Study of the sorption of neodymium on granite minerals

Sorption of neodymium was studied on orthoclase, a primary mineral of granites, and on calcite and smectite, two alteration minerals found in fractures of granitic sites, in order to acquire data for modelling the behavior of long-lived radionuclides released into underground water from radioactive wastes stored in geologic repositories. Batch experiments were used for measuring the kinetics, sorption isotherms, capacity, and the influence of complexation. In pure water, sorption obeys a Langmuir-type law for orthoclase and a Freundlich-type law for calcite and smectite. (orig.)