Separation and Recovery of Cs from High Active Waste Simulant using Resorcinol Formaldehyde Polycondensate Resin: Batch and Column Studies

Abstract

Resorcinol formaldehyde polycondensate resin has been extensively used for the separation of 137Cs from low and medium active alkaline waste solutions. The present study examines the suitability of the resin for separation of Cs from high active solutions. Batch uptake of Cs by RFPR has been evaluated from test solutions containing varying Na (0.6–3.0 M) and Cs (1.00 × 10−4 to 0.10 M) concentrations. Batch results have been used to establish Cs exchange isotherms of the resin and were found to follow Freundlich as well as Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) isotherm equations. The loading behavior of Cs on RFPR column has been evaluated by conducting five column runs using different Cs bearing solutions. Based on these results, it is concluded that the D-R equation can be used to predict saturated loading of Cs in the column. The saturation loading of Cs on 1 L bed was estimated to be as high as 13 g and 34 g from feed solution containing Cs concentration 2.57 × 10−4 and 4.30 × 10−3 mol/L respectively. Sequential elution of Na and Cs resulted in a high Cs bearing concentrate containing very low concentration of sodium. This study is relevant in the preparation of gamma source for radiation technology applications after immobilization of the concentrate in glass.