Enhanced prediction of Cs removal by CST from Hanford tank waste with K accountability

The treatment of Hanford tank waste is one of the most challenging environmental cleanup activities to date. To expedite the processing of liquid waste stored in underground tanks in Washington State it is necessary to remove the significant dose contributor, 137Cs. Crystalline silicotitanate ion exchanger is currently used to remove 137Cs from the aqueous phase of Hanford tank wastes in preparation for vitrification at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). Improving the understanding of potassium impacts on ion exchange behavior of Cs will help in the operation of a critical component of one of the most complex treatment processes in the world today. Optimization of this process can result in significant cost savings and less waste production. Toward this effort, a series of batch contact tests varied in potassium concentration were conducted to look at the impact of potassium concentration on Cs distribution. Experimental distribution ratios (Kd) were compared to the distribution ratios predicted using the ZAM model. A significant underprediction of Cs capacity in the presence of potassium was seen with the existing model. A revision of the equilibrium constants was determined and provided a statistically better fit for determining the Cs Kd values in tank waste matrices.