Ion Exchangers in Radioactive Waste Management. Part VIII: Radiotracer Studies on Adsorption of Strontium Ions on Hydrous Manganese Oxide

Abstract

Hydrous manganese oxide (HMO) is exploited as adsorbent for the decontamination study of strontium ions from aqueous radio-active waste solutions under simulated conditions using batch technique. The dependences of removal on various physicochemical conditions, such as contact time, concentration, temperature and pH of the adsorptive solution, were established using radiotracer technique. The results show that adsorption essentially reaches a plateau value in ca. 90 min, and the data thus obtained fit well into the classical Freundlich adsorption isotherm over a wide range of concentrations (10-2 —10-7 M). Lower desorption values, little affected by increase in temperature, show the process to be irreversible. The exposure of HMO to neutrons and y-radiations from a 11.1 GBq neutron source up to certain periods results in a nominal change in sorption characteristics, indicating it be radiation-stable. © R. Oldenbourg Verlag, München 1995