Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Korean Nuclear Society (한국원자력학회)
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Iron hydrolysis and lithium uptake on mixed-bed ion exchange resin at alkaline pH

  • Olga Y. Palazhchenko (University of New Brunswick) ;
  • Jane P. Ferguson (University of New Brunswick) ;
  • William G. Cook (University of New Brunswick)
  • Received : 2023.01.17
  • Accepted : 2023.06.19
  • Published : 2023.10.25
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Abstract

The use of ion exchange resins to remove ionic impurities from solution is prevalent in industrial process systems, including in the primary heat transport system (PHTS) purification circuit of nuclear power plants. Despite its extensive use in the nuclear industry, our general understanding of ion exchange cannot fully explain the complex chemistry in ion exchange beds, particularly when operated at or near their saturation limit. This work investigates the behaviour of mixed-bed ion exchange resin, saturated with species representative of corrosion products in a CANDU (Canadian Deuterium Uranium) reactor PHTS, particularly with respect to iron chemistry in the resin bed and the removal of lithium ions from solution. Experiments were performed under deaerated conditions, analogous to normal PHTS operation. The results show interesting iron chemistry, suggesting the hydrolysis of cation resin bound ferrous species and the subsequent formation of either a solid hydrolysis product or the soluble, anionic Fe(OH)3-.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

Funding for this work was mainly provided through the federal Student Work Placement Program (SWPP). The CANDU Owners Group (COG) and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories are thanked for funding initial R&D work that inspired this project. Purolite is thanked for providing all resin free-of-charge. Ms. Fiona Baker and Ms. Blerina Vata are thanked for assisting with experiments and performing UV-Vis analysis, and Mr. Ben Loder and Mr. Steven Cogswell are thanked for performing IC and SEM analysis, respectively. The authors are also grateful to Dr. Craig Stuart for input and helpful discussions.

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