Method of recycling c-14 in spent resin and apparatus for recycling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024158602-A1
Application number	US-202318498784-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 31, 2023
Priority date	Nov 1, 2022
Publication date	May 16, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of recycling C-14 in a spent resin, the method includes: i) heating a spent resin raw material including 14CO2 in the presence of moisture by microwave irradiation; ii) refluxing, by condensation, water vapor in a first processing gas produced by the microwave irradiation and released from the spent resin raw material; and iii) removing water vapor from the first processing gas by the refluxing, and transporting a second processing gas including 14CO2, which is released from the spent resin raw material, to the outside, and to an apparatus for recycling the same.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of recycling C-14 in a spent resin, the method comprising:
i) heating a spent resin raw material including 14 CO 2 in the presence of moisture by microwave irradiation; ii) refluxing, by condensation, water vapor in a first processing gas produced by the microwave irradiation and released from the spent resin raw material; and iii) removing water vapor from the first processing gas by the refluxing, and transporting a second processing gas including 14 CO 2 , which is released from the spent resin raw material, to the outside.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the moisture in step i) comprises moisture contained in the spent resin raw material and moisture derived from water input from the outside.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the amount of moisture in step i) is 80 to 250 parts by weight per 100 parts by dry weight of the spent resin raw material.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the spent resin raw material is heated by microwave irradiation for 30 to 120 minutes to a temperature of 70 to 100° C.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the spent resin raw material comprises a spent ion exchange resin from a heavy water nuclear power plant.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the ion exchange resin comprises at least one resin selected from the group consisting of IRN-77, IRN-78, and IRN-150.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
purging dissolved gases in water by a carrier gas being input, prior to step i) above.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining a final processing gas including 14 CO 2 by removing water vapor including 3 T 2 O residual in the second processing gas.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the water vapor including the 3 T 2 O is removed by at least one of condensation, absorption, and adsorption so that a final processing gas is obtained.

10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
compressing and storing the final processing gas.

11 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
producing Ba 14 CO 3 by contacting 14 CO 2 in the final processing gas with a CO 2 absorbent including Ba(OH) 2 .

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
removing the produced Ba 14 CO 3 , and reusing an unreacted CO 2 absorbent (Ba(OH) 2 ) to be in contact with 14 CO 2 .

13 . An apparatus for recycling C-14 in a spent resin, the apparatus comprising:
a microwave irradiation unit 100 configured to irradiate and heat a spent resin raw material including 14 CO 2 in the presence of moisture with a microwave; a reflux unit 110 configured to reflux water vapor of a first processing gas produced in the microwave irradiation unit 100 and released from the spent resin raw material by condensation; and a transportation unit 120 configured to transport a second processing gas including 14 CO 2 , which is removed by refluxing water vapor from the first processing gas, released from the spent resin raw material, to the outside.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the microwave irradiation unit 100 further comprises an inlet 130 configured to introduce water into the spent resin raw material from the outside.

15 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the microwave irradiation unit 100 further comprises a carrier gas injection port 140 configured to purge dissolved gases in water.

16 . The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising:
a tritium removal unit 200 configured to obtain a final processing gas including 14 CO 2 by removing water vapor including 3 T 2 O residual in the second processing gas.

17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the tritium removal unit 200 comprises a tritium condensation unit 210 , a tritium absorption unit 220 , and a tritium adsorption unit 230 .

18 . The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising:
a storage unit 300 configured to compress and store the final processing gas.

19 . The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising:
a 14 CO 2 adsorption unit 400 configured to produce Ba 14 CO 3 by contacting 14 CO 2 in the final processing gas with a CO 2 absorbent (Ba(CO) 2 ).

20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , further comprising:
a CO 2 absorbent recycling unit 500 configured to remove the produced Ba 14 CO 3 , and reuse an unreacted CO 2 absorbent (Ba(OH) 2 ) to be in contact with 14 CO 2 .

Assignees

• Korea Atomic Energy Res

Inventors

• Lee Ki Rak
• Park Hwan Seo
• Park Geun Il
• Kim Ga Yeong
• Choi Jung Hoon
• Kang Hyun Woo

Classifications

• G21F9/02 Primary

  Treating gases · CPC title

• G21F9/12

  by absorption; by adsorption; by ion-exchange · CPC title

• C08J11/14 Primary

  by treatment with steam or water · CPC title

• C08J2325/06

  Polystyrene · CPC title

• C08J11/06 Primary

  without chemical reactions · CPC title