Abstract

The article presents the results of in situ synthesis of copper ferrocyanide by the powder method – solid-phase synthesis. The obtained sorbent is characterised by a cesium ion removal coefficient of up to 81.4% with a sediment activity of 146 Bq after 3 days of exposure. The storage capacity of sorbent sample 1 is manifested in the sorption of 137Cs1+ ions on the surface of copper ferrocyanide particles due to hydroxyl groups with spherical formations of bright beet-coloured compounds, such as Cs2 [Fe(CN)6 ]⋅7H2 O. It has been shown that the addition of 10% Portland cement to the sorbent reduces the removal of caesium ions from water (to 70.3%) with sediment activity after 3 days of exposure to 125 Bq. The addition of Portland cement promotes rapid precipitation and chemical binding of cesium ions into compounds of the type Cs2 O⋅2CaO⋅2SiO2 ⋅4H2 O. The prospects for the application of the developed sorbent are evident in the simplicity of synthesis, low cost due to the use of inexpensive commercially available reagents, adsorption rate, high adsorption capacity and high selectivity of cesium ion removal from low-level radioactive water.

Keywords

activity, cesium ions, copper ferrocyanide, extraction, in situ, low-level radioactive waters, sediment, solid-phase reactions, sorbent