testing is summarized and reviewed in this report.