Group Leader, Nuclear Chemistry & Engineering, Nuclear Sciences Division
Group Leader, Nuclear Chemistry & Engineering, Nuclear Sciences Division

Biography

Dr. Adam Poloski is Group Leader for the Nuclear Chemistry and Engineering Group in the Nuclear Sciences Division. In this position, Adam is responsible for line management of the Energy and Environment Directorate's research activities in PNNL’s Radiochemical Processing Laboratory, a Hazard Category II non-reactor nuclear research facility, and in the 318 Building, a radiological facility that houses unique capabilities with a wide array of radioactive sealed sources and generating devices.

During his career, Adam has spent a decade researching treatment processes for DOE’s high-level waste at two national laboratories: Idaho National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. From 2009 to 2018, he provided federal nuclear safety oversight of DOE’s defense nuclear facilities with the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board. This includes Senior Executive Service positions as the lead for Nuclear Facility Design and Infrastructure, Engineering Performance, and Nuclear Programs and Analysis. He re-joined PNNL in 2018.

Adam has authored several technical publications that cover a variety of applications, including chemical plant supervisory control, nuclear waste treatment, slurry rheology, fluid dynamics, mixing, pipeline transport, physics of granular materials, plasma separation technology, biochemical engineering, and electrochemical separations.

Disciplines and Skills

  • Colloids
  • Fluid Dynamics and Mixing
  • Mixing
  • Nuclear
  • Nuclear Chemistry
  • Nuclear Facility Safety
  • Nuclear Safety
  • Nuclear Waste Management
  • Process Control
  • Rheology
  • Safety Analysis
  • Slurry Transport

Education

  • PhD, Chemical Engineering, University of Notre Dame
  • BS Chemical Engineering, University of Wyoming

Publications

2010

  • Chun J., A.P. Poloski, and E.K. Hansen. 2010. "Stabilization and Control of Rheological Properties of Fe2O3/Al(OH)(3)-rich Colloidal Slurries Under High Ionic Strength and pH." Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 348, no. 1:280-288. PNNL-SA-69295.
  • Poloski A.P., A.W. Etchells, J. Chun, H.E. Adkins, A.M. Casella, M.J. Minette, and S.T. Yokuda. 2010. "A Pipeline Transport Correlation for Slurries with Small but Dense Particles." Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering 88, no. 2:182-189. PNNL-SA-65163.

2009

  • Bredt P.R., A.R. Felmy, P.A. Gauglitz, A.P. Poloski, J.D. Vienna, B.A. Moyer, and D. Hobbs, et al. 2009. "Scientific Opportunities to Reduce Risk in Nuclear Process Science - 9279." In Waste Management '09: Waste Management for the Nuclear Renaissance, 3, 1482-1495. Tucson, Arizona:WM Symposia. PNNL-SA-63507.
  • Bredt P.R., A.R. Felmy, P.A. Gauglitz, A.P. Poloski, J.D. Vienna, B.A. Moyer, and D. Hobbs, et al. 2009. "Scientific Opportunities to Reduce Risk in Nuclear Process Science." In Waste Management 2009. Tucson, Arizona:Arizona Board of Regents. PNNL-SA-62093.
  • Fountain M.S., D.E. Kurath, G.J. Sevigny, A.P. Poloski, J. Pendleton, S. Balagopal, and S. Balagopal, et al. 2009. Caustic Recycle from Hanford Tank Waste Using NaSICON Ceramic Membrane Salt Splitting Process. PNNL-18216. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Caustic Recycle from Hanford Tank Waste Using NaSICON Ceramic Membrane Salt Splitting Process
  • Poloski A.P., D.E. Kurath, L.K. Holton, G.J. Sevigny, and M.S. Fountain. 2009. Economic Feasibility of Electrochemical Caustic Recycling at the Hanford Site. PNNL-18265. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Economic Feasibility of Electrochemical Caustic Recycling at the Hanford Site
  • Poloski A.P., H.E. Adkins, J. Abrefah, A.M. Casella, R.E. Hohimer, F. Nigl, and M.J. Minette, et al. 2009. Deposition Velocities of Newtonian and Non-Newtonian Slurries in Pipelines. PNNL-17639. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Deposition Velocities of Newtonian and Non-Newtonian Slurries in Pipelines
  • Poloski A.P., M.L. Bonebrake, A.M. Casella, M.D. Johnson, J.J. Toth, H.E. Adkins, and J. Chun, et al. 2009. Deposition Velocities of Non-Newtonian Slurries in Pipelines: Complex Simulant Testing. PNNL-18316. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Deposition Velocities of Non-Newtonian Slurries in Pipelines: Complex Simulant Testing
  • Rector D.R., M.L. Stewart, and A.P. Poloski. 2009. "Modeling of Sediment Bed Behavior for Critical Velocity in Horizontal Piping." In Waste Management 2009 (WM'09): Waste Management for the Nuclear Renaissance, 3820-3826, Paper No. 9263. Phoenix, Arizona:WM Symposia Inc. PNNL-SA-63578.
  • Yokuda S.T., A.P. Poloski, H.E. Adkins, A.M. Casella, R.E. Hohimer, N.K. Karri, and M. Luna, et al. 2009. A Qualitative Investigation of Deposition Velocities of a Non-Newtonian Slurry in Complex Pipeline Geometries. PNNL-17973; WTP-RPT-178 Rev. 0. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. A Qualitative Investigation of Deposition Velocities of a Non-Newtonian Slurry in Complex Pipeline Geometries

2008

  • Bamberger J.A., P.A. Meyer, J.R. Bontha, J.A. Fort, F. Nigl, J.M. Bates, and C.W. Enderlin, et al. 2008. "EVALUATING PULSE JET MIXING WITH NON-NEWTONIAN SLURRIES." In Proceedings of the ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, IMECE 2007, 8, 1909-1930. New York, New York:American Society Mechanical Engineers. PNWD-SA-7907.
  • Bredt P.R., A.R. Felmy, P.A. Gauglitz, D.T. Hobbs, S. Krahn, N. Machara, and M. Mcilwain, et al. 2008. Scientific Opportunities to Reduce Risk in Nuclear Process Science. PNNL-17699. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Scientific Opportunities to Reduce Risk in Nuclear Process Science
  • Daniel R.C., A.P. Poloski, and A.E. Saez. 2008. "Vane Rheology of Cohesionless Glass Beads." Powder Technology 181, no. 3:237-248. PNNL-SA-51937. doi:10.1016/j.powtec.2007.05.003
  • Fountain M.S., D.E. Kurath, G.J. Sevigny, A.P. Poloski, J. Pendleton, S. Balagopal, and S. Balagopal, et al. 2008. "Caustic Recycle from Hanford Tank Waste Using NaSICON Ceramic Membranes." Separation Science and Technology 43, no. 9-10:2321-2342. PNNL-SA-58251.
  • Mattigod S.V., D.M. Wellman, K.E. Parker, E.A. Cordova, K.M. Gunderson, S.R. Baum, and J.V. Crum, et al. 2008. Preparation and Characterization of Chemical Plugs Based on Selected Hanford Waste Simulants. PNNL-17758. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Preparation and Characterization of Chemical Plugs Based on Selected Hanford Waste Simulants
  • Poloski A.P., B.E. Wells, L.A. Mahoney, R.C. Daniel, J.M. Tingey, and S.K. Cooley. 2008. "Effects of Sludge Particle Size and Density on Hanford Waste Processing." In Waste Management '08: Phoenix Rising: Moving Forward in Waste Management, Paper No. 8347. Tucson, Arizona:WM Symposium, Inc. PNNL-SA-58186.
  • Sevigny G.J., A.P. Poloski, and M.S. Fountain. 2008. "Sodium Recycle Economics for Waste Treatment Plant Operations." In Waste Management Symposium 2008 Conference: Phoenix Rising - Moving Forward in Waste Management, February 24-28, 2008, Phoenix, Arizona, Paper No. 8347. Tucson, Arizona:Arizona Board of Regents. PNNL-SA-58454.
  • Sevigny G.J., A.P. Poloski, and M.S. Fountain. 2008. "Sodium Recycle Economics for Waste Treatment Plant Operations." In Waste Management Symposium 2008: Phoenix Rising - Moving Forward in Waste Management , February 24-28, 2008, Phoenix Arizona., Paper No. 8431. Tucson, Arizona:WM Symposia. PNNL-SA-59228.
  • Sevigny G.J., A.P. Poloski, M.S. Fountain, and D.E. Kurath. 2008. Preconceptual Design Description for Caustic Recycle Facility. PNNL-17507. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Preconceptual Design Description for Caustic Recycle Facility

2007

  • Arm S.T., A.P. Poloski, C.W. Stewart, P.A. Meyer, and D.E. Kurath. 2007. "Gas Generation and Hold-Up in Hanford Waste Treatment Plant Process Streams Containing Anti-Foam Agent (AFA)." In 2007 International Topical Meeting on Safety and Technology of Nuclear Hydrogen Production, Control and Management. Assessing the Safety and Technology of Nuclear Hydrogen Production, Control and Management on a Global Scale ST-NH2, Boston, Massachusetts, June 24-28, 2007, 6 pages. La Grange Park, Illinois:American Nuclear Society. PNNL-SA-54390.
  • Daniel R.C., A.P. Poloski, and A.E. Saez. 2007. "A Continuum Constitutive Model for Cohesionless Granular Flows." Chemical Engineering Science 62, no. 5:1343-1350. PNNL-SA-51052.
  • Delegard C.H., A.J. Schmidt, and A.P. Poloski. 2007. Test Plan: Sludge Treatment Project Corrosion Process Chemistry Follow-on Testing. PNNL-16776. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Test Plan: Sludge Treatment Project Corrosion Process Chemistry Follow-on Testing
  • Peterson R.A., G.J. Lumetta, B.M. Rapko, and A.P. Poloski. 2007. "Modeling of Boehmite Leaching from Actual Hanford High-Level Waste Samples." Separation Science and Technology 42, no. 8:1719-1730. PNNL-SA-51903.
  • Poloski A.P., B.E. Wells, J.M. Tingey, L.A. Mahoney, M.N. Hall, S.L. Thomson, and G. Smith, et al. 2007. Estimate of Hanford Waste Rheology and Settling Behavior. PNNL-16857. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Estimate of Hanford Waste Rheology and Settling Behavior
  • Snow L.A., B.M. Rapko, A.P. Poloski, and R.A. Peterson. 2007. "Modeling of Boehmite Leaching from Actual Hanford High-Level Waste Samples." In WM 2007 - Global Accomplishments in Environmental and Radioactive Waste Management: Education and Opportunity for the Next Generation of Waste Management Professionals. Tucson, Arizona:WM Symposia. PNWD-SA-7630.

2006

2005

2002