Treatment of wastes containing cesium ions by electrochemical ion-exchange (EIX)

In this study, an electrochemical ion-exchange (EIX) technique, based on cationic resin and zirconium phosphate (ZrP), have been chosen for the separation of cesium from radioactive wastes. These materials show high chemical stability in oxidizing media and under ionizing radiation. Charcoal, graphite and binder used in the formulation of electrodes have been studied as well. 99.8% of the cesium sorption from solution was observed. The great advantage of this process is the total release of cesium at room temperature, by reversing polarities, which makes possible the reuse of the electrode without losing its exchanging capacity.