Sorption and distribution of 226Ra in an electrolytic manganese dioxide column in the presence of other ions

Distribution of 226Ra within a segmented electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD) column was investigated under varying flow rates. Tests show uniform distribution of 226Ra within the EMD column at higher flow rates, as compared to a lower flow rate whereby an apparent two stage sorption process is contributing to the sorption amount. The sorption of 226Ra on EMD decreases from 57% to 14.2% over a short range of Ba2+ concentration (5-30 mg Ba2+ per 750.0 g solution) using flow rated of 200-300 ml min-1. The sorption of 226 Ra on EMD decreases (58-15%) over a short range of Fe3+ concentration (3-15 mg Fe3+ per 15.00 kg solution) using flow rates of 415-516 ml min-1. Tests show a consistent higher sorption of 226Ra compared to 133Ba under all Ra:Ba ratios indicating the preference for Ra2+ ions. (author). 19 refs., 2 tabs