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Selective removal of cesium and strontium by crystalline silicotitanates

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Abstract

Crystalline silicotitanate ion exchanger (58.5 mmol Ti, and 620 mmol Na) with 6 mmol of SiO2 after 10 days of hydrothermal synthesis was optimized for selective removal of 90Sr. Studies on X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive spectroscopy revealed that the silicotitanate is highly crystalline with bright cubic and rod like morphology with varying amounts of Ti, Si, Na, and O. The decontamination factor and distribution coefficient values for uptake of 137Cs and 90Sr from actual radioactive waste solutions by the ion exchanger after 24 h of equilibration was found to be 40 and 176 and 4025 ml g−1 and 7525 ml g−1, respectively. The exchange capacity for 90Sr and 137Cs was estimated to be 14.6 and 4.4 meq g−1, respectively.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge Shri P. T. Hariharan, CWMF for surface area analysis and Shri T. S. S. Raghavan, CWMF for technical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centralised Waste Management Facility, Nuclear Recycle Board, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Kalpakkam, 603102, India

    S. Chitra, A. G. Shanmugamani & Biplob Paul

  2. Materials Chemistry & Metal Fuel Cycle Group, IGCAR, Kalpakkam, 603102, India

    R. Sudha

  3. Material Science Group, IGCAR, Kalpakkam, 603102, India

    S. Kalavathi

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  1. S. Chitra
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  2. A. G. Shanmugamani
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  3. R. Sudha
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  4. S. Kalavathi
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Correspondence to S. Chitra.

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Chitra, S., Shanmugamani, A.G., Sudha, R. et al. Selective removal of cesium and strontium by crystalline silicotitanates. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 312, 507–515 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-017-5249-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-017-5249-3

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