Establishment of foam separation method for removal of radioactive metals

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K00582
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Environmental engineering and reduction of environmental burden
• Research Institution: Saitama University
• Principal Investigator: MATSUOKA Keisuke 埼玉大学, 教育学部, 准教授 (90384635)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 泡 / 泡沫 / 気泡 / 界面活性剤 / 泡沫分離 / 放射性金属

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Foam separation could be used to remove a series of alkali metals and alkali earth metals from aqueous solutions based on electrostatic interactions between the anionic surfactant and metals. The most suitable concentration of the surfactant for which the alkali ions were selectively adsorbed was less than the CMC. The microbubble generator apparatus used in this study was effective in removing the alkali metals. The order of removal rate of the alkali metal was almost Li < K < Rb < Cs for the sodium dodecylsulfate surfactant system. On the other hand, the order of removal rate of the alkali earth metal was almost Mg < Ca < Sr for the sodium decylsulfate surfactant system. The order is lined up atomic number. The first order of removal rate constants with crystal ion radius were showed linear relationships in respective series. This method may be applied in the purification of the contaminated water from nuclear power plants and in industrial drainage.

Free Research Field

コロイド及び界面化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

汚水や水溶液中に溶解している金属を、微小気泡を用いた泡沫分離を用いて効果的に除去することが可能であることを証明した。その方法は高価な除去剤（樹脂系、酸化チタン系吸着剤）を使用する必要がない。最終処理物が金属と界面活性剤の結晶だけであり、減容化が可能である。最終的に水溶液から界面活性剤は泡沫として除去されるため、水は純水に近づく。