Separation of strontium and yttrium in nitric acid solutions using zirconium titanium phosphate and Dowex exchangers

Sulfonated ion irradiated (H⁺ and He²⁺) PEEK films were synthesized with a range of cross-linking density and a variety of sulfonation degrees. Batch adsorption experiments were carried out at an initial pH of 6.0 ± 0.2, initial concentrations of Pb²⁺ and ¹³⁷Cs ions of 10.0 mg L⁻¹ and 5500 Bq L⁻¹, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity was 60 mg g⁻¹ for Pb²⁺, and the distribution coefficient reached 6200 cm³ g⁻¹ for ¹³⁷Cs. The results indicated that sulfonation could be used to recycle low cross-linked PEEK and prepare efficient adsorbents to remove toxic Pb²⁺ and ¹³⁷Cs from polluted aqueous solutions.

     

Ion-exchange chromatography using citrate buffer,EDTA and α-HIBA for improving the separation of no-carrier-added <Superscript>139</Superscript>Ce from La<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> target irradiated with 14.5 MeV protons

The adsorption behaviour of La/Ce system on Dowex 50W-X8 in different media, namely, nitric acid, acetate buffer and citrate buffer was studied as a function of the concentration of nitric acid and buffer pH. In addition, in cation-exchange column chromatography experiments, three different eluants, namely, citrate buffer of pH 5.5, 0.1 M EDTA and 0.2 M α-HIBA, were employed for separation of Ce(III) from La(III). The optimum conditions for improvement of radiochemical separation of no-carrier-added ¹³⁹Ce from proton irradiated lanthanum were applied using the most suitable chelating agent 0.2 M α-HIBA. The purification of ¹³⁹Ce from macro amount of La(III) was done using two columns in a sequence. The target was prepared by pressing. The production of high radionuclidic and chemical purity ¹³⁹Ce via irradiation of lanthanum oxide target at MGC-20 cyclotron of proton energy 14.5 MeV was described. The experimental yield was found to be 200 kBq/μA h.     

Separation of <Superscript>139</Superscript>Ce using solvent extraction technique from La<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> target irradiated by 14.7 MeV protons

The radiochemical separation of no-carrier-added cerium from proton irradiated lanthanum was studied by solvent extraction using DEE, TBP and TPPO, the latter reagent being employed for the first time for separation of radiocerium from bulk of lanthanum. Distribution coefficients of cerium and lanthanum were investigated as a function of equilibrium time and concentration of HNO₃. A mixture of 0.05M K₂Cr₂O₇ and 0.1M H₂SO₄ was used as an oxidizing agent to improve the separation efficiency of cerium. A comparative study of the three extractants released that DEE is the best for separation of cerium from bulk of lanthanum oxide. The target was prepared by pressing. The production of ¹³⁹Ce of high radionuclidic purity and chemical purity via irradiation of lanthanum oxide target at MGC-20 cyclotron with protons of energy 14.5 MeV is described. The experimental yield was found to be 153 kBq/μA·h.     

Optimization of environmental friendly process for removal of cadmium from wastewater

Simple, efficient and eco-friendly electrochemical method for removal and recovery of Cd(II) from wastewater has been studied. Experiments were carried out in a batch electrochemical reactor with iron electrodes. The removal was examined at different pH values and electrical potentials. It was observed that the experiments carried out at 20 V and at pH 9 were sufficient for the maximum removal of Cd(II). This method is highly efficient in removal of Cd(II) from wastewater containing up to 1000 mg L^?1. The removal is faster in comparison with the adsorption on activated carbon, which is one of the most important requirements for practical application of this treatment method. In this process, the use of different electrical potentials can provide a wide range of pH values for performing this process. The removal data were used to determine the adsorption kinetics by using the first-order adsorption kinetics model. The data can be analyzed in terms of various adsorption models. The results of Cd(II) removal from real samples indicate that the method used in this study can provide an efficient and cost-effective technology for the treatment of Cd(II)-containing wastewater. The parameters can be used for designing a plant for an economical treatment of Cd(II)-rich water and wastewater.     

Removal of Arsenazo-III from liquid radioactive waste by cloud point extraction

Optimization of a method, based on thermal oxidation using a tube furnace system (Pyrolyser), for the separation of organically bound tritium (OBT) from environmental matrices is discussed. Results show that a maximum of ~?4 g of the vegetation sample, typical wild plant leaves of tropical regions, and ~?8 g of sediment sample can be combusted efficiently in the pyrolyser system. The recovery of OBT from wheat sample was observed to be ~?92% and that for sediment sample was ~?88%. The minimum detectable activity (MDA) at 95% confidence level was 3.4 Bq kg^?1 for a sample weight?=?4 g, counting time?=?30,000 s, and detection efficiency?=?23%.

     

A Novel Screen-Printed and Carbon Paste Electrodes for Potentiometric Determination of Uranyl(II) Ion in Spiked Water Samples

Four new ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) based on poly-(1-4)-2-amino-2-deoxy-β-D-glucan (chitosan) ionophore were constructed for determination of uranyl ion (UO₂(II)) over wide concentration ranges. The linear concentration range for carbon paste electrodes (CPEs) was 1 × 10^–6–1 × 10^–2 mol/L with a detection limit of 1 × 10^–6 mol/L and that for the screen-printed electrode (SPEs) was 1 × 10^–5–1 × 10^–1 mol/L with a detection limit of 8 × 10^–6 mol/L. The slopes of the calibration graphs were 29.90 ± 0.40 and 29.10 ± 0.60 mV/decade for CPEs with dibutylphthalate (DBP) (electrode I) and o-nitrophenyloctylether (o-NPOE) (electrode II) as plasticizers, respectively. Also, the SPEs showed good potentiometric slopes of 29.70 ± 0.30 and 28.20 ± 1.20 mV/decade with DBP (electrode III) and o-NPOE (electrode IV), respectively. The electrodes showed stable and reproducible potential over a period of 54, 62, 101 and 115 days for electrodes I, II, III, and IV, respectively. The electrodes manifested advantages of low resistance, very fast response and, most importantly, good selectivities relative to a wide variety of other cations except Ce(III) ion which interfere seriously. The results obtained compared well with those obtained using atomic absorption spectrometry.