Open Access

ARTICLE

Dissolution and Degradation of Spent Radioactive Cation Exchange Resin by Fenton Oxidation Combining Microwave

Jiangbo Li^1,2, Lielin Wang^1,2,*, Hua Xie^1,2, Xiaoyu Li^1,2, Zhiqiang Feng^1,2, Wenxiu Zhang^1,2

1 Fundamental Science on Nuclear Waste and Environmental Safety Laboratory, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, China
2 National Co-Innovation Center for Nuclear Waste Disposal and Environmental Safety, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, China

* Corresponding Author: Lielin Wang. Email:

Energy Engineering 2020, 117(3), 129-142. https://doi.org/10.32604/EE.2020.010336

Received 27 February 2020; Accepted 19 May 2020; Issue published 10 July 2020

Abstract

This study introduced a significantly effective approach called the microwave-enhanced Fenton method to degrade spent radioactive cation exchange resin. Compared with the Fenton (99% after 180 min) and photo-Fenton (90% after 198 min) reactions, this unique microwave-enhanced Fenton reaction has the highest degradation rate for spent radioactive cation exchange resin degradation (98.55% after 60 min). Carbon dioxide, sulfate and small molecular compounds were produced in the degradation of cation exchange resin, as determined by XRD and FT-IR. A model for the microwave-enhanced Fenton degradation mechanism of cation exchange resin was constructed. Microwaves were implemented to boost the concentration of hydroxyl radicals in the Fenton reaction so that the cation resin infiltrated and formed a channel to facilitate entrance of hydroxyl groups into the interior of the resin. This paper provides a method for accelerating the treatment of spent radioactive ion exchange resin, which could exert a signifi- cant influence on the degradation pathway for radioactive organic matter.

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