Development of a solvent extraction process for cesium removal from SRS tank waste

An alkaline-side solvent extraction process was developed for cesium remova l from Savannah River Site (SRS) tank waste. The process was invented at Oa k Ridge National Laboratory and developed and tested at Argonne National La boratory using single-stage and multistage tests in a laboratory-scale cent rifugal contactor. The dispersion number, hydraulic performance, stage effi ciency, and general operability of the process flowsheet were determined. B ased on these tests, further solvent development work was done. The final s olvent formulation appears to be an excellent candidate for removing cesium from SRS tank waste.