Research in Industrial Use of Ion Exchange and Simulation

We investigated the industrial use of ion exchange technology as well as the modeling of fixed bed, multicomponent ion exchange processes. In this paper we report on both fields of this research. We have developed a complex technology for the selective separation of the long-live radionuclides and the partial recycling of boric acid from radioactive evaporator bottom residue. A wastewater treatment system has been developed by using a cesium-selective inorganic ion exchanger. The selective separation of 137Cs, 134Cs from high salt concentration and strongly alkaline evaporator bottom residue in Paks NPP has a volume reduction factor of about 3500–6500 at the value of the decontamination factor DF > 100, for the samples of four evaporator bottom residue tanks of the NPP. Some important classes of ion exchangers do possess uniform internal pore structures and bring all parts of the solíd structure into much closer contact with the liquid. Such materials are porous organic resins. For these types of exchangers, we have modified Mansour's multicomponent adsorption model and developed a computer program to describe multicomponent breakthrough, cocurrent, and counter-current elution curves for ion exchangers. In addition, we have developed a subroutine for the calculation of multicomponent ion exchange kinetics according to Nernst-Planck equation and successfully tested it. This subroutine will be added to the multicomponent ion exchange breakthrough and elution simulation program to have a real multicomponent ion exchange simulation program. In this paper we report about these research results too

Fenntartható fejlődés zöld technológiákkal történő megvalósításának kutatása = Improvement of sustainable development with green technologies

Eredményeink: 1. A megújuló nyersanyag és energiatermelés témakörben igazoltuk, hogy a biomassza direkt hasznosítása mintegy tízszer jobb hatékonyságú, mint az indirekt (üzemanyag) hasznosítás. Megállapítottuk, hogy a membránszűrés jó hatékonysággal alkalmazható a biológiai alapú megújuló energiahordozók feldolgozásában, pl. cukorcirok, szója főzőlé feldolgozás, állati táplálék-kiegészítők feldolgozása/gyártása. Megvalósult ipari tervezésünk van a témakörben. A pervaporációra új modellt állapítottunk meg, mely jobban és szélesebb koncentráció intervallumban alkalmazható, mint az eddigiek. 2. A természeti erőforrások hatékony felhasználása témakörben az energia hathatós hasznosítását vizsgáltuk a rektifikálás témakörben. Megállapítottuk az exergiának a fontosságát és alkalmazási területeit. D (desirability)-függvénnyel vizsgáljuk az egyes rektifikálási alternatívák komplex hatását. 3. Az elkerülhetetlen emissziók kezelésének témakörében a technológiai hulladékvizek szerves illékony szennyezőinek (VOC) és szerves halogénvegyületeinek (AOX) eltávolítására egy rektifikáláson alapuló módszert dolgoztunk ki,mellyel az AOX 8ppm alá szorítható. Megvalósult ipari tervezésünk van a témakörben. 4. Az egyes technológiai fejlesztések környezeti hatáselemzésének eszköze az életciklus elemzés. Egyértelmű kapcsolatot állapítottunk meg az egyes elemző módszerek között. Projektünkben 44 publikáció. amiből 4 “summa cum laude” minősétésű PhD disszertáció, született. | Our results: 1. We proved in the area of renewable raw material and energy production that the direct biomass utilization is ten times more efficient than that of the indirect (biofuel) one. We determined that the membrane filtration can be used with good efficiency in the case of processing raw materials or energy carriers of biological origin, e.g. sweet shogrun, soya process water, animal food supplement production/processing. We completed industrial design in this area. We established a new mathematical model for pervaporation that describes more efficient this operation than the previous ones. 2. In the area of the efficient use of natural resources, we investigated the effective use of energy in the rectification. We determined the importance of the use of the exergy and its application areas. D(desirability)-function was used to investigate the complex impact of the different rectification alternatives. 3. For the treatment of the inevitable emissions, the removal of the volatile organic compounds (VOC) and the adsorbable organic halides (AOX) impurities from process wastewaters we developed a method based on rectification which is capable to reduce the AOX content below 8ppm. . We completed industrial design in this area. 4. The tool of the estimation of environmental impacts is the life cycle assessment (LCA). We determined clear connection among different LCA methods. We completed 44 publications, among them 4 “summa cum laude” PhD dissertation

Boron Removal from Aqueous Solutions by Strong Base Anion-exchange Resin Batch and Column Experiments

Borate ion exchange capacity of Purolite NRW600 strong base anion resin in hydroxide form and mixed bed NRW600+NRW100 ion exchange was investigated with static experiments. Anion exchange resin was saturated with 0.1–45 g/dm3 concentration boric acid solution in a static mixer at 20, 30, 40 and 50 °C at 150 rpm for 24 hours. Remaining borate content of saturation solutions was deter-mined with ion chromatography and ICP-OES. The amount of fixed borate as borate anions increased with the saturation borate concentration as well as in case of simple anion exchange as in case of mixed bed.Column sorption-elution study was carried out by using strong base anion exchange resins (Purolite NRW600 and Amberlite IRN78). Resins in hydroxide and in chloride forms were saturated in column with 5–40 g/dm3 boric acid solution in excess. The resin was then eluted with 200 cm3 salt free water with 5 cm3/min at 25 °C and then eluted by 1 mol/dm3 sodium-sulfate solution with 5 cm3/min. The effluent was collected and analyzed for borate content by titrimetric method. In chloride form the resin adsorbed and released much less borate. Effective borate and polyborate sorption needs hydroxide ions in resin phase