Effect of Hydrogen Peroxide Content on the Preparation of Peroxotitanate Materials for the Treatment of Radioactive Wastewater

Abstract

The modification of peroxotitanate using hydrogen peroxide significantly improved the ion-exchange capacity of titanate materials as sorbents for metal ions contained in a radioactive waste simulant solution. The effects of hydrogen peroxide content (hydrogen peroxide/titanium isopropoxide molar ratios, hereafter expressed as H/T) on the properties of as-prepared titanate synthesized at 130°C and at pH of 6-7, followed by freeze-drying, were investigated. The peroxotitanate materials thus obtained were characterized by XRD, BET, SEM, TEM, EDX, ICP, and Raman spectroscopy. At an H/T ratio of 2, peroxotitanate predominantly exhibited an amorphous structure, with a clearly observed tubular or fibrous structure. Furthermore, peroxotitanate modified at an H/T ratio of 2 exhibited the best ion-exchange capacity of 191 mg g-1 for metal ions contained in a radioactive waste simulant solution. Hence, these peroxotitanate materials are suitable for removing metal ions from wastewater, especially lanthanide ions (Ln3+) and Sr2+.