DISPERSION AND SORPTION CHARACTERISTICS OF URANIUM IN THE ZEOLITE-QUARTZ MIXTURE AS BACKFILL MATERIAL IN THE RADIOACTIVE WASTE REPOSITORY
ABSTRACT: The experiment of
sorption and dispersion characteristics of uranium in the zeolite-quartz
mixture as candidate of raw material of backfill material in the radioactive
waste repository has been performed. The objective is to know the effect of
zeolite and quartz grain size on the zeolite-to-quartz weight ratio that gives
porosity ( ), permeability (K), and
dispersivity ( ) of uranium in the zeolite-quartz
mixture as backfill material. The experiment was carried out by fixed
bed method in the column filled by the zeolite-quartz mixture with
zeolite-to-quartz weight percent ratio of 100/0, 80/20, 60/40, 40/60, 20/80,
0/100 wt. % in the water saturated condition flowed by uranyl nitrate solution
of 500 ppm concentration (C o ) as uranium simulation which was leached from
immobilized radioactive waste in the repository. The concentration of uranium
in the effluents represented as C t were analyzed by spectrophotometer Corning
Colorimeter 253 every 15 minutes, then using C o and C t uranium dispersivity (
) in the backfill material was
determined. The experiment data shown that 0.196 mm particle size of zeolite
and 0.116 mm particle size of quartz on the zeolite-to-quartz weight ratio of
60/40 wt. % with = 0.678, K = 3.345x10 -4 cm/second,
and = 0.759 cm can be proposed as candidate of raw
material of backfill material in the radioactive waste repository.
Author: Herry Poernomo, and
Noor Anis Kundari
Journal: jpkimiagg060032
