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- Title
Influence of the redox state on the neptunium sorption under alkaline conditions: Batch sorption studies on titanium dioxide and calcium silicate hydrates.
- Authors
Tits, Jan; Gaona, Xavier; Laube, Andreas; Wieland, Erich
- Abstract
Wet chemistry experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of the redox state and aqueous speciation on the uptake of neptunium by titanium dioxide (TiO2) and by calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H) under alkaline conditions. TiO2 was chosen as a reference sorbent to determine the surface complexation behaviour of neptunium under alkaline conditions. C-S-H phases are important constituents of cement and concrete. They may contribute significantly to radionuclide retention due to their high recrystallization rates making incorporation the dominating sorption mechanism for many radionuclides ( e.g. the actinides) on these materials. The sorption of neptunium on both solids was found to depend strongly on the degree of hydrolysis. On TiO2 Rd values for Np(IV), Np(V) and Np(VI) are identical at pH = 10 and decrease with progressing hydrolysis in case of Np(V) and Np(VI). On C-S-H phases, Rd values for the three redox states are also identical at pH = 10. While the Rd values for Np(VI) sorption on C-S-H phases decrease with progressing hydrolysis, the Rd values for Np(IV) and Np(V) sorption are not affected by the pH. In addition to the effect of hydrolysis, the presence of Ca is found to promote Np(V) and Np(VI) sorption on TiO2 whereas on C-S-H phases, the present wet chemistry data do not give unambiguous evidence. Thus, the aqueous speciation appears to have a similar influence on the sorption of the actinides on both types of solids despite the different sorption mechanism. The similar Rd values for Np(IV,V,VI) sorption at pH = 10 can be explained qualitatively by invoking inter-ligand electrostatic repulsion between OH groups in the coordination sphere of Np(V) and Np(VI). This mechanism was proposed earlier in the literature for the prediction of actinide complexation constants with inorganic ligands. A limiting coordination number for each Np redox state, resulting from the inter-ligand electrostatic repulsion, allows the weaker sorption of the highest hydrolysed Np(V,VI) species to be explained.
- Subjects
NEPTUNIUM; SORPTION; TITANIUM dioxide; CALCIUM silicate hydrate; TRANSURANIUM elements; OXIDATION-reduction reaction; CEMENT setting
- Publication
Radiochimica Acta, 2014, Vol 102, Issue 5, p385
- ISSN
0033-8230
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1515/ract-2013-2151