Metal ion coordination studies on a silica-based ion exchange resin before and after heating.

Journal Article · Tue Jul 31 00:00:00 EDT 2001 · Solvent Extr. Ion Exch.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1081/SEI-100103816· OSTI ID:943091

Beitz, J V; Williams, C W

Work designed to assess the potential of using a single material to sorb highly charged metal ions from aqueous solution and then microencapsulate and chemical fix those sorbed metal ions in vitreous silica is described. The basis for these studies is a chemically functionalized porous silica that is termed Diphosil. Diphosil was created by Chiarizia and coworkers (Solv. Extr. Ion Exch. 1996, 14(6), 1977-1100) as an ion exchange resin that strongly sorbs actinide and other highly charged metal ions from acid solutions. We have determined the maximum metal ion loading for Diphosil and shown that it sorbs trivalent ions from concentrated phosphoric acid. Using FT-IR analysis, we have shown that heating metal ion-loaded Diphosil in air converts its organic content primarily into carbon dioxide and water vapor. We have carried out studies on luminescence dynamics and spectroscopy, powder x-ray diffraction, and optical microscopy of metal ion-loaded Diphosil prior to and following heating in air. All of the results of our investigations are consistent with microencapsulation and chemical fixation of metal ions sorbed into Diphosil when that material is heated to 1273 K. In consequence, Diphosil is a promising basis for a single material approach to reducing nuclear waste volume by removing longlived alpha emitters from high level liquid radioactive waste and generating a vitreous silica nuclear waste form for the removed radionuclides that is suitable for geologic disposal.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC); NE
• DOE Contract Number: DE-AC02-06CH11357
• OSTI ID: 943091
• Report Number(s): ANL/CHM/JA-37422; SEIEDB; TRN: US1000551
• Journal Information: Solvent Extr. Ion Exch., Vol. 19, Issue 4 ; Jul. 31, 2001; ISSN 0736-6299
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: ENGLISH

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ACTINIDES
AIR
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
CARBON DIOXIDE
HEATING
ION EXCHANGE
IONS
LIQUIDS
LUMINESCENCE
METALS
OPTICAL MICROSCOPY
PHOSPHORIC ACID
POWDERS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOISOTOPES
RESINS
SILICA
SPECTROSCOPY
WASTE FORMS
WATER VAPOR
X-RAY DIFFRACTION