Zeolites as sorbent and safe immobilization matrix for radioactive waste management

Zeolites are one of the important inorganic cations exchangers and effectively used for selective removal of radionuclides, especially fission-product radionuclides of high activity such as ۱۳۷Cs and ۹۰Sr in nuclear energy field. Their structures of aluminosilicate framework are durable in contacting with waste water and their ion selectivity is effective even in the solution containing other competing ions. One strategy for the management of liquid radioactive waste containing hazardous radionuclides is sorption and solidification in a natural zeolite framework, both as a sorbent and as a stabilizing matrix. This presentation deals with the treatment of radioactive waste containing Cs+ and Sr۲+ using natural zeolite as well as the vitrification process for immobilizing of these radionuclides in borosilicate glass products. At first, radioactive ions were adsorbed in the zeolite framework, and then the waste loaded zeolite was used as pre-material for producing borosilicate glass. The evaluation of waste-loaded glass samples were carried out using X-ray techniques (XRF, XRD) and SEM analysis. The leaching of waste loaded borosilicate glass matrices have been also studied.

کلیدواژه ها:

Iranian natural zeolite ، Sorption ، Immobilization ، Radioactive waste