DEVELOPMENT OF ENGINEERING SCALE EXTRACTION CHROMATOGRAPHY SEPARATION SYSTEM (3) DESIGNING OF PRE-COLUMN SYSTEM FOR SLUDGE REMOVAL

Abstract

High level liquid waste generated from reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel contains various metal ions and is possible to form precipitations so called as sludge. The sludge will significantly influence on extraction chromatography technology for trivalent minor actinide (MA(III)) recovery. Applicability of a pre-column as a filter for removal of the sludge was experimentally evaluated. In this study, remote handling media exchanging experiments were carried out, and a concept of the pre-column system was proposed based on the results.

Three types of column were made, and 5 experiments were carried out. The media of the pre-column was porous silica particle. Bed of the particle was successfully made by supplying slurry of porous silica particle with water from upper inlet of the column through a tube pump. Since the media formed block, it interfered water current on ejecting porous silica particle. When water flow to the column was slow, porous silica particle settled down even if water was fed from lower inlet. Trickling basis system with upper outlet was the most suitable system, but the operation to control the media block behavior and optimization of water flow is needed.