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Title: Cementitious stabilization of chromium, arsenic, and selenium in a cooling tower sludge

Abstract

The Federal Facility Compliance Agreement (FFCA) establishes an aggressive schedule for conducting studies and treatment method development under the treatability exclusion of RCRA for those mixed wastes for which treatment methods and capabilities have yet to be defined. One of these wastes is a radioactive cooling tower sludge. This paper presents some results of a treatability study of the stabilization of this cooling tower sludge in cementitious waste forms. The sample of the cooling tower sludge obtained for this study was found to be not characteristically hazardous in regard to arsenic, barium, chromium, lead, and selenium, despite the waste codes associated with this waste. However, the scope of this study included spiking three RCRA metals to two orders of magnitude above the initial concentration to test the limits of cementitious stabilization. Chromium and arsenic were spiked at concentrations of 200, 2,000, and 20,000 mg/kg, and selenium was spiked at 100, 1,000, and 10,000 mg/kg (concentrations based on the metal in the sludge solids). Portland cement, Class F fly ash, and slag were selected as stabilizing agents in the present study. Perlite, a fine, porous volcanic rock commonly used as a filter aid, was used as a water-sorptive agent in thismore » study in order to control bleed water for high water contents. The highly porous perlite dust absorbs large amounts of water by capillary action and does not present the handling and processing problems exhibited by clays used for bleed water control.« less

Authors:
; ;  [1]
  1. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States). Chemical Technology Div.
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
72899
Report Number(s):
CONF-950646-18
ON: DE95012892; TRN: AHC29519%%24
DOE Contract Number:  
AC05-84OR21400
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Conference: Air and Waste Management Association meeting, San Antonio, TX (United States), 18-23 Jun 1995; Other Information: PBD: [1995]
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
05 NUCLEAR FUELS; OAK RIDGE RESERVATION; RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING; SLUDGES; CEMENTING; COOLING TOWERS; CHROMIUM; STABILIZATION; ARSENIC; SELENIUM; WASTE PRODUCT UTILIZATION; ASHES; SLAGS; LEACHING; WASTE FORMS; DENSITY; CHEMICAL COMPOSITION; EXPERIMENTAL DATA

Citation Formats

Spence, R D, Gilliam, T M, and Bleier, A. Cementitious stabilization of chromium, arsenic, and selenium in a cooling tower sludge. United States: N. p., 1995. Web. doi:10.2172/72899.
Spence, R D, Gilliam, T M, & Bleier, A. Cementitious stabilization of chromium, arsenic, and selenium in a cooling tower sludge. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/72899
Spence, R D, Gilliam, T M, and Bleier, A. 1995. "Cementitious stabilization of chromium, arsenic, and selenium in a cooling tower sludge". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/72899. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/72899.
@article{osti_72899,
title = {Cementitious stabilization of chromium, arsenic, and selenium in a cooling tower sludge},
author = {Spence, R D and Gilliam, T M and Bleier, A},
abstractNote = {The Federal Facility Compliance Agreement (FFCA) establishes an aggressive schedule for conducting studies and treatment method development under the treatability exclusion of RCRA for those mixed wastes for which treatment methods and capabilities have yet to be defined. One of these wastes is a radioactive cooling tower sludge. This paper presents some results of a treatability study of the stabilization of this cooling tower sludge in cementitious waste forms. The sample of the cooling tower sludge obtained for this study was found to be not characteristically hazardous in regard to arsenic, barium, chromium, lead, and selenium, despite the waste codes associated with this waste. However, the scope of this study included spiking three RCRA metals to two orders of magnitude above the initial concentration to test the limits of cementitious stabilization. Chromium and arsenic were spiked at concentrations of 200, 2,000, and 20,000 mg/kg, and selenium was spiked at 100, 1,000, and 10,000 mg/kg (concentrations based on the metal in the sludge solids). Portland cement, Class F fly ash, and slag were selected as stabilizing agents in the present study. Perlite, a fine, porous volcanic rock commonly used as a filter aid, was used as a water-sorptive agent in this study in order to control bleed water for high water contents. The highly porous perlite dust absorbs large amounts of water by capillary action and does not present the handling and processing problems exhibited by clays used for bleed water control.},
doi = {10.2172/72899},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/72899}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1995},
month = {Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1995}
}