Study of thermal stability for tertiary pyridine ion exchange resin and anti-corrosion property of structural material toward eluents used in the advanced ORIENT cycle process

A multi-functional separation process is proposed as one of the technologies for implementing the Adv.-ORIENT (Advanced Optimization by Recycling Instructive ElemeNTs) Cycle concept 1]. The tertiary pyridine-type anion exchange resin (TPR) embedded in silica beads (silica-supported TPR) was demonstrated suitable for the separation process of actinides from spent fuel. In this process, hydrochloric acid (HCl) and a mixture of nitric acid (HNO₃) and methanol (MeOH) are used as eluents. In order to apply this process to an engineering plant scale, two important issues must be evaluated to prove the system suitability. One is an environmental aspect represented by the use of HCl solution which is corrosive to many materials. The other is clarification of the reactive safety of silica-supported TPR and the HNO₃–MeOH solvent mixture. Four types of metals, Ta, Zr, Nb, and Hastelloy-B (28%Mo–Ni) were selected as candidate materials which are anti-corrosive toward HCl. Corrosion experiments were conducted in HCl type simulated high level liquid waste (SHLLW) solution at room temperature for a maximum 720 h and at 90 °C for 336 h. Ta showed an all-round anti-corrosion property in HCl type SHLLW solution, and Hastelloy-B was only acceptable at room temperature. Thermal analysis by differential scanning calorimetry was done to investigate the thermal stability of silica-supported TPR-NO₃/MeOH/HNO₃ mixtures. Heating experiment results on a gram scale were also obtained and evaluated to determine the conditions necessary to avoid runaway reactions. As a result, it was confirmed that a vigorous exothermic reaction can be avoided by controlled decrease of temperature.