Wr. Wilmarth et al., Transuranium removal from Hanford High Level Waste simulants using sodium permanganate and calcium, J RAD NUCL, 247(3), 2001, pp. 501-506
Hanford High Level Waste will require processing to reduce the concentratio
n of various actinide elements prior to encapsulation into low activity gla
ss for disposition. High level waste at Hanford contains elevated actinide
concentrations in the supernate because of organic complexants present in t
he tanks. Traditional removal strategies are not viable processing sequence
s for the Hanford tanks containing complexants. Reported here is a novel ac
tinide decontamination strategy. This pretreatment sequence consists of add
ition of calcium nitrate and sodium permanganate The observed optimum decon
tamination efficiencies for plutonium and americium are more than 99.5%.