Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Uptake of cesium and strontium by crystalline silicotitanates from radioactive wastes

  • Published:
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Crystalline silicotitanate inorganic ion exchanger, with a sitinakite structure is candidate material for remediation of aqueous nuclear waste streams. The syntheses of crystalline silicotitanate (CST) and Nb-substituted crystalline silcotitanate (Nb-CST) were carried out under hydrothermal conditions and the products were characterized using techniques viz., XRD, SEM/EDS, DTA/TGA, surface area respectively. Batch experiments were carried out to study the kinetics of uptake of 137Cs and 90Sr, to estimate the decontamination factor (DF) values and distribution coefficients (K d) for the above synthesized CST and Nb-CST samples from actual radioactive waste solutions. The DF values for uptake of Cs and Sr by Nb-CST after 24 h of equilibration was 355 and 136 whereas for CST it was found to be 40 and 176 respectively. The K d values for uptake of Cs and Sr for Nb-CST after 24 h of equilibration was found to be 35,490 and 13,500 mL/g respectively whereas the K d values for uptake of Cs and Sr for CST was found to be 4,025 and 17,525 mL/g respectively. The ion exchange capacity of Nb-CST towards 90Sr and 137Cs was estimated to be 11.8 and 3.2 meq/g respectively whereas the ion exchange capacity of CST towards 90Sr and 137Cs was estimated to be 14.6 and 4.4 meq/g respectively.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Yu Bo, Jing Chen, Chongli Song (2002) Crystalline silicotitanate: a new type of ion exchanger for Cs removal from liquid waste. J Mater Sci Technol 18(3):206–210

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Risto Koivula report series in radiochemistry 23 (2004) Inorganic ion exchangers for decontamination of radioactive wastes generated by the nuclear power plants

  3. Miller JE, Brown NE (1997) Development and properties of crystalline silicotitanate (CST) ion exchangers for radioactive wastes applications. SAND97-0771

  4. Moller T, Clearfield A, Harjula R (2002) Preparation of hydrous mixed metal oxides of Sb, Nb, Si, Ti and W with a pyrochlore structure and exchange of radioactive cesium and strontium ions into the materials. Microporous Mesoporous Mater 54:187–199

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Rathore NS, Anil Kumar P, Venugopalan AK (2004) Removal of actinides and fission products activity from intermediate alkaline wastes using inorganic exchangers. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 262(3):543–549

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Mishra SP, Tiwari D, Prasad SK, Dubey RS, Mishra M (2006) Inorganic ion exchangers in radioactive waste management part XVI: uptake of some metal phosphates (stannic and zirconium) for 134Cs. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 268(2):191–199

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Venkatesan KA, Sukumaran V, Antony MP, Srinivasan TG (2009) Studies on feasibility of using crystalline silicotitanates for the separation of cesium-137 from fast reactor high-level liquid waste. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 280(1):129–136

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Nyman M, Gu BX, Wang LM, Ewing RC, Nenoff TM (2000) Synthesis and characterisation of new microporous cesium silicotitanate (SNL-B) molecular sieve. Microporous Mesoporous Mater 40:115–125

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Luca V, Hanna JV, Smith ME, James M, Mitchell DRG, Bartlett JR (2002) Nb-substitution and Cs+ ion-exchange in the titanosilicate sitinakite. Microporous Mesoporous Mater 55:1–13

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Andrews MK, Fellinger TL, Ferrara DM, Harbour JR, Herman DT (1997) Vitrification of cesium loaded crystalline silicotitianate (CST) in the shielded cells melter. WSRC—TR-97-00314

  11. Tripathi A, Medvedev DG, Nyman M, Clearfield A (2003) Selectivity for Cs and Sr in Nb-substituted titanosilicate with sitinakite topology. J Solid State Chem 175:72–83

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Anthony RG, Dosch RG, Philip CV (2002) Method of using novel silicotitanates. US Patent No 6,479,427

  13. Oji LN, Martin KB, Hobbs DT (2009) Development of prototype titanate ion-exchange loaded membranes for Sr, Cs and actinide decontamination from aqueous media. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 279(3):847–854

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Cherry BR, Nyman M, Alam TM (2004) Investigation of cation environment and framework changes in silicotitante exchange materials using solid-state 23Na, 29Si, and 133Cs MAS NMR. J Solid State Chem 177:2079–2093

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Ali IM, Zakaria ES, Aly HF (2010) Highly effective removal of 22Na, 134Cs and 60Co from aqueous solutions by titanosilicate: a radiotracer study. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 285(3):483–489

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Brown GN, Carson RJ, Deschane JR, Elovisch RJ (1997) Performance evaluation of 24 ion exchange materials for removing cesium and strontium from actual and simulated N-reactor storage basin water. PNNL-11711 UC-2030

  17. James EM, Norman EB (1997) Development and properties of CST ion exchanger for radioactive waste applications. SANDIA 97-0771.UC-7221,UC-510

  18. Moller T (2002) Selective crystalline inorganic materials as ion exchangers in the treatment of nuclear waste solutions. Academic dissertation, Helsinki

  19. Yates SF, Sylvester P (2001) Sodium nonatitanate: a highly selective inorganic ion exchanger for strontium. Sep Sci Technol 36(5):867–883

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Lehto J, Clearfield A (1987) The ion exchange of strontium on sodium titanate Na4Ti9O20·xH2O. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 118(1):1–13

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge Ms. S. Kalavathy, MSD, IGCAR for the XRD analysis, Ms. R. Sudha, MCG, RCD, IGCAR for SEM analysis, Sh P.T. Hariharan, CWMF for surface area analysis, Sh AGS Mani, CWMF, for DTA/TGA and Sh T.S.S. Raghavan, CWMF for technical assistance.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centralised Waste Management Facility, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre Facilities, Kalpakkam, 603102, India

    S. Chitra, S. Viswanathan, S. V. S. Rao & P. K. Sinha

Authors
  1. S. Chitra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S. Viswanathan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. S. V. S. Rao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. P. K. Sinha
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. Chitra.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chitra, S., Viswanathan, S., Rao, S.V.S. et al. Uptake of cesium and strontium by crystalline silicotitanates from radioactive wastes. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 287, 955–960 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-010-0867-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-010-0867-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation