NUCLEAR PROGRAMS

Nuclear Programs

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The Advanced Separations and Radiochemistry Department at the

Idaho National Laboratory

(INL) is composed of

scientists and engineers that

specialize in a variety of

chemical and physical

separation technologies.

They are world renowned

for their expertise in and

development of solvent

extraction, ion exchange/

adsorption, and filtration

processes and equipment.

Experience gained in both

reducing or even eliminating

by-products and waste.

Process Intensification

Achieving fast and selective

separations with high product

recovery calls for the latest

technologies and applications

tailored to meet demanding

process needs. After conducting

a complete process evaluation,

the Separations Team applies

existing technologies or

develops new ones, combining

the right mix of science and

Advanced

Separation Technologies

the Department of Energy

complex as well as in

commercial industry provides the unique capabilities

to make chemical and

physical separations more

effective and economical.

Improving the end product

through advanced separation

technologies provides a real

advantage in today’s competitive industrial market. More

efficient separations improve

the quality and quantity of the

product and rapidly returns

the capital investment while

INL is world renowned for its

expertise in and development

of solvent extraction, ion

exchange/adsorption, and

filtration processes and

equipment.
NUCLEAR PROGRAMS

applied engineering to fully

maximize the separation

process. Numerous patents

have been awarded to team

members for both process and

equipment design innovations.

Whether flowsheet development, process conversion from

batch to continuous mode,

process scale-up, startup,

testing, or modeling, the

Separations Team has the

know-how to deliver highly

beneficial consulting services.

From laboratory to production

scale, or even from concept

through demonstration of a

custom separation, we can

provide cost effective testing

and development. We will

provide the needed answers on

process design, throughput,

product quality, and cost to

enable decisions based on facts,

not promises. Process intensification means faster, better, less

expensive processing is

accomplished with savings in

manpower, energy, product,

and time.

Solvent Extraction

The Separations Team specializes in liquid-liquid centrifuges

known as annular centrifugal

contactors. These patented

devices are designed to replace

multiple tanks, mixer settlers,

and countercurrent columns in

solvent extraction processes

that have fast kinetics (when

the transfer of the desired

material from one liquid phase

to another happens in a few

seconds). On an even broader

scope, this technology is being

used to convert industrial

processes from batch to

continuous in separation,

washing, extraction and

reaction operations.

Single and multi-stage

contactor advantages:

Continued from previous page • Extraction efficiency of 90%

or greater in a single unit

• Lower in-process volume

and solvent inventory

• Mixing and separation in

seconds

• Rapid phase coalescence at

200-400 G’s of force

This bank of four 5 cm diameter rotor contactors employs transparent housings

for mixing and fluid discharge evaluations as well as all stainless units for use

with aggressive solvents and remote application design.

The INL is developing high volume

solvent extraction process

flowsheets using 12.5 cm diameter

rotor contactors with throughputs

of up to 20 liters per minute.
NUCLEAR PROGRAMS

contract research, development,

and proof of principle, on a

wide variety of feedstocks. The

result is innovative separation

processes that improve yield,

save money and time, and

reduce waste.

Ion Exchange and

Adsorption

Team members have a wide

range of experience in the

development, design, and

application of ion exchange/

adsorbtion separations for

difficult applications. For

example, one specialty is

efficiently separating desired

species from streams with

high concentrations of

competing ions or compounds. The team synthesizes

highly selective and highcapacity media or modifies

• Tolerance to rapid changes

in flow rate and ratio of

phases

• Equilibrium in minutes,

versus hours or days

• Minimal facilities required

due to small footprint

• Gravity feed and discharge

capability

• Direct stage connections for

countercurrent processing.

Services offered include design,

development, modeling, and

testing of separation processes

for industrial applications. The

INL has laboratories, pilot

plants, and shielded cells for

contactor studies in a wide

range of single and multi-stage

processes. Centrifugal

contactors of various designs

and sizes are available for

existing materials to improve

kinetics, capacity, and mechanical properties. Several patented

technologies are available for

commercial applications.

Media packed columns

perform like a large number

of batch contactors in series

where each “layer” generates

a more pure product stream

than the preceding one. As

such, this technology can

provide very efficient, high

purity separations in a very

small footprint.

Laboratory and pilot-scale

tests are made to evaluate

proposed separation technologies. INL radiological facilities enable the team to employ

radioactive “tracers” for

Continued next page

SEM micrograph of highly porous adsorption media

developed at the INL.

Pilot scale ion exchange column testing.

Bench-scale apparatus for testing ion

exchange materials.
NUCLEAR PROGRAMS

05-GA50784

A U.S. Department of Energy

National Laboratory

Terry Todd

Dept Manager

(208) 526-3365

terry.todd@inl.gov

Scott Herbst

(208) 526-6836

r.herbst@inl.gov

Troy Tranter

(208) 526-5447

troy.tranter@inl.gov

David Meikrantz

(208) 526-4636

david.meikrantz@inl.gov

http://nuclear.inl.gov

For more information:

Continued from previous page

process development and

testing, facilitating quick,

accurate, low cost measurement of system performance.

Filtration

For any given solid/liquid

separation, the team determines the best filter media and

filter type available to meet the

specific process demands.

Tests are then performed to

optimize operation, develop

physical or chemical cleaning

cycles, as well as the means to

monitor filter performance.

This selection and evaluation

ensures that the right equipment and process steps are

installed giving the best cost/

benefit ratio and eliminating

the frustration of trial and

error filter tests at the

production facility.

Members of the team have

extensive expertise in the

design and testing of micro

and ultrafiltration membranes,

candle filters, and cross-flow

filters using either tubular or

rotating circular membranes.

Tested applications range

from biomass (hydrolysate)

separations or sugar feedstocks processing to highly

radioactive nuclear waste

partitioning. Filtration

systems design and evaluation

services are available to meet

the needs of a wide range of

industrial applications.

Rapid and efficient evaluation

of tubular membranes for self

cleaning cross flow filters is

conducted in our Cells Unit

Filter apparatus. Automation

of difficult filtration operations

saves man hours and money as

compared to more conventional techniques. Additional

laboratory and pilot plant

facilities are also available for

process evaluations at production rates.

Bench-scale cross-flow filter

apparatus for testing ultrafiltration methods.

Cross Flow Filtration

Pressure

Difference

Fluid

Velocity

Filtrate

Bulk Stream

Particle Layer

Membrane

Particle

Concentration

05-GA50193-02