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Microscopic characterization and radon exhalation of metakaolin-uranium tailings polymer solidified body under alkali activation

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Abstract

Using metakaolin and uranium tailings as raw materials and sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate as activators, an orthogonal experimental study was conducted to investigate the effects of metakaolin content, water glass modulus, and liquid–solid ratio on uranium tailings solidified body weight loss rate. SEM, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to characterize the solidified product, as well as to measure the radon exhalation rate and analyze the radon exhalation law. The results show that the mass loss rate of the solidified body decreases as the liquid–solid ratio increases, first decreases and then increases as the metakaolin content increases, and first increases and then decreases as the water glass modulus increases. Metakaolin content is the most important influencing factor. Metakaolin incorporation effectively reduced sample mass loss and inhibited radon exhalation. The rate of radon exhalation was inversely related to metakaolin content. The orthogonal experiment determined that the optimal mixing ratio is 30% metakaolin, 0.4 liquid–solid ratio, and 1.2 water glass modulus. This experiment is significant in terms of long-term development for uranium tailings decommissioning and environmental protection.

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Funding

This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos.11875164); Postgraduate Scientific Research Innovation Project of Hunan Province; About the sixth batch of projects in the "Thirthteen Five-Year Plan" for basic technical research (Grant Nos.JSZL2019403C001).

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Author notes

  1. Juan Song, Yong Liu, Yifan Chen, Xingwang Dai, Xiangyang Li, Changshou Hong, Dongying Lin and Chengyan Yan have been contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Resource, Environment and Safety Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang Hunan, 421001, China

    Juan Song, Yifan Chen, Xingwang Dai, Xiangyang Li, Changshou Hong, Dongying Lin & Chengyan Yan

  2. Hunan Province Engineering Technology Research Centre of Uranium Tailings Treatment Technology, Hengyang Hunan, 421001, China

    Yong Liu, Xiangyang Li & Changshou Hong

  3. Hunan Province Engineering Research Centre of Radioactive Control Technology in Uranium Mining and Metallurgy, Hengyang Hunan, 421001, China

    Yong Liu, Xiangyang Li & Changshou Hong

  4. College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, Guangdong, China

    Yong Liu

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Song, J., Liu, Y., Chen, Y. et al. Microscopic characterization and radon exhalation of metakaolin-uranium tailings polymer solidified body under alkali activation. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 331, 4601–4614 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-022-08557-x

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