Continuous Separation of Radionuclides by Shock Electrodialysis

Radioactive nuclides (radionuclides) are separate from an aqueous radioactive liquid by feeding the liquid into a chamber between a porous anode and a porous cathode of a shock electrodialysis device. Meanwhile, an anolyte is fed through the porous anode, and a catholyte is fed through the porous cathode. A voltage is applied to the porous anode and to the porous cathode to create a voltage differential across the chamber. The liquid is passed through the chamber, and cations are selectively driven from the liquid into the cathode by the voltage differential. The voltage differential creates a desalination shock that produces an ion-enriched zone on one side of the desalination shock and a deionized zone on an opposite side. A brine including the radioactive cations is extracted from the ion-enriched zone through a brine outlet, and fresh water is extracted from the deionized zone through a fresh-water outlet.