Ultrasonic Disintegration of Metal in Liquid Radioactive Waste.

Background

Radioactive wastes are generated during nuclear fuel cycle operation, production and
application of radioisotope in medicine, industry, research, and agriculture, and as a
byproduct of natural resource exploitation, which includes mining and processing of ores,
combustion of fossil fuels, or production of natural gas.

Table 1. Sources of aqueous liquid radioactive wastes [1].

Source Typical radioisotopes Characteristics
Nuclear research Might include relatively long  Generally uniform batches with nearly
centers lived, mixed with short lived neutral pH from regeneration of ion
exchange resins
Radioisotopes Lab. Wide variety depending upon  Small volumes of high specific activity
production production and purity of and high chemical concentrations
targets.  Larger volumes of low specific activity
Radio-labeling and 14C, 3H, 32P, 35S, 125I  Small volume of predictable chemical
radiopharmaceutic composition
als
Medical diagnosis 99Tcm, 131I, 85Sr  Large volumes of urine from patients
and treatment  Small volumes from preparation and
treatment
Scientific research Variable, with short and long  Extremely variable
lived
radioisotopes
Industrial and pilot Depends upon application  Volumes could be large and chemical
plants composition undefined
Laundry and Wide variety likely  Large volumes with low specific
decontamination activity but
containing complexing agents

Liquid radioactive wastes are generally treated by one or more of these processes for
radionuclide removal:

• Filtration
• Demineralization
• Adsorption
• Evaporation
• Phase separation
• Reverse osmosis
Ultrasonic Radiation (Sonication)

Acoustic Cavitation

When liquids that contains solids are irradiated with ultrasound, related phenomena can
occur [1,2].

i. When cavitation occurs near an extended solid surface, the implosion is

asymmetric, expelling a jet of liquid at roughly 400 kilometers per hour. These
jets and associated shock waves can cause substantial surface damage and
expose fresh, highly heated surfaces The implosion also heats the gases inside
the cavity to 5,500 degrees Celsius. Both the heat and the jet contribute to a
unique chemical environment in the liquid,
ii. Pressure of ~ 1000 bar and
iii. heating and cooling rates of >1012 K s−1)

are generated within an otherwise cold liquid.

1.
2. Inside a Collapsing Bubble: Sonoluminescence and the Conditions During
Cavitation, Kenneth S. Suslick1 and David J. Flannigan2: Annu. Rev. Phys.
Chem. 59:659–83 2008.
 3. Suslick, K. S. "Sonochemistry," Science, 247, 1439-45, 1990.
4. The treatment of radioactive wastewater by ultrasonic standing wave method:
Journal of hazardous materials 274C:41-45 · April 2014
5.

metal ions from radioactive wastewater