Purification of liquid scintillation waste from binding radionuclides using different adsorbents

Abstract

Abstract The quantity of liquid organic radioactive wastes produced by the use of radioactive materials in nuclear research facilities is small compared to aqueous radioactive waste, but a special and low-cost treatment method is needed. Here we investigated the adsorption performance of five materials, namely: KU-2 resin, bentonite, charcoal (M&S) and clay adsorbents for the successful removal of 90Sr/90Y from liquid scintillation cocktail waste. The batch adsorption technique (influence of pH, contact time, and temperature), sequential, and column technique were investigated. The efficiency of these adsorbents for the removal of 90Sr/90Y is in this order, resin > bentonite > clay with removal efficiency 90 ± 5.2, 68 ± 3.25, and 65 ± 5.3%, respectively. While charcoal has lower affinity for the sorption processes. Purification of liquid scintillation (LS) cocktail by separation of 90Sr/90Y was successfully carried out by packed column with KU-2 resin. The exhausted loaded column with 90Sr/90Y is successfully regenerated by 25 mL, 1 M HNO3. Characterizations of the original and the purified LS cocktail were carried out using FTIR analysis. The efficiency of the purified liquid scintillation waste (LSW) for the determination of radionuclide is about 62.67 ± 4.8.