Evaluation of synthetic aluminum silicate modified by magnesia for the removal of 137Cs, 60Co and 152+154Eu from low-level radioactive waste

Muhammad S Mansy; R S Hassan; Y T Selim; S H Kenawy

doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2017.09.042

Evaluation of synthetic aluminum silicate modified by magnesia for the removal of ¹³⁷Cs, ⁶⁰Co and ^152+154Eu from low-level radioactive waste

Appl Radiat Isot. 2017 Dec:130:198-205. doi: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2017.09.042. Epub 2017 Sep 28.

Authors

Muhammad S Mansy¹, R S Hassan², Y T Selim³, S H Kenawy⁴

Affiliations

¹ Analytical Chemistry Department, Hot Labs Center, Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo, Egypt; Radioactive Waste Management Unit, Hot Labs Center, Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo, Egypt. Electronic address: mmansy88@asrt.sci.eg.
² Analytical Chemistry Department, Hot Labs Center, Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo, Egypt.
³ Analytical Chemistry Department, Hot Labs Center, Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo, Egypt; Radioactive Waste Management Unit, Hot Labs Center, Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo, Egypt.
⁴ Ceramic Department, National Research Center (NRC), Dokki, Cairo, Egypt.

PMID: 28992564
DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2017.09.042

Abstract

The present study concerns the preparation, characterization and testing of an inorganic ion exchanger Aluminum Silicate Modified Magnesia (ASMM). The ASMM composite was prepared using sol-gel technique and characterized by XRD, XRF, FTIR, TGA, DTA, SEM and surface area analysis. The capability of the prepared composite for the removal of (Cs⁺, Co²⁺ and Eu³⁺) from aqueous solution was evaluated. Sorption studies were carried out taking into account important parameters such as (pH, initial concentration, contact time and temperature). Kinetic and isotherm models were applied to the prepared composite, kinetic data is well fitted with pseudo-second order kinetic model, Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm model indicates that sorption was controlled by chemisorption process. The removal efficiency found to be 80% for Cs⁺, 90% for Co²⁺ and 95% for Eu³⁺.

Keywords: Cesium; Decontamination factor; Europium; Low-level radioactive liquids; Radioactive cobalt.