U.S. Department of Energy; Idaho Operations Office; Procurement Services Division; 850 Energy Drive, MS 1221; Idaho Falls, ID 83401-1563

A -- MIXED WASTE CHARACTERIZATION, TREATMENT, AND DISPOSAL FOCUS AREA DUE 022096 POC Contract Specialists; Dallas L. Hoffer, 208/526-0014/Linda A. Hallum, 208/526-5545 The U.S. Department Of Energy, Idaho Operations Office (DOE-ID) is seeking expressions of interests and capability from potential sources. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Mixed Waste Focus Area (MWFA) has identified thirty deficiencies related to the treatment of mixed hazardous and radioactive wastes within the DOE complex of facilities. These thirty deficiencies are listed below in order of priority. Technology Deficiency Descriptions: 1. Mercury stabilization - Mercury contaminated wastes require stabilization to control mercury solubility to meet Universal Treatment Standards. 2. Mercury amalgamation - Methods and equipment designs are required for amalgamating bulk non-recyclable mercury to meet Universal Treatment Standards. 3. NDE/NDA-initial characterization - Nondestructive examination (NDE) and nondestructive assay (NDA) techniques and equipment are required to determine the nature of a waste matrix in drums and boxes, to confirm the presence and concentration of RCRA-regulated materials and radionuclides, and to identify characteristics of concern for operational safety and process continuity. 4. Mercury separation/removal - New techniques must be developed to physically or chemically remove mercury from wastes as a pretreatment to other waste treatment processes. 5. Material handling - Methods and equipment designs are required that will provide for handling all types of DOE waste materials in all process steps without undue risk of exposure of operating personnel to radioactivity or hazardous materials. 6. Sorting/segregation - Efficient separation of waste types, as well as segregating nonradioactive, or radioactive only (no RCRA regulated constituents) from mixed wastes is needed for safe, reliable, efficient processing. 7. Salt stabilization - Stabilization processes are required for salt-containing wastes that increase waste loadings, improve durability, and/or reduce the volume increase typical of today's standard practices. 8. Ash stabilization - Stabilization processes are required for ash that increase waste loadings, improve durability and/or reduce the volume typical of today's standard practices. 9. Mercury monitoring - Although mercury monitors are commercially available, it would be advantageous to develop real-time monitors requiring minimal consumables and low maintenance, with operating ranges covering the emission limits typical of incinerators. 10. Alpha monitoring - Although alpha monitors are commercially available, it would be advantageous to develop real-time monitors requiring minimal consumables and low maintenance, with operating ranges covering the emission limits typical of alpha material processing facilities. 11. VOC monitoring - Process monitoring could be improved with real-time monitors requiring minimal consumables and low maintenance, which can identify and quantify specific VOC contaminants over operating ranges covering the emission limits typical of hazardous waste treatment facilities. 12. Heavy metal monitoring - Process monitoring could be improved with real-time monitors requiring minimal consumables and low maintenance, which can identify and quantify specific metals in operating ranges covering the emission limits typical of hazardous waste incinerators. 13. Radionuclide distribution/partitioning - More complete information on the fractional distribution of radionuclides between the off-gas, the final waste form, and any secondary waste streams in high temperature mixed waste treatment processes is needed to support equipment design and process permitting. 14. Waste form performance - An objective, technically defensible evaluation of the long-term performance of advanced waste forms must be conducted to allow flexibility in siting and operating low-level waste (LLW) disposal facilities in a manner to best exploit the more durable, higher waste-loading forms. 15. HEPA filter improvements - A stronger, high-temperature, longer lived HEPA filter, that can survive a greater pressure drop, and that requires less frequent replacement, or that can be cleaned and reused, is needed. 16. Mercury filter - A potential enhancement to traditional off gas treatment design would be a selective mercury removal step, which removes essentially all of the mercury from the off-gas stream for separate treatment. 17. Molten product decanting - Operating techniques and equipment design are required to facilitate decanting or transfer of molten materials from furnaces in an effective, reliable, and safe manner applicable to a radioactive environment. 18. Comparative analysis/aqueous - A comparative analysis on the efficacy, reliability, applicability, and maintainability of the many processes now being developed for destruction of organic contamination in wastewaters containing radionuclides will assist in identifying processes for further consideration and development. 19. Aqueous organic nonthermal destruction - Destruction/removal of most regulated organic constituents expected to be found in wastewaters from mixed waste treatment should be demonstrated to reliably attain regulatory limits in a manner applicable to a radioactive environment. 20. Refractory performance - Improved refractories, or operating techniques better suited to the DOE- specific waste processing conditions, are required to increase long-term refractory reliability. 21. Nitrate removal - Methods are needed to destroy or remove residual nitrates in sludges and wastewaters. 22. Fission product removal - Methods are needed for removal or significant reduction of the concentrations of fission products from mixed waste, especially process residues and sludges. 23. Internal drum pressure measurement - Methods are needed to measure internal drum pressure without penetrating the drums. 24. Container integrity measurement - Methods are needed to test the integrity of stored containers to identify any containers that may require particularly careful handling or overpack in preparation for management or processing of the contents. 25. Cyanide destruction - Methods are required to treat cyanide in the presence of interfering dissolved, suspended, and matrix materials. 26. Thermal desorption - Methods are required to minimize pretreatment to adequately prepare wastes for thermal desorption so the contaminants can escape, and to verify cleanup levels can be attained while maintaining Radio nuclide containment. 27. Evaporator design - Better designs are needed for evaporators for DOE waste-specific treatment plant streams. 28. Sludge washing - Sludge washing technologies should demonstrate reliable feed preparation and washing of contaminated process residues, sludges, and particulates to satisfy RCRA requirements. 29. Trace metal removal - Techniques are needed to meet wastewater discharge permit requirements (e.g. 0.001 mg/L cadmium, 0.003 mg/L lead, and 0.004 mg/L silver) while minimizing secondary waste generation. 30. Supercritical CO2 - Techniques are needed to minimize pretreatment to adequately prepare the wastes for supercritical CO2 extraction so that the organics can be removed, and the wastes can be fed and removed from the supercritical environment while maintaining radionuclide containment. The MWFA desires a list of interested parties who have technology available to address one or more of the technology deficiency areas. This includes technology that may need to be demonstrated in a radioactive environment on DOE mixed waste to verify its applicability. The MWFA also desires a list of parties interested in participating in cooperative research and development leading to demonstration of technologies. A document with more detailed descriptions of the deficiencies can be obtained by accessing the Mixed Waste Focus Area home page on the internet at -http://wastenot.inel.gov/mwfa,- or by calling the Mixed Waste Focus Area, 208-526-7575. From the MWFA home page, simply push the button for -News and Events.- Interested parties are asked to submit a contact name and address plus a brief description of existing technology or of capabilities for conducting research and development (R&D) to Jihad Aljayoushi, U.S. Department of Energy, 850 Energy Drive, MS 1118, Idaho Falls, ID 83401-1563. Written expressions of interest should not include detailed proposals or proprietary data, but should include the name, address, telephone number, and facsimile (fax) number of the primary contact person. Submittals should be as brief as practical (e.g., should not exceed five pages). To assist in the -Organizational Conflicts of Interest- determinations, all submittals are required to disclose business affiliations, partners for teaming arrangements, sister organizations, etc. To assist in the SBA determinations, all submittals are required to disclose business size and type. Written expressions of interest should be received on or before February 20, 1996. This synopsis is for expressions of interest only, and is not associated with any specific funding opportunity, solicitation, procurement, assistance award, etc. (0018)

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