Mixture of Nuclear-grade, Uniform Particle Size, Gel, Strong Acid Cation and Strong Base Anion Exchange Resins for Water Treatment Applications in the Nuclear Power Industry
AmberLite IRN170 H/OH Ion Exchange Resin is designed specifically for use in nuclear loops where highest resin purity and stability are required, and where the “as supplied” resin must have a minimum of ionic and non-ionic contamination. These high standards of resin purity enable plants to achieve reliable and safe production whilst reducing the need for equipment maintenance and minimizing the impact of unscheduled outages.
AmberLite IRN170 H/OH is designed for the ultimate performance in non-regenerable nuclear applications, and it is the resin of choice for applications which demand the highest effluent purity, highest operating capacity, and longest resin life. AmberLite IRN170 H/OH is a stoichiometric equivalent mixture of AmberLite IRN99 H Ion Exchange Resin and AmberLite IRN78 OH Ion Exchange Resins on a 1:1 equivalent basis. Both the cation and anion components are recognized as the premier resins in the nuclear power industry. The cation component, AmberLite IRN99 H, has exceptionally high capacity and outstanding physical and oxidative stability and the anion component, AmberLite IRN78 OH, has exceptional total exchange capacity and purity.
AmberLite IRN170 H/OH was originally developed for use in BWR condensate polishers to help achieve the lowest possible sulfate levels in reactor water. This is accomplished through a combination of the extraordinary oxidative stability of the cation resin, and a particle size balance between the cation and anion resins, which minimizes the formation of a re-separated cation resin layer on the bottom of the service vessels. As a pre-mixed resin, it also allows for faster change-out and initial rinse-up prior to service, which minimizes start-up time and rinse wastewater volume
The exceptionally high total capacity of AmberLite IRN170 H/OH delivers an important benefit for many other nuclear applications including PWR steam generator blowdown treatment, PWR primary system CVCS resin beds, fuel pool demineralizers, and radioactive waste treatment. Since the nuclear-grade resins from all these applications are generally disposed of as rad waste, high capacity and long resin bed life are critical to minimizing rad waste disposal cost and volume. For most users, rad waste disposal cost will exceed resin purchase cost, so higher resin capacity directly translates into lower costs in these non-regenerable nuclear applications. Longer bed life also brings
significant operational benefits such as fewer bed change-outs, less resin handling, and fewer chances for radiation exposure.