Immobilization of simulated strontium contaminated zeolite: microstructure and chemical durability

• Published in: Journal of radioanalytical and nuclear chemistry Vol. 331; no. 10; pp. 4099 - 4110
• Main Authors: Shi, Minghe, Luo, Fen, Miao, Yulong, Xu, Zhengfan, Yuan, Beilong, Li, Yaping, Huang, Wenxiao, Lu, Xirui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.10.2022; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Contamination; Diagnostic Radiology; Durability; Hadrons; Hazardous waste management industry; Heavy Ions; High temperature; Inorganic Chemistry; Mechanical properties; Microstructure; Nuclear Chemistry; Nuclear energy; Nuclear fuel cycle; Nuclear Physics; Physical Chemistry; Radioactive waste disposal; Radioactive wastes; Radioisotopes; Solid solubility; Strontium; Waste management; Zeolites; Sr-contaminated zeolite; High-temperature sintering; Microstructure; Chemical durability; Waste treatment
• ISSN: 0236-5731; 1588-2780
• DOI: 10.1007/s10967-022-08465-0

In this study, strontium (Sr) contaminated zeolite was sintered at 1500 °C for 1 h, and the radionuclide was fixed into the glass matrix. The phase evolution, microstructure, morphology, mechanical property, and chemical durability were investigated. The results exhibited that the solid solubility limit of the glass solidified body could reach up to 72 wt%. Compared with other solidified forms of radioactive wastes, the glass matrix synthesized in this study has good mechanical properties and chemical durability. Therefore, high-temperature sintering is a potential method for disposing of the radioactively contaminated zeolite waste.