REDUCTION OF LOW-LEVEL RADWASTE DISPOSAL IN WATER CLEAN-UP SYSTEMS BY USE OF MAGNETITE-

ORGANIC ION-EXCHANGERS ARE CURRENTLY USED TO CLEAN UP WATER IN BOILING WATER REACTORS. THIS PROCEDURE CREATES LARGE VOLUMES OF RADWASTE FOR DISPOSAL AND IS UNABLE TO MEET FEDERAL REGULATIONS FOR WASTE CHARACTERISTICS. THE POSSIBILITY OF REPLACING THE LOW-TEMPERATURE, ION EXCHANGE BEDS BY HIGH-TEMPERATURE, HIGH-PRESSURE MAGNETITE BEDS HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED. THIS WOULD SIG- NIFICANTLY REDUCE THE SIZE AND THE COSTS OF THE RAD- WASTE DISPOSAL. BESIDES, IT WOULD ALSO ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR HEAT EXCHANGERS, RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT HEAT SAVINGS AND THUS ADDITIONAL COST REDUCTIONS, AND WOULD SIMPLIFY CLEAN-UP PROCEDURES THAT WOULD IN TURN REDUCE THE POSSIBILITY OF RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION OF THE SURROUNDINGS AND THE RADIOACTIVE EXPOSURE OF THE PERSONNEL. TO ACHIEVE THIS, RESEARCH IS PLANNED TO SYNTHESIZE AND CHARACTERIZE POROUS MAGNETITE BEADS; TO DETERMINE THE EFFICIENCY OF CO60 AND THE OVERALL RADIO- ACTIVITY REMOVAL BY MAGNETITE; AND TO SUDY THE EFFECT OF OTHER IONS ON CO60 ADSORPTION CAPACITY, THE THRESHOLD TEMPERATURE AT WHICH MAGNETITE BECOMES EFFECTIVE, AND THE RELEASE OF CO60 AND OTHER SPECIES AT THE SHUTDOWN TEMPERATURES, OPTIMAL BED DEPTHS, ETC.