DIFFUSION DIALYSIS AIDED ELECTRODIALYSIS PROCESS FOR CONCENTRATION OFRADIONUCLIDES IN ACID-MEDIUM

A study on the separation of the long-lived heat generating fission pr oducts Cs-137 and Sr-90 from acidic solutions has been carried out usi ng a specially fabricated electrodialytic cell equipped with a pair of cation and anion exchange membranes forming a catholyte and anolyte, respectively, and a radioactive feed chamber. The studies were done wi th feed solutions containing different concentrations of Na+, Cs+ and Sr2+ individually and with a mixture of these cations in 0.3M HNO3. In all the cases, the transfer of Cs and Sr was found to be greater than 90%. To facilitate the separation of the above radionuclides from hig her acidity (similar to 3.OM HNO3), diffusion dialysis was taken as a possible pretreatment step using a two compartment diffusion cell with an anion exchange membrane in between. All the experiments were done under non-stirring mode.