Diffusion and sorption of Cs+ and Sr2+ ions onto synthetic mullite powder

Abstract

Mullite powder was chemically synthesized by the sol–gel method and analyzed using SEM and X-ray diffraction. Sorptive removal of cesium and strontium ions from an aqueous solution using the synthetic mullite powder was investigated using the batch technique. Factors expected to influence the sorption process were experimentally examined. Sorption rate and diffusion parameters were determined by the tested models, while isotherm models were employed for analyzing sorption equilibrium data. The investigated diffusion and sorption behavior of synthetic mullite toward cesium and strontium ions promotes its potential use as backfill material incorporated in the engineering barrier of radioactive disposal facilities.