Volatilization of cobalt, technetium, and uranium isotopes from soils through salt amendment and calcination

The effects of alkali and alkaline earth metal chloride salts on the decontamination (through volatilization) of radionuclides from clay soils in a calcination process were examined. Calcium chloride was found to decontaminate 60Co-containing soils to a maximum extent of about 65% of 60Co present before treatment by calcination for 8 h at 1000°C with the addition of about 4 milliequivalents (meq) of chloride per gram of soil. Repeated calcination treatments raised the level of decontamination to 80%, but not beyond. Technetium could be removed from clay soils slightly more effectively using a similar salting and calcination process. No decontamination of strontium or uranium soils was found using this process under reducing or oxidizing conditions. The data presented indicate areas in which the presence of chlorides may result in problems in the thermal treatment of soils or similar matrices; however, no viable decontamination process was achieved.