Research Progress on Plutonium Adsorption Behavior

Abstract

Plutonium(Pu) is a very critical radioactive element, and its separation and purification are the core technology in the reprocessing of spent fuel. At the same time, research on the separation of Pu is also of great significance to environmental protection and radioactive pollution remediation. Currently, precipitation, extraction, and adsorption are the primary techniques for separating and purifying plutonium. Of these, adsorption is a crucial method for the process. The technique offers benefits such as simplicity of operation and high-speed adsorption. Additionally, adsorbents have advantages in the form of low cost and high adsorption capacity. In the review, according to the properties of adsorption materials, we introduced the research progress on the adsorption and separation of Pu from five aspects: natural mineral, polymer resins, inorganic oxides, carbon materials and nanomaterials. Furthermore, the adsorption ability and mechanisms of these different adsorption materials as well as the influencing factors during the adsorption process were also summarized and discussed. Based on these discussions, the advantages and disadvantages of these different materials were also evaluated. Finally, the problems and future development trend of the plutonium adsorption and separation were analyzed and prospected, which should be provided guidance for the research and application in the adsorption and separation of Pu and other radionuclides.

Keywords

• plutonium
• adsorption
• adsorption mechanism
• adsorption separation
• adsorption material