Reuse of Activated Carbons from Filters for Water Treatment Derived from the Steam Cycle of a Nuclear Power Plant
Nuclear energy has a great impact on the global energy mix. In Spain, it supplies over 20% of current energy requirements, demonstrating the relevance of nuclear power plants. These plants generate different types of waste (apart from radioactive) that should be managed. For instance, the activated...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-03-01
|
| Series: | C |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5629/11/1/19 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | Nuclear energy has a great impact on the global energy mix. In Spain, it supplies over 20% of current energy requirements, demonstrating the relevance of nuclear power plants. These plants generate different types of waste (apart from radioactive) that should be managed. For instance, the activated carbon included in filters (which neutralize isotopes in a possible radioactive leakage) should be periodically replaced. Nevertheless, these activated carbons might present long service lives, as they have not undergone any adsorption processes. Consequently, a considerable amount of activated carbon can be reused in alternative processes, even in the same nuclear power plant. The aim of this work was to assess the use of activated carbons (previously included in filters to prevent possible radioactive releases in primary circuits) for water treatment derived from the steam cycle of a nuclear power plant. A regeneration process (boron removal) was carried out (with differences between untreated carbon and after treatments, from S<sub>BET</sub> = 684 m<sup>2</sup> g<sup>−1</sup> up to 934 m<sup>2</sup> g<sup>−1</sup>), measuring the adsorption efficiency for ethanolamine and triton X-100. There were no significative results that support the adsorption effectiveness of the activated carbon tested for ethanolamine adsorption, whereas a high adsorption capacity was found for triton X-100 (q<sub>L1</sub> = 281 mg·g<sup>−1</sup>), proving that factors such as porosity play an important role in the specific usage of activated carbons. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2311-5629 |