Synthesis of novel complexing macromolecular surfactants and study of their interactions with cobalt for the development of a decontamination process of textiles in dense CO2 medium

This study is about textile decontamination in dense CO2 (liquid CO2 or supercritical CO2). The study is carried out in the framework of decontamination of textile used in the nuclear industry. The dense CO2 offers an alternative to aqueous medium used in the current process which generates a huge quantity of contaminated aqueous effluent requiring a post-treatment. Cobalt is the targeted contamination and can be found as ionic species or particles. The cobalt extraction in dense CO2 is achieved with an additive: a complexing CO2-philic/CO2-phobic macromolecular surfactant. Several types of additives were synthesized by controlled free radical polymerization: gradient copolymers made with CO2-philic groups (silicone-based or fluorinated moieties) and CO2-phobic complexing groups (aceto acetoxy, di-ethylphosphonate or phosphonic acid moieties). The copolymer behavior in dense CO2 was determined by phase diagram measurements (cloud point method) and their self-assembly in dense CO2 was investigated by small angle neutron scattering. The fluorinated copolymers were found advantageous in terms of solubility. Nevertheless, the silicone-based copolymers showed solubilities which are compatible with the process, therefore they are a good alternative to avoid fluorinated compounds which are unwanted in the conditioning of nuclear wastes. The study of cobalt complexation by the copolymers (UV-vis spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy) established relations between the type of complexing group and the affinity with the cobalt. The solubility of copolymer-cobalt complexes in dense CO2 is similar to those of copolymers. Moreover, the self-assembly study of the complex revealed a low aggregation. Finally, the synthesized copolymers were used in particle or ionic decontamination processes. In the case of ionic decontamination process, a rate of 70% of decontamination was reached with the use of gradient copolymer poly(1,1,2,2-tetrahydroperfluoro-decyl acrylate-co-vinyl-benzylphosphonic diacid) which allowed the formation of water-in-CO2 microemulsion. The efficiency of the decontamination process was even improved up to 97% with the addition of pyridine in the process. (author)