Automated SEM analysis of particles in Hanford tank waste

Jarrod R Allred; Edgar C Buck; Richard C Daniel; John G H Geeting; Amy M Westesen; Reid A Peterson

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134412

Automated SEM analysis of particles in Hanford tank waste

J Hazard Mater. 2024 Apr 25:472:134412. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134412. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Jarrod R Allred¹, Edgar C Buck², Richard C Daniel², John G H Geeting², Amy M Westesen², Reid A Peterson²

Affiliations

¹ Energy and Environment Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354, USA. Electronic address: jarrod.allred@pnnl.gov.
² Energy and Environment Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354, USA.

PMID: 38718500
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134412

Abstract

Multiple bench-scale filtration campaigns of Hanford tank waste supernatant on a backpulseable dead-end filtration skid have provided greater insight into the solids that cause fouling and reduce filter performance. The solids collected during each campaign were concentrated from the backpulse solutions and examined using automated particle analysis (APA) methods with scanning electron microscopy and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy to categorize particle types and their morphological characteristics. We show that with APA, thousands of particles can be analyzed to provide accurate insight into the phases that may be impacting filter performance.

Keywords: APA; EDS; Filtration; Heterogeneous solids; Operator bias; PSDD; Radioactive waste.