Cesium Removal from High Level Liquid Waste Utilizing a Macroporous Silica-based Calix[4]arene-R14 Adsorbent Modified with Surfactants

1,3-[(2,4-diethylheptylethoxy)oxy]-2,4-crown-6-Calix[4]arene(Calix[4]arene-R14) modified with dodecanol and dodecyl benzenesulfonic acid (DBS) was impregnated into the pores of macroporous silica-based polymer support (SiO2-P). The adsorbent was used to uptake Cs(I), Na(I), K(I), Sr(II), Pd(II), Ru(III), Y(III), La(III), Eu(III), Ce(III), Rh(III), Zr(IV), and Mo(VI) from HNO3 solution by batch technique. The leakage of total organic carbon (TOC) and dodecyl benzenesulfonic acid from the adsorbent into aqueous phase were below 60 ppm and 0.51 wt% at 298 K, 75 ppm and 1 wt% at 318 K in the range of 0.5 ∼ 5 M HNO3, respectively. The adsorbent containing DBS presented a higher selectivity for Cs(I) compared to the DBS-free one. The Kd value of Cs(I) was about 3×103 cm3/g at 0.5 M HNO3. The adsorbent had almost no uptake for other tested metals in the range of 0.5 ∼ 7 M HNO3.