Evaluation of cesium sorption on natural mordenite

The kinetic and equilibrium sorption behaviors of Cs⁺ on mordenite, a zeolite which can sorb cesium well, were investigated by using the batch method. Cesium-137 and the stable CsNO₃ were used as tracer and carrier to study the influences on Cs⁺ sorption behaviors by changing Cs⁺ initial concentration, pH value, particle size of mordenite and experimental temperature. The equilibrium was reached in 3 days and the saturated amount of cesium sorbed is about 0.19 kg Cs/kg NM. The sorption data at 25°C and 90°C were fitted to Freundlich sorption model and nonlinear isotherms were found. However, linear isotherm was applicable with a Cs⁺ initial concentration less than 10^–3M. The decrease of Cs⁺ sorption at elevated temperature suggested the sorption reaction was exothermic. The use of centrifugation to separate the liquid from solid phases in traditional batch techniques was not suitable to the kinetic experiment of Cs sorbed by mordenite for lower concentrations.