Removal of cesium from nuclear liquid waste using hybrid organic-inorganic membranes grafted by immobilized calixarenes

The aim of the Actinex program is to reduce massively the noxiousness of the vitrified wastes mainly due to actinides and other long-lived fission products such as ¹²⁹I, ⁹⁹Tc or ¹³⁵Cs. Specific treatment means applicable to the industrial processes of spent fuel reprocessing have to be defined. The selective extraction of these radioelements for their transmutation or packaging in specific matrices is one of the research theme of this program. Different studies allowing the extraction of radioelements such as cesium, americium and plutonium by preferential diffusional transport through a supported liquid membrane of complexes (formed between a selective transport compound and the radioelements) are at the present time carried out in the ETPL (Effluents Treatment Processes Laboratory). Calix-4-arenes mono/bis-crown-6 are used as selective transport compounds. Meanwhile the possible losses of the selective transport compound by dissolution in the aqueous phases have oriented our researches towards a solid material in which the selective transport compound is chemically bound or trapped in the matrix. The transport compound is a calixarene, dissymmetrical and double grafted. It has been specifically synthesized for this study. It allows both to complex the cesium and to chemically bind a hetero-poly-siloxane. These monomers have poly-condensable groups which lead by sol-gel process to the formation of a three-dimensional bonds lattice. The matrix, thus obtained, can be supported either on a mineral material or on a porous organic material. Pre-polymers and the deposited layers have been characterized and correlations between the materials preparation and their properties, applied to cesium extraction, have been established. Experiments of cesium transfer through the solid membrane containing between 2 to 40% of selective transport compound, located between 2 compartments containing upstream, an acidic solution with strong salinity doped with Cs 137 and with Na 22 and downstream, a neutral de-extraction solution have been carried out as well as liquid-liquid and solid-liquid extraction experiments. (O.M.)