Use of PVC plasticized membranes for uptake of radioactive cesium and strontium

A new type of sorbent for the selective uptake of elements based on the use of PVC plasticized membranes, commonly used in electrochemistry as ion selective (ISE) membranes, is described. It is theoretically derived that the material acting as a selective ion sensor of ISE must be also effective as a sorbent. In experimental verification of the hypothesis,; the cobalt dicarbollide and sodium tetraphenylborate with the addition of a synergist of the polyethyleneglycol type were dissolved in several solvents mixed with a tetrahydrofurane solution of 5% PVC and evaporated to produce a membrane used for the sorption experiments. It was found that PVC, besides functioning as a solid support, does not influence significantly the behavior of the prepared materials; however, the kinetics are slower than for the analogous solvent extraction techniques. Practical applications of such membranes for the isolation of radioactive cesium and strontium from acidic and alkaline solutions with a high of Na+ ions content are shown, with emphasis on nontoxic solvents as substitutes for the toxic nitrobenzene.