Preparation of a macroporous silica–pyridine multidentate material and its adsorption behavior for some typical elements

A new macroporous silica‐based‐polymer (SiO₂‐P) soft ligand composite material, 2,6‐bis(5,6‐di(iso‐butyl)‐1,2,4‐triazine‐3‐yl)pyridine (BDIBTP/SiO₂‐P), was synthesized by impregnation and immobilization of BDIBTP and 1‐octanol molecules into the pores of the SiO₂‐P particles. The impact of some typical alkali metal and alkaline earths Cs(I), Na(I), K(I), Rb(I), Sr(II), and Ba(II) containing in highly active liquid waste (HLW) on the adsorption of Pd(II) onto BDIBTP/SiO₂‐P was studied. It was performed by examining the effects of contact time and the HNO₃ concentration in the range of 0.3–7.0 M. BDIBTP/SiO₂‐P showed strong adsorption ability and high selectivity for Pd(II) over all the tested metals. The chromatographic partitioning of Pd(II) from a simulated HLW solution was conducted by BDIBTP/SiO₂‐P packed column. Pd(II) was effectively eluted with 0.2 M thiourea–0.1 M HNO₃. The others showed no adverse impact on separation of Pd(II). The results are beneficial to partitioning of minor actinides and Pd(II) together from HLW by BDIBTP/SiO₂‐P in the MPS process developed. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2012     

Preparation of PAN-zeolite 4A composite ion exchanger and its uptake behavior for Sr and Cs ions in acid solution

A PAN-4A composite ion exchanger containing about 80% 4A powder was prepared to remove strontium and cesium ions from acidic solution. The SEM image of the fracture of composite bead showed that zeolite 4A powder was dispersed homogenously and the pores were well formed. The mean pore size of composite bead was 0.14 μm and its porosity was about 74%, which is much higher in comparison with the existing inorganic adsorbent beads. The acid and radiation stability tests showed that PAN-4A was stable against acid solution higher than pH 2 and radiation dose less than 1.89×10⁸ rad, respectively. Ion exchange tests showed that the PAN-4A was selective for Sr ion. The distribution coefficients of PAN-4A for Sr and Cs ions at pH 2 were 2×10⁴ mL/g and 280 mL/g, respectively. The ion exchange capacities (q_s) of PAN-4A for Sr and Cs ions at pH 2, which are modeled by Dubinin-Polanyi equation, were 3.92 meq/g and 2.47 meq/g, respectively.     

Preparation of macroporous silica-based crown ether materials for strontium separation

To develop a separation process of Sr(II), a macroporous silica-based 4,4′,(5′)-di(tert-butylcyclohexano)-18-crown-6 (DtBuCH18C6) polymeric material, (DtBuCH18C6+Oct)/SiO₂-P, was synthesized by impregnating and immobilizing DtBuCH18C6 and 1-octanol into the pores of the macroporous SiO₂-P particles support. DtBuCH18C6 was modified with 1-octanol through hydrogen bonding. The adsorption of simulant elements of some typical fission products Ru(III), Pd(II), Ba(II), Mo(VI), La(III), Y(III), Sr(II), Cs(I) and those of non-fission products Na(I) and K(I) onto (DtBuCH18C6+Oct)/SiO₂-P were studied at 298 K. The effects of the HNO₃ concentration in a range of 0.1–5.0 M and contact time on the adsorption were investigated. (DtBuCH18C6+Oct)/SiO₂-P showed excellent adsorption ability and high selectivity for Sr(II) over all of the tested metals except Ba(II). Partitioning of Sr(II) from a 2.0 M HNO₃ solution containing ~5.0 × 10^?3 M of the tested metals was conducted utilizing (DtBuCH18C6+Oct)/SiO₂-P packed column. Pd(II), Mo(VI), Y(III), La(III), Ru(III), K(I), Cs(I), and Na(I) showed no adsorption and flowed into effluent along with 2.0 M HNO₃. Sr(II) was retained on (DtBuCH18C6+Oct)/SiO₂-P and was eluted effectively by H₂O, while Ba(II) showed similar elution behavior. The bleeding of total organic carbon leaked from (DtBuCH18C6+Oct)/SiO₂-P was evaluated. It was demonstrated that the macroporous silica-based (DtBuCH18C6+Oct)/SiO₂-P materials are promising in separation of Sr(II) from high level radioactive waste.     

Adsorption Behavior of Sr(II) and some Typical Co‐existent Metals Contained in High Level Liquid Waste onto a Modified Macroporous Silica‐Based Polymeric DtBuCH18C6 Composite

To significantly reduce the bleeding of 4,4′,(5′)‐di(tert‐butylcyclohexano)‐18‐crown‐ 6 (DtBuCH18C6), an improved novel macroporous silica‐based polymeric composite (DtBuCH18C6+TBP)/SiO₂‐P was synthesized. It was performed by impregnating and immobilizing DtBuCH18C6 into the pores of the SiO₂‐P particles via the molecular modification of DtBuCH18C6 with a tri‐n‐butyl phosphate (TBP) through hydrogen bonding. The adsorption of a few typical simulated fission and non‐fission products Pd(II), La(III), Na(I), K(I), Sr(II), Ba(II), Ru(III), Cs(I), Mo(VI), and Y(III) onto (DtBuCH18C6+TBP)/SiO₂‐P was investigated at 323 K. It was done by examining the effect of contact time and the HNO₃ concentration in a range of 0.1–5.0 M. Sr(II), one of the main heat emitting nuclides, showed optimum adsorption onto (DtBuCH18C6+TBP)/SiO₂‐P in 2.0 HNO₃, while others showed very weak or almost no adsorption except a portion of Ba(II). The leaching of TBP and DtBuCH18C6 from (DtBuCH18C6+TBP)/SiO₂‐P was evaluated. The average content of DtBuCH18C6, 298.7 ppm, leached from (DtBuCH18C6+TBP)/SiO₂‐P in 2.0 M HNO₃ at 323 K was obviously lower than that of 797.3 ppm leached from DtBuCH18C6/SiO₂‐P at 298 K. The significant reduction of DtBuCH18C6 leaching from its macroporous silica‐based polymeric adsorbent was achieved. It is useful for the recycle operation of the silica‐based DtBuCH18C6 impregnated polymeric composite in chromatographic partitioning of Sr(II) from high level liquid waste (HLLW).     

Functionalization of Tailored Porous Carbon Monolith for Decontamination of Radioactive Substances

As the control over radioactive species becomes critical for the contemporary human life, the development of functional materials for decontamination of radioactive substances has also become important. In this work, a three-dimensional (3D) porous carbon monolith functionalized with Prussian blue particles was prepared through removal of colloidal silica particles from exfoliated graphene/silica composite precursors. The colloidal silica particles with a narrow size distribution were used to act a role of hard template and provide a sufficient surface area that could accommodate potentially hazardous radioactive substances by adsorption. The unique surface and pore structure of the functionalized porous carbon monolith was examined using electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDS). The effective incorporation of PB nanoparticles was confirmed using diverse instrumentations such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A nitrogen adsorption/desorption study showed that surface area and pore volume increased significantly compared with the starting precursor. Adsorption tests were performed with ¹³³Cs ions to examine adsorption isotherms using both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. In addition, adsorption kinetics were also investigated and parameters were calculated. The functionalized porous carbon monolith showed a relatively higher adsorption capacity than that of pristine porous carbon monolith and the bulk PB to most radioactive ions such as ¹³³Cs, ⁸⁵Rb, ¹³⁸Ba, ⁸⁸Sr, ¹⁴⁰Ce, and ²⁰⁵Tl. This material can be used for decontamination in expanded application fields.     

Facile preparation of a silica‐sphere–poly(catechol hexamethylenediamine) composite for the competitive removal of cadmium(II), lead(II), and copper(II) ions

A silica‐sphere–poly(catechol hexamethylenediamine) (PCHA–SiO₂) composite was prepared via the one‐step facile polymerization of catechol and hexamethylenediamine; this method uses a silica sphere as a hard template. The chemical structures and morphologies of this composite were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and transmission electron microscopy. The adsorption experiments indicated that the PCHA–SiO₂ composite served as a very attractive adsorbent for Pb(II)‐, Cu(II)‐, and Cd(II)‐ion removal at lower concentrations and had very good selective adsorption abilities for Pb(II) and Cu(II) ions in a solution contaminated with these three ions at higher concentrations. These interesting results may have been due to the reversible H⁺ adsorption–desorption properties of the characteristic phenol amine structure of the PCHA–SiO₂ composite. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 45839.     

Multi-component ion exchange kinetics with PAN-KCoFC composite ion exchanger

An ion exchange kinetic study was performed using PAN-KCoFC for removal of cesium ion from mixed solution of Cs, Sr, Ni and Ba ions. Uptake curves were obtained for a multi-component ion exchange system as well as binary system. A PAN-KCoFC composite ion exchanger showed higher selectivity for Cs ion over the Sr, Ba, Ni ions. A homogeneous model could predict accurately the uptake curve for both the binary and multi-component systems. Solid phase effective pore diffusivities obtained by modeling ranged between 10⁻⁵ cm₂/min and 10⁻⁶ cm₂/min.     

Synthesis and characterization of monolithic carbon/silicon carbide composite aerogels

Resorcinol–formaldehyde/silica composite (RF/SiO₂) aerogels were synthesized using sol–gel process followed by supercritical CO₂ drying. Monolithic carbon/silicon carbide composite (C/SiC) aerogels were formed from RF/SiO₂ aerogels after carbothermal reduction. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy demonstrate that β-SiC was obtained after carbothermal reduction. Scanning electron microscopy and nitrogen adsorption/desorption reveal that the as-prepared C/SiC aerogels are typical mesoporous materials. The pore structural properties were measured by nitrogen adsorption/desorption analysis. The resulting C/SiC aerogels possess a BET surface area of 564 m²/g, a porosity of 95.1 % and a pore volume of 2.59 cm³/g. The mass fraction of SiC in C/SiC aerogels is 31 %.     

Synthesis of a Novel Macroporous Silica-Calix[4]arene-Crown Supramolecular Recognition Material and its Adsorption for Cesium and some Typical Metals in Highly Active Liquid Waste

Abstract

A novel macroporous silica-based 25,27-bis(iso-propyloxy)calix[4]arene-26,28-crown-6 (BiPCalix[4]C6) supramolecular recognition material, BiPCalix[4]C6/SiO₂-P, was synthesized. It was prepared by impregnation and the immobilization of the BiPCalix[4]C6 molecule into the pores of the macroporous SiO₂-P particles. The adsorption of Cs(I) and some typical elements Na(I), K(I), Rb(I), Sr(II), Ba(II), Ru(III), Mo(VI), La(III), and Y(III) onto the BiPCalix[4]C6/SiO₂-P material was investigated. The effects of the HNO₃ concentration, contact time, and temperature on the adsorption of the tested metals were studied. It was found that at the optimum concentration of 3.0 M HNO₃, BiPCalix[4]C6/SiO₂-P exhibited excellent adsorption ability and high selectivity for Cs(I) over all the tested elements, which showed weak or almost no adsorption except Rb(I). A pseudo-second-order model was found to be able to describe the adsorption kinetics of Cs(I). The chemical complexation of Cs(I) with BiPCalix[4]C6/SiO₂-P was considered to be the rate-controlling step. Meanwhile, the thermodynamic parameters of the Cs(I) adsorption, ΔH?, ΔG?, and ΔS? were determined. The adsorption of Cs(I) onto BiPCalix[4]C6/SiO₂-P was exothermic. It was demonstrated that in 3.0 M HNO₃, the novel macroporous BiPCalix[4]C6/SiO₂-P material shows promise for the partitioning of Cs(I) from highly active liquid waste.     

Preparation of monolith SiC aerogel with high surface area and large pore volume and the structural evolution during the preparation

Resorcinol–formaldehyde/silica composite (RF/SiO₂) aerogel was synthesized by sol–gel process followed by supercritical drying (SCD). Monolithic SiC aerogel was obtained from RF/SiO₂ aerogel after carbothermal reduction. The evolution of physical property, crystal structure, morphology and pore structure from RF/SiO₂ to SiC aerogel was investigated by different methods, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and N₂ adsorption/desorption. The as-synthesized SiC aerogel presented typical mesoporous structure and possessed high porosity (91.8%), high surface area (328 m²/g) and large pore volume (2.28 cm³/g). Carbothermal reduction mechanism was also discussed based on the experiment and characterization results.     

PES/SiO2 nanocomposite by in situ polymerization: Synthesis,structure, properties,and new applications

SiO₂ nanoparticles of a quantum size (15 nm or less) were prepared via sol–gel method using tetraethylorthosilicate as a precursor. SiO₂ nanoparticles were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) analyses. Polyethersulfone/silica (PES/SiO₂) crystal structure nanocomposite was prepared by in situ polymerization using silica nanoparticles as reinforcement filler. The polymerization reaction was done at 160°C in paraffin bath in the presence of diphenolic monomers. XRD and FESEM analyses were used to study the morphology of the synthesized nanocomposite. The purity and thermal property of the PES/SiO₂ nanocomposite were studied by energy dispersion of X‐ray analysis and differential scanning calorimetry, respectively. The effect of silica particles on the hydrophilicity of PES/SiO₂ nanocomposite was also investigated. It was showed that the PES/SiO₂ nanocomposite had a higher swelling degree when compared with the pure PES. The synthesized PES/SiO₂ powder was used to remove Cu(II) ions from its aqueous solution. The effect of experimental conditions such as pH, shaking time, and sorbent mass on adsorption capacity of PES/SiO₂ nanocomposite were investigated. It was found that incorporation of a low amount of silica (2 wt%) into the polymer matrix caused the increase of the Cu(II) ions adsorption capacity of PES. POLYM. COMPOS., 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Effects of poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) content on preparation of novel thiol-functionalized mesoporous PVA/SiO2 composite nanofiber membranes and their application for adsorption of heavy metal ions from aqueous solution

Thiol-functionalized mesoporous poly (vinyl alcohol)/SiO₂ composite nanofiber membranes and pure PVA nanofiber membranes were synthesized by electrospinning. The results of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) indicated that the PVA/SiO₂ composite nanofibers were functionalized by mercapto groups via the hydrolysis polycondensation. The surface areas of the PVA/SiO₂ composite nanofiber membranes were >290 m²/g. The surface areas, pore diameters and pore volumes of PVA/SiO₂ composite nanofibers decreased as the PVA content increased. The adsorption capacities of the thiol-functionalized mesoporous PVA/SiO₂ composite nanofiber membranes were greater than the pure PVA nanofiber membranes. The largest adsorption capacity was 489.12 mg/g at 303 K. The mesoporous PVA/SiO₂ composite nanofiber membranes exhibited higher Cu²⁺ ion adsorption capacity than other reported nanofiber membranes. Furthermore, the adsorption capacity of the PVA/SiO₂ composite nanofiber membranes was maintained through six recycling processes. Consequently, these membranes can be promising materials for removing, and recovering, heavy metal ions in water.     

Impregnation synthesis of a novel macroporous silica-based crown ether polymeric material modified by 1-dodecanol and its adsorption for strontium and some coexistent metals

4,4′,(5′)-Di-(tert-butylcyclohexano)-18-crown-6(DtBuCH18C6) is a chelating agent having high selectivity mostly for Sr(II). To significantly reduce its leakage by molecular modification, a macroporous silica-based DtBuCH18C6 polymeric composite (DtDo/SiO₂–P) was synthesized. It was performed by impregnating and immobilizing DtBuCH18C6 and 1-dodecanol molecules into the pores of the SiO₂–P particles utilizing an advanced vacuum sucking technique. The adsorption of a few fission and non-fission products Sr(II), Ba(II), Cs(I), Ru(III), Mo(VI), Na(I), K(I), Pd(II), La(III), and Y(III) onto DtDo/SiO₂–P was investigated. It was done by examining the effects of contact time and the HNO₃ concentration in a range of 0.1–5.0 M at 298 K. At the optimum concentration of 2.0 M HNO₃, DtDo/SiO₂–P exhibited strong adsorption ability and high selectivity for Sr(II) great over all of the tested elements, which showed very weak or almost no adsorption except Ba(II). Meanwhile, It was found that the quantity of total organic carbon (TOC) leaked from DtDo/SiO₂–P in 2.0 M HNO₃, 187.5 ppm, was lower than 658.4 ppm that leaked from DtBuCH18C6/SiO₂–P, which was not modified. This was ascribed to the effective association of DtBuCH18C6 and 1-dodecanol through intermolecular interaction. The reduction of DtBuCH18C6 leakage by molecular modification with 1-dodecanol was achieved. It was of great benefit to application of DtDo/SiO₂–P in chromatographic partitioning of Sr(II), one of the main heat generators, from high level liquid waste (HLLW) in reprocessing of nuclear spent fuel in the MAREC (Minor Actinides Recovery from HLLW by Extraction Chromatography) process developed recently.     

Removal of aqueous toxic Hg(II) by functionalized mesoporous silica materials

BACKGROUND: Hg(II) is one of the most toxic metals and has received particular attention in environmental pollution. Hg(II) pollution is common in water sources, so rapid and efficient methods must be developed for its removal from water samples. Mesoporous silica (MS) is an ideal adsorbent due to its high surface area and biocompatibility. The efficiency and selectivity of MS adsorbents can be improved by surface modification. RESULTS: A new sorbent for trace Hg(II) removal was developed by grafting 1‐(3‐carboxyphenyl)‐2‐thiourea (CPTU) onto SBA‐15 mesoporous silica. The optimum pH range for Hg(II) adsorption was 3‐7 and the maximum static adsorption capacity was 64.5 mg g^?1. An enrichment factor of 150 was obtained with a relative standard deviation < 1.5% (n = 8). Common coexisting ions did not interfere with the adsorption of Hg(II) under optimal conditions. Quantitative recovery was achieved by stripping with a mixed solution of 1 mol L^?1 HCl and 5% CS(NH₂)₂. Efficient adsorption capacity of the recycled material could still be maintained at a level of 95% at the 7th cycle. CONCLUSION: 1‐(3‐carboxyphenyl)‐2‐thiourea functionalized SBA‐15 mesoporous silica was synthesized and applied for Hg(II) removal from water samples with high efficiency and selectivity. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Adsorption behaviour of functional grafting particles based on polyethyleneimine for chromate anions

Polyethyleneimine (PEI) was first grafted on the surfaces of micro-sized silica gel particles in the manner of the coupling graft, forming the grafting particles PEI/SiO₂. Afterward, for the grafted PEI, two polymer reactions, tertiary amination reaction and quaterisation, were allowed to be carried out in turn, and a kind of functional composite particles, QPEI/SiO₂, was obtained. QPEI/SiO₂ particles were used as solid adsorbent in the removal of chromate anions from aqueous solution. The static adsorption experiments (batch method) were performed, the effects of various factors on the adsorption capacity of QPEI/SiO₂ were examined, and the dynamic desorption experiments were also carried out. The experimental results show that QPEI/SiO₂ particles have strong adsorption ability for CrO₄²⁻ ions by right of electrostatic interaction, and the saturated adsorption amount actually reach up to 0.14 g/g. The isothermal adsorption behaviour is fitted to Langmuir model. The adsorption ability of QPEI/SiO₂ particles for CrO₄²⁻ ions is affected greatly by the quaterisation degree of the grafted PEI macromolecules. The QPEI/SiO₂ particles with higher quaterisation degrees have greater adsorption capacities. The adsorption ability of QPEI/SiO₂ particles for CrO₄²⁻ ions is nearly independent of pH values of the medium. QPEI/SiO₂ particles have excellent eluting and regenerating property as a mixed solution of NaOH and NaCl is used as eluent.     

Synthesis of a macroporous silica‐based derivative of pyridine material and its application in separation of palladium

A novel macroporous silica‐based 2,6‐bis(5,6‐dibutyl‐1,2,4‐triazine‐3‐yl)pyridine (BDBTP) material, BDBTP/SiO₂‐P, was prepared through impregnation and immobilization of BDBTP and octanol into the pores of the SiO₂‐P particles. The adsorption of 10 typical fission and nonfission elements contained in highly active liquid waste (HLW) onto BDBTP/SiO₂‐P was investigated by examining the effect of contact time and the HNO₃ concentration in the range of 0.1–5.0 M. Pd(II), a weak Lewis acid and an electron‐pair acceptor, was strongly complexed with nitrogen, a weak Lewis base and an electron‐pair donor. BDBTP/SiO₂‐P showed excellent adsorption ability and high selectivity for Pd(II) over all the tested metals. The separation of Pd(II) from a simulated HLW was performed by BDBTP/SiO₂‐P packed column. Pd(II) was effectively eluted with 0.2 M thiourea and separated from the others. It demonstrated that in HNO₃, application of the macroporous silica‐based BDBTP/SiO₂‐P material in partitioning and recovery of Pd(II) from HLW is promising. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2010     

Removal of strontium from aqueous solutions by adsorption onto activated carbon: kinetic and thermodynamic studies

This work reports the adsorption of strontium from aqueous solutions onto activated carbon. Various factors such as pH, initial concentration of strontium, particle size and temperature were considered. The optimum conditions obtained were: pH value = 4.0, contact time = 8 h, initial concentration of Sr(II) = 100 mg/l, particle size = 270 μm and temperature of 293.15 K. The adsorption of strontium(II) on activated carbon follows pseudo-first order kinetics and the energy of activation E_a calculated using the Arrehenius equation was found to be 3.042 kJ/mol.The adsorption isotherms could be fitted by the Langmuir model with the maximum adsorption capacity Q_o being 5.07×10^–4 mol/g at 293.15 K. A dimensionless separation factor R_L was used to judge the favourable adsorption. The values of the mass transfer coefficient β_L (cm/s) at different temperatures indicated that the velocity of mass transfer of Sr(II) ions onto activated carbon was slow. The intraparticle diffusion mechanism is of great importance in determining the overall rate of removal and the negative entropy of activation ΔS^# value 145.13 J/mol K, reflects that no significant change occurs in the internal structure of activated carbon during adsorption of strontium(II). The Gibbs free energy ΔG°_ads values range from –36.61 kJ/mol to –41.75 kJ/mol at 293.15–333.15 K, which show the physical adsorption properties of activated carbon and indicate the feasibility of the process.     

Adsorption characteristics of sericite for cesium ions from an aqueous solution

To efficiently remove cesium ions from aqueous solution, sericite was used as a novel adsorbent. The silanol (SiO₂) and aluminol (Al₂O₃) groups in sericite are likely to play an important role in adsorption process. The maximum adsorption capacity (q_m) and adsorption constant (K_L) for cesium ions obtained from the Langmuir isotherm model were 6.68 mg/g and 0.227 L/mg, respectively and regression curve fit well with the experimental data as the 0.965 of correlation coefficients (r²). However, when the Freundlich isotherm model was used correlation coefficient (r²) was 0.973. Therefore, it was concluded that Freundlich model fits equilibrium data better than Langmuir model. When the 6.0 g/L of sericie concentration was added to aqueous solution, cesium ions were removed by about 80% and the increase was not happened above 6.0 g/L of sericite concentration any more. The process was determined as exothermic reaction because the removal efficiency of cesium ions decreased as temperature increased. Furthermore, all adsorption was completed in 120 min and comparing the pseudo first and second-order kinetic models indicates that the adsorption of cesium ions using sericite follows well the pseudo-second-order kinetics.     

UNIVERSAL SOLVENT EXTRACTION (UNEX) FLOWSHEET TESTING FOR THE REMOVAL OF CESIUM,STRONTIUM, AND ACTINIDE ELEMENTS FROM RADIOACTIVE,ACIDIC DISSOLVED CALCINE WASTE

ABSTRACT

The presence of long-lived radionuclides presents a challenge to the management of radioactive wastes. Separation of the radionuclides from the waste solutions has the potential of significantly decreasing the costs associated with the immobilization and disposal of the radioactive waste by minimizing waste volumes. Typically, several separate processes are required for the separation of cesium, strontium, and actinides from radioactive wastes. A novel solvent extraction process, the Universal Extraction (UNEX) process, has been developed for the simultaneous separation of cesium, strontium, and the actinides from radioactive acidic waste solutions. The UNEX process solvent consists of chlorinated cobalt dicarbollide for the extraction of ¹³⁷Cs, polyethylene glycol for the extraction of ⁹⁰Sr, and diphenyl-N,N-di-n-butylcarbamoylmethyl phosphine oxide for the extraction of the actinides and lanthanides. A non-nitroaromatic polar diluent, phenyltrifluoromethyl sulfone, is used for this process. A UNEX flowsheet consisting of a single solvent extraction cycle has been developed as a part of a collaborative effort between the Khlopin Radium Institute (KRI) and the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). This flowsheet has been demonstrated with actual dissolved radioactive calcine waste at the INEEL using 24 stages of 2-cm diameter centrifugal contactors installed in a shielded hot cell facility. For the major radionuclides, 99.99% of the ¹³⁷Cs, 99.73% of the ⁹⁰Sr, and >99.9% of the actinides in the initial dissolved calcine feed were extracted and recovered in the high activity fraction. For the stable matrix elements, 12% of the Mo, 0.7% of the Zr, and 2% of the Fe were extracted and recovered in the strip product. The minor components Ba and Pb were quantitatively extracted and recovered in the strip product; 23% of the Mn was also present in this fraction. Very little Al, Ca, Cr, Na, and Ni were extracted into the UNEX solvent.     

Novel surface ionic imprinting materials prepared via couple grafting of polymer and ionic imprinting on surfaces of silica gel particles

In this paper, a new surface molecular imprinting technique is put forward, and a kind of novel ion-imprinted polymers (IIPs) were prepared through a new approach: firstly functional macromolecule polyethyleneimine (PEI) was grafted onto the surfaces of silica gel particles via the coupling grafting method (“grafting to” method) and the composite material PEI/SiO₂ with chemical linking was formed; secondly the ionic imprinting was carried out towards the macromolecule PEI grafted on the surface of silica particles using Cu²⁺ or Cd²⁺ ion as a template, epichlorohydrin (ECH) as a crosslinking agent and by coordination linkage actions, and Cu²⁺ ion (or Cd²⁺ ion)-imprinted material IIP-PEI/SiO₂ was prepared. The binding characteristics of IIP-PEI/SiO₂ for Cu²⁺ ion (or Cd²⁺ ion) were studied in detail by adopting both static and dynamic methods. The experimental results show that the ion-imprinting material IIP-PEI/SiO₂ has specific recognition ability for the template ions, and this character displays mainly in two aspects: (1) it has high affinity for the template ions, its binding amounts for the template ions are much greater than that of the non-imprinted composite material PEI/SiO₂, and the adsorption capacity enhances nearly two times compared to PEI/SiO₂; (2) it has excellent selectivity for the template ions, for the IIP-PEI/SiO₂ by using Cu²⁺ as template ion, its selectivity coefficients relative to Zn²⁺ and Ni²⁺ are 80.21 and 86.08, respectively, and for the IIP-PEI/SiO₂ by using Cd²⁺ as template ion, its selectivity coefficients relative to Cr³⁺ and Pb²⁺ are 77.05 and 88.22, respectively. Besides, the imprinting material IIP-PEI/SiO₂ has a fine elution property using HCl solution as eluent. The obtained imprinting material by using the new surface molecular imprinting techniques possesses superexcellent binding property for template molecules or ions because of the distribution of imprinted cavities in a thin polymer layer and smaller diffusion barrier.