Cesium Recovery from High-Level Alkaline Waste Stored in Different Tanks at Mayak Production Association

The results of the sorption recovery of cesium with Fersal ferrocyanide sorbent and RFS-i resorcinol–formaldehyde sorbent from alkaline high-level waste (HLW) stored in four tanks at the Mayak Production Association are reported. Analysis of the HLW chemical composition shows that the HLW storage tanks differ by a factor of 1.5–2 in the content of the main macrocomponents (sodium and potassium cations, hydroxide anions). The 137Cs distribution coefficients on Fersal sorbent exceed those on RFS-i sorbent by an order of magnitude and amount to 3780–5200 cm3/g; i.e., Fersal sorbent exhibits high selectivity to cesium. Fersal sorbent shows promise for recovering cesium radionuclides from the clarified HLW phase of different chemical and radionuclide composition from the storage tanks of the Mayak Production Association.