Treatment of liquid radioactive waste containing uranium, by means of ion exchange

The mining of Uranium generates two types of liquid radioactive wastes, containing Uranium, aqueous and organic, both having particular characteristics and requiring different treatments. The present work shows our experience in the treatment of radioactive waste containing Uranium in sulfuric acid. We made different tests to determine the operation conditions for the decontamination of this radioactive waste. Chemical precipitation, evaporation and ion exchange were studied. This last process generated the best results expressed in decontamination factors and volume reduction. The paper presents results of this process. In this process we obtain decontamination factors over 98% and Uranium concentration less than 3 [ppm]. Product of this process we reduced the waste volume from 8 [m3] of liquid to 140 [l] of resin. (author)