Chemical derivatization to enhance chemical/oxidative stability of resorcinol-formaldehyde resin

The goal of this task is to develop modified resorcinol-formaldehyde (R-F) resin to improve the chemical/oxidative stability of the resin. R-F resin is a regenerable organic ion-exchange resin that is selective for cesium ion in highly alkaline, high ionic-strength solutions. R-F resin tends to undergo chemical degradation, reducing its ability to remove cesium ion from waste solutions; the mechanistic details of these decomposition reactions are currently unknown. The approach used for this task is chemical modification of the resin structure, particularly the resorcinol ring unit of the polymer resin. This approach is based on prior characterization studies conducted at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) that indicated the facile chemical degradation of the resin is oxidation of the resorcinol ring to the para-quinone structure, with subsequent loss of ion-exchange sites for cesium ion. R-F resin represents an important alternative to current radiocesium remediation technology for tank wastes at both the Hanford and Savannah River sites, particularly if regenerable resins are needed