No abstract

The Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) was home to nuclear fuel reprocessing activities for decades at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. As a result of the reprocessing activities, INTEC has accumulated approximately one million gallons of acidic, radioactive, sodium-bearing waste (SBW). The purpose of this demonstration was to investigate a steam reforming technology, offered by THOR sm Treatment Technologies, LLC, for treatment of the SBW into a "road ready" waste form that would meet the waste acceptance criteria for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). A non-radioactive simulated SBW was used based on the known composition of waste tank WM-180 at INTEC. Rhenium was included as a nonradioactive surrogate for technetium.Data were collected to determine the nature and characteristics of the product, the operability of the technology, the composition of the off-gases, and the fate of key radionuclides (cesium and technetium) and volatile mercury compounds. The product contained a significant fraction of elemental carbon residues in the cyclone and filter vessel catches. Mercury was quantitatively stripped from the product but cesium, rhenium (Tc surrogate), and the heavy metals were retained. Nitrates were not detected in the product and NO x destruction exceeded 98%. The demonstration was successful. iv v SUMMARY THOR sm Treatment Technologies, LLC (TTT) was awarded a contract to demonstrate its steam reforming technology on non-radioactive, simulated tank WM-180 sodium-bearing waste using government furnished equipment built and operated by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) in Idaho Falls, Idaho. TTT specified the flow sheet conditions and provided additives for the demonstration. Performance dates were January 6 through January 26, 2003 to conduct preliminary optimization tests and execute a successful 100-hour demonstration run.After a few days of proving and optimizing the flow sheet conditions, the demonstration run was started January 13 and completed January 17, 2003. The 100-hr demonstration run was successfully completed. The sodium-bearing waste simulant was converted into a freely-flowing powder and NO x destruction was excellent. Details of the process flow sheet and data that were collected on product and off-gas characteristics are contained within the report. vi vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThe demonstration test is a product of diligent efforts from many persons in several different organizations. Test system design and construction, and test operation, was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy through the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) High Level Waste Program Idaho Tank Farm Project. The INEEL designed and fabricated the reformer vessel, provided a high-level design for the complete process, and directed the test system installation at the Science Applications International Corporation's (SAIC) Science and Technology Application Research (STAR) Center in Idaho Falls, Idaho. SAIC completed th...

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) documented, in 2002, a plan for accelerating cleanup of the Hanford Site, located in southeastern Washington State, by at least 35 years. A key element of the plan was acceleration of the tank waste program and completion of ''tank waste treatment by 2028 by increasing the capacity of the planned Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) and using supplemental technologies for waste treatment and immobilization.'' The plan identified steam reforming technology as a candidate for supplemental treatment of as much as 70% of the low-activity waste (LAW).Mineralizing steam reforming technology, offered by THOR Treatment Technologies, LLC would produce a denitrated, granular mineral waste form using a high-temperature fluidized bed process. A pilot scale demonstration of the technology was completed in a 15-cm-diameter reactor vessel. The pilot scale facility was equipped with a cyclone separator and heated sintered metal filters for particulate removal, a thermal oxidizer for reduced gas species and NO x destruction, and a packed activated carbon bed for residual volatile species capture. The pilot scale equipment is owned by the DOE, but located at the Science and Technology Applications Research (STAR) Center in Idaho Falls, ID. Pilot scale testing was performed August 2-5, 2004. Flowsheet chemistry and operational parameters were defined through a collaborative effort involving Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), and THOR Treatment Technologies personnel. Science Application International Corporation, owners of the STAR Center, personnel performed actual pilot scale operation.The pilot scale test achieved a total of 68.4 hrs of cumulative/continuous processing operation before termination in response to a bed de-fluidization condition. 178 kg of LAW surrogate were processed that resulted in 148 kg of solid product, a mass reduction of about 17%. The process achieved essentially complete bed turnover within approximately 40 hours. Samples of mineralized solid product materials were analyzed for chemical/physical properties. SRNL will report separately the results of product performance testing that were accomplished. v EXECUTIVE SUMMARYThe US Department of Energy (DOE) desired further experimental data, with regard to fluidized bed steam reforming (FBSR) technology, to make informed decisions concerning the selection of supplemental treatment technology for Hanford low-activity waste (LAW) and to support a 2006 decision date. Radioactive experimental data were desired to provide the most beneficial information to DOE. It was recognized that there was not an experimental fluidized bed test system/facility available to generate experimental radioactive data in the desired time frame. Therefore, a collaboration involving laboratory work at Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) and pilot scale work at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) was initiated to provide the information in the requir...

No abstract

Lumbar punctures were done on 114 consecutive active duty patients referred for evaluation of positive tests for antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Eighty-eight percent of these patients appeared to have early HIV infections, as evidenced by intact delayed hypersensitivity, T helper lymphocyte counts greater than 400/mm3, and lack of constitutional symptoms. Forty-four (38.6%) of the patients met our criteria for abnormal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF); another 13 (11.4%) had borderline elevations of nucleated cells or protein and could not be definitely classified as having normal or abnormal CSF. No significant differences existed between the patients with normal and abnormal CSF with regard to age; sex; race; serum FTA-Abs; clinical staging; absolute T helper lymphocyte counts; or cytomegalovirus, Toxoplasma, or Epstein-Barr virus serologies. Seventy-two percent of the patients with abnormal CSF had evidence of possible viral infection of the central nervous system (CNS), as evidenced by increased CSF IgG, increased IgG synthesis rates, or the presence of oligoclonal bands. We found that a significant percentage of asymptomatic patients with apparent early HIV infections have abnormal CSF that is possibly due to CNS involvement by HIV.