Zeolites and their utilizations in radioactive waste treatment

Applications of natural zeolites make use of one or more of the following properties: (I) cation exchange, (II) adsorption and related molecular sieving, (III) catalytic, (IV) dehydration and rehydration, and (v) biological reactivity. Extrinsic properties of the rock (e.g., siliceous composition, color, porosity, attrition resistance, and bulk density) are also important in many applications. Thus, the ideal zeolitic tuff for both cation exchange and adsorption applications should be mechanically strong to resist abrasion and disintegration, highly porous to allow solutions and gases to diffuse readily in and out of the rock, and soft enough to be easily crushed. In the present work, the removal of cesium+, strontium-2 and UO2+2 from nuclear wastewaters were investigated under static and dynamic conditions using two Iranian natural Clinoptilolite, their modified forms as well as a relevant synthetic zeolite-P