Treatment of phosphogypsum waste produced from phosphate ore processing.

Phosphogypsum (PG), primary byproduct from phosphoric acid production, is accumulated in large stockpiles and occupies vast areas of land. Phosphogypsum is a technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive material (TE-NORM) that contains radionuclides from (238)U and (232)Th decay series which are of most radio-toxicity. The reduction in concentration of radionuclides content from PG was based on leaching of (226)Ra, (210)Pb, (238)U and (40)K using tri-butyl phosphate (TBP) and tri-octyl phosphine oxide (TOPO) in kerosene. The factors which affect the leaching process such as contact time, concentration of the solvent and temperature were optimized. Based on the experimental results, about 92.1, 88.9, 83.4, 94.6% of (226)Ra, (210)Pb, (238)U and (40)K respectively were successfully removed from the PG. The reduction in the concentration of radionuclides was accompanied by reduction in the concentration of rare earth elements (∑REE) equals to 80.1%. Using the desired organic extractant under optimum conditions for treatment of the PG waste leads to obtain a decontaminated product that can be safely used in many industrial applications.

Treatment of phosphogypsum waste using suitable organic extractants.

Phosphogypsum (PG) is a residue of the phosphate fertilizer industry that has relatively high concentrations of harmful radioactive materials. The reduction in concentration of the radionuclides from PG was investigated. The removal process is based on leaching of radionuclides using suitable organic extractants. The studied radionuclides were 226Ra, 210Pb, 238U and 40K. The factors affect the leaching process such as type of leaching materials, contact time, concentration of the desired solvent, liquid to solid ratio, and temperature were studied. Based on the experimental results, about 71.1, 76.4, 62.4, and 75.7% of 226Ra, 210Pb, 238U and 40K respectively were successfully removed from the PG. The reduction in the concentration of radionuclides was accompanied by reduction in the concentration of rare earth elements (∑REE) equals to 69.8%. Using the desired organic extractant under optimum conditions for treatment of the PG waste leads to obtain a decontaminated product that can be safely used in many industrial applications.

Sorption of lanthanum and erbium from aqueous solution by activated carbon prepared from rice husk.

A biomass agricultural waste material, rice husk (RH) was used for preparation of activated carbon by chemical activation using phosphoric acid. The effect of various factors, e.g. time, pH, initial concentration and temperature of carbon on the adsorption capacity of lanthanum and erbium was quantitatively determined. It was found that the monolayer capacity is 175.4 mg g(-1) for La(III) and 250 mg g(-1) for Er(III). The calculated activation energy of La(III) adsorption on the activated carbon derived from rice husk was equal to 5.84 kJ/mol while it was 3.6 kJ/mol for Er(III), which confirm that the reaction is mainly particle-diffusion-controlled. The kinetics of sorption was described by a model of a pseudo-second-order. External diffusion and intra-particular diffusion were examined. The experimental data show that the external diffusion and intra-particular diffusion are significant in the determination of the sorption rate. Therefore, the developed sorbent is considered as a better replacement technology for removal of La(III) and Er(III) ions from aqueous solution due to its low-cost and good efficiency, fast kinetics, as well as easy to handle and thus no or small amount of secondary sludge is obtained in this application.

Kinetics of acid leaching of ilmenite decomposed by KOH Part 2. Leaching by H2SO4 and C2H2O4.

A kinetic study of the leaching of ilmenite paste (resulting from ilmenite treatment by KOH) by sulfuric and oxalic acids has been investigated. The effects of the reaction agitation speed, ilmenite paste particle size, acid concentration, acid/paste mass ratio and temperature on titanium recovery percent from the KOH decomposed ilmenite are reported. The leaching rates are significantly influenced by the reaction temperature and acid concentration. The observed effects of the relevant operating variables on the leaching rates are consistent with a kinetic model for chemical control. The apparent activation energy for the leaching of titanium has been calculated using the Arrhenius expression. The data obtained are compared and discussed with available reported results. Further a flow diagram for production of TiO(2) based on KOH decomposition of ilmenite paste-oxalic acid leaching is given.

Sequential chemical treatment of radium species in TENORM waste sludge produced from oil and natural gas production.

This paper is dedicated to the treatment of sludge occurring in frame of the Egyptian produced from oil and gas production. The activity levels of three radium isotopes: Ra-226 (of U-series), Ra-228 and Ra-224 (of Th-series) in the solid TENORM waste (sludge) were first evaluated and followed by a sequential treatment for all radium species (fractions) presented in TENORM. The sequential treatment was carried out based on two approaches 'A' and 'B' using different chemical solutions. The results obtained indicate that the activity levels of all radium isotopes (Ra-226, Ra-228 and Ra-224) of the environmental interest in the TENORM waste sludge were elevated with regard to exemption levels established by IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), International basic safety standards for the protection against ionizing radiation and for the safety of radiation sources. GOV/2715/Vienna, 1994]. Each approach of the sequential treatment was performed through four steps using different chemical solutions to reduce the activity concentration of radium in a large extent. Most of the leached radium was found as an oxidizable Ra species. The actual removal % leached using approach B was relatively efficient compared to A. It is observed that the actual removal percentages (%) of Ra-226, Ra-228 and Ra-224 using approach A are 78+/-2.8, 64.8+/-4.1 and 76.4+/-5.2%, respectively. Whereas in approach A, the overall removal % of Ra-226, Ra-228 and Ra-228 was increased to approximately 91+/-3.5, 87+/-4.1 and 90+/-6.2%, respectively.

Characterization of the TE-NORM waste associated with oil and natural gas production in Abu Rudeis, Egypt.

The present study was conducted to characterize the Technically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (TE-NORM) waste generated from oil and gas production. The waste was characterized by means of dry screening solid fractionation, X-ray analysis (XRF and XRD) and gamma-ray spectrometry. Sediment of the TE-NORM waste was fractionated into ten fractions with particle sizes varying from less than 100 microm to more than 3 mm. The results showed that the TE-NORM waste contains mainly radionuclides of the 238U, 235U and 232Th series. The mean activity concentrations of 226Ra (of U-series), 228Ra (of Th-series) and 40K in the waste samples before fractionation (i.e. 3 mm) were found to amount to 68.9, 24 and 1.3 Bq/g (dry weight), respectively. After dry fractionation, the activity concentrations were widely distributed and enriched in certain fractions. This represented a 1.48 and 1.82-fold enrichment of 226Ra and 228Ra, respectively, in fraction F8 (2.0-2.5 mm) over those in bulk TE-NORM waste samples. The activity ratios of 238U/226Ra, 210Pb/226Ra, 223Ra/226Ra and 228Ra/224Ra were calculated and evaluated. Activity of the most hazardous radionuclide 226Ra was found to be higher than the exemption levels established by IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency, 1994. International Basic Safety Standards for the Protection against Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources. GOV/2715/94, Vienna]. The radium equivalent activity (Ra-eq), radon (222Rn) emanation coefficient (EC) and absorbed dose rate (Dgammar) were estimated and these are further discussed.