Enrichment of tritiated water using mesoporous silica

• Enrichment of tritiated water, consisting of radioisotope hydrogen, was studied.
• Mesoporous MCM-41 exhibits large enrichment ability of tritiated water.
• The superiority of mesopore and the dependency of mesopore diameter are shown.

The enrichment of tritiated water in desorption from micro- and meso-porous materials was studied. Among the adsorbents MCM-41, SBA-15, LTA(5A), and amorphous SiO2, MCM-41 showed the best enrichment ability. The tritium (T) desorption profile of MCM-41, along with 29Si magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy suggested that dehydration via the condensation of silanol groups containing T species, such as Si–OT, contributed to the enrichment of tritiated water. In contrast, the desorption of HTO molecules trapped in zeolite cages and channels was dominant in LTA(5A). The results also suggested the superiority of mesoporous structures for the enrichment of tritiated water.

Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide