Issue 12, 2003

Uptake of radionuclides on microporous and layered ion exchange materials

Abstract

Titanosilicates, layered manganese oxides and an antimonysilicate were tested for their ability to take up the reprocessing spent fuel transuranium isotopes americium-241 and plutonium-236. This was performed in different concentrations of acid, and sodium and calcium nitrate solutions to represent the conditions of nuclear waste treatment. The purpose was to assess the waste types (acidic or low-medium-high-salt) most suited to treatment by these materials. The experiments were carried out by the batch method and the results obtained expressed as distribution coefficients. Variation in the magnitude and mechanism of actinide sorption by the materials was attributed to the differences in the frameworks, physical properties (porosity, crystal size and chemical composition) and surface charges of the ion exchangers. In nitric acid solutions, the H-antimonysilicate proved to be a better sorbent than H-birnessite for both actinide elements. The void space of AM-4 layered titanosilicate material made it appropriate for actinide removal in sodium salt solutions. The differences in selectivity of Ca-antimonysilicate and Ca-birnessite for americium-241 and plutonium-236 in 0.01 M calcium nitrate solution reflected the preference of each material for actinides over calcium ions.

Graphical abstract: Uptake of radionuclides on microporous and layered ion exchange materials

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
17 Jul 2003
Accepted
05 Sep 2003
First published
19 Sep 2003

J. Mater. Chem., 2003,13, 2963-2968

Uptake of radionuclides on microporous and layered ion exchange materials

L. Al-Attar, A. Dyer and R. Harjula, J. Mater. Chem., 2003, 13, 2963 DOI: 10.1039/B308200H

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Spotlight

Advertisements