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US 12,567,510 B2Granted
Stepwise chemical separation methods and systems using resin packed columns
AssigneeSHINE Technologies, LLC
InventorsAbdul Momen, Marek Piechowicz, Riley McSweeny
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A waste extraction system that includes a column set positioned between and fluidly coupled to an upstream segment of a main waste pathway and a column effluent tank, the column set having a uranium adsorption column fluidly coupled to a supporting adsorption column along the main waste pathway. The uranium adsorption column is upstream the supporting adsorption column. The waste extraction system also includes a strip waste pathway extending from the uranium adsorption column to the column effluent tank bypassing the supporting adsorption column, an anion exchange resin housed in the uranium adsorption column, and a cation exchange resin housed in the supporting adsorption column.
Claims25
A method of radionuclide waste extraction, the method comprising:
- directing a waste stream from an upstream segment of a main waste pathway into a uranium adsorption column of a column set, wherein:
- the column set further comprises a supporting adsorption column fluidly coupled to the uranium adsorption column along the main waste pathway and positioned downstream the uranium adsorption column;
- and
- a strip waste pathway extends from the uranium adsorption column to a column effluent tank bypassing the supporting adsorption column;
- adsorbing uranium from the waste stream onto an anion exchange resin housed in the uranium adsorption column;
- directing the waste stream from the uranium adsorption column into the supporting adsorption column;
- and
- adsorbing one or more target radionuclides onto a cation exchange resin housed in the supporting adsorption column,
- wherein the one or more target radionuclides comprise strontium-90 and cesium-137 and are present in the waste stream at lower quantities than uranium.
6 more elements
A method of radionuclide waste extraction, the method comprising:
- directing a waste stream from an upstream segment of a main waste pathway into a uranium adsorption column of a column set, wherein:
- the waste stream in the upstream segment of the main waste pathway comprises 1 gram/liter of uranium or greater;
- the column set further comprises a supporting adsorption column fluidly coupled to the uranium adsorption column along the main waste pathway and positioned downstream the uranium adsorption column;
- and
- a strip waste pathway extends from the uranium adsorption column to a column effluent tank bypassing the supporting adsorption column;
- adsorbing uranium from the waste stream onto an anion exchange resin housed in the uranium adsorption column;
- directing the waste stream from the uranium adsorption column into the supporting adsorption column;
- and
- adsorbing one or more target radionuclides onto a cation exchange resin housed in the supporting adsorption column,
- wherein the target radionuclides are present in the waste stream at lower quantities than uranium.
7 more elements
A method of radionuclide waste extraction, the method comprising:
- directing a waste stream from an upstream segment of a main waste pathway into a uranium adsorption column of a column set, wherein:
- the column set further comprises a supporting adsorption column fluidly coupled to the uranium adsorption column along the main waste pathway and positioned downstream the uranium adsorption column;
- and
- a strip waste pathway extends from the uranium adsorption column to a column effluent tank bypassing the supporting adsorption column;
- adsorbing uranium from the waste stream onto an anion exchange resin housed in the uranium adsorption column;
- directing the waste stream from the uranium adsorption column into the supporting adsorption column;
- adsorbing one or more target radionuclides onto a cation exchange resin housed in the supporting adsorption column,
- directing an elution acid into the uranium adsorption column to desorb uranium from the anion exchange resin, forming a uranium waste stream;
- and
- directing the uranium waste stream to the column effluent tank along the strip waste pathway,
- wherein the target radionuclides are present in the waste stream at lower quantities than uranium.
8 more elements
A method of radionuclide waste extraction, the method comprising:
- directing a waste stream from an upstream segment of a main waste pathway into a uranium adsorption column of a column set, wherein:
- uranium comprises from 40% to 60% of total radionuclides in the waste stream;
- the column set further comprises a supporting adsorption column fluidly coupled to the uranium adsorption column along the main waste pathway and positioned downstream the uranium adsorption column;
- and
- a strip waste pathway extends from the uranium adsorption column to a column effluent tank bypassing the supporting adsorption column;
- adsorbing uranium from the waste stream onto an anion exchange resin housed in the uranium adsorption column;
- directing the waste stream from the uranium adsorption column into the supporting adsorption column;
- and
- adsorbing one or more target radionuclides onto a cation exchange resin housed in the supporting adsorption column,
- wherein the target radionuclides are present in the waste stream at lower quantities than uranium.
7 more elements
A method of radionuclide waste extraction, the method comprising:
- directing a waste stream from an upstream segment of a main waste pathway into a uranium adsorption column of a column set, wherein:
- a gram/liter level of uranium in the waste steam is at least 500 times greater than a gram/liter level of strontium-90 and cesium-137
- the column set further comprises a supporting adsorption column fluidly coupled to the uranium adsorption column along the main waste pathway and positioned downstream the uranium adsorption column;
- and
- a strip waste pathway extends from the uranium adsorption column to a column effluent tank bypassing the supporting adsorption column;
- adsorbing uranium from the waste stream onto an anion exchange resin housed in the uranium adsorption column;
- directing the waste stream from the uranium adsorption column into the supporting adsorption column;
- and
- adsorbing one or more target radionuclides onto a cation exchange resin housed in the supporting adsorption column,
- wherein the target radionuclides are present in the waste stream at lower quantities than uranium.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.