Open AccessElectrochemical Recovery of Sodium Hydroxide from Alkaline Salt Solution
Author(s) -
D.T. Hobbs,
T. Bradley Edwards
Publication year - 1996
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.2172/626454
Subject(s) - sodium hydroxide , membrane , sodium nitrate , chemistry , nitrate , electrochemistry , sodium nitrite , hydroxide , inorganic chemistry , electrolyte , electrode , organic chemistry , biochemistry
A statistically designed set of tests determined the effects of current density, temperature, and the concentrations of nitrate/nitrite, hydroxide and aluminate on the recovery of sodium as sodium hydroxide (caustic) from solutions simulating those produced from the Savannah River Site (SRS) In-Tank Precipitation process. These tests included low nitrate and nitrite concentrations which would be produced by electrolytic nitrate/nitrite destruction. The tests used a two compartment electrochemical cell with a Nafion Type 324 ion-exchange membrane. Caustic was successfully recovered from the waste solutions. Evaluation of the testing results indicated that the transport of sodium across the membrane was not significantly affected by any of the varied parameters. The observed variance in the sodium flux is attributed to experimental errors and variations in the performance characteristics of individual pieces of the organic-based Nafion membrane.Additional testing is recommended to determine the maximum current density, to evaluate the chemical durability of the organic membrane as a function of current density and to compare the durability and performance characteristics of the organic-based Nafion membrane with that of other commercially available organic membranes and the inorganic class of membranes under development by Ceramatec and PNNL