Scrubber Unit for Tritium Removal

Mound Laboratory is engaged in the recovery of tritium from waste materials generated at U.S. Atomic Energy Commission sites. A scrubber system for tritium removal has been designed and constructed at Mound Laboratory. The solutions to be analyzed are first boiled to dryness, and then baked 1 h at 500°C using H₂SO₄, HCl, or HNO₃ as a carrier. The vapors from these solutions are passed through (a) a condenser to remove the bulk of the acid vapors, (b) an NaOH scrubber to remove acid fumes, (c) a mist eliminator to entrap fine mist particles, and (d) a molecular sieve bed to remove all traces of tritiated water. Environmental release is monitored by a Kanne electrometer system which measures the tritium content of the effluent. Use of the scrubber system yields residues with beta counts of <50 count/min with minimal release of tritium to the environment.