VITROKELE COMPOSITIONS: NOVEL, HIGH AFFINITY, METAL SELECTIVE AND REGENERABLE MEDIA FOR THE REMOVAL OF RADIOACTIVE METALS FROM AQUEOUS NUCLEAR WASTE STREAMS.

Aqueous nuclear waste streams containing various amounts of fission and activation products, together with different amounts of non-radioactive metal ions, present a significant waste disposal problem. Such streams require substantial volume reduction or treatment to high decontamination factors for their effective handling. The variable levels of activity and amounts of competing non-active metal ions present problems to the application of conventional ion exchange materials in the processing of these wastes. This paper describes new technology, the DeVoe-Holbein Technology, which provides highly efficient and effective means for handling a variety of nuclear waste streams. DeVoe-Holbein Technology consists of a novel series of synthetic (Vitrokele) compositions and various processes for their use. The compositions are highly efficient at metal capture, are selective for individual or groups of metals, allow high flow throughputs, are mechanically stable, and can be regenerated with small amounts of regenerant, solidified or vitrified directly.