Opportunities for process intensification technologies in nuclear effluent treatment

Process Intensification is an area that has already created many innovations within the chemicals industry, and offers a growing field of research and development potential for nuclear operations. Potential advantages include step-change improvements to a number of operational aspects; such as smaller unit footprints, enhanced heat and mass transfer, reduction in secondary wastes, improved process safety and synergy, or direct integration with other downstream processes.

The new paper, produced through a multi-partite collaboration under the UK BEIS/NNL Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme (AFCP) with partners from , provides a rigorous evaluation and scoping assessment of unit designs for the treatment of nuclear liquid effluents and solid-liquid waste management. Specific focus is given to precipitation, adsorption and separation operations, where over 250 articles are detailed, and prospects for technology transfer are discussed.