COMPLEXATION OF URANYL-ION BY POLYVINYLIMIDAZOLE - ELECTROCHEMICAL PREPARATION AND LEACHING TESTS INVESTIGATIONS

In this work, we intend to check the claims of an U.S. Patent (Westing house E.C.) which describes an original treatment for low level activi ty radioactive wastes. The process deals with electrochemical preparat ion of polyvinylimidazole (PVI) which is a polymer capable of complexi ng uranyl ions. We confirm the complexation of uranyl ions by PVI in v arious media by FT-IR and UV-Visible analysis but all these complexes were found to be soluble in water so we put forward new complexes with an additional polymer to shape out insoluble complex. Leaching tests demonstrate the efficiency of our process.