Comparison of Adsorbents for Cesium and Strontium in Different Solutions

Adsorption is an effective method to remove cesium and strontium from a solution. Although a variety of adsorbents has been reported, it is difficult to compare their adsorption properties due to different experimental conditions (such as solution concentration, volume, composition, temperature, etc.). In this paper, a series of adsorbents for the adsorption of cesium and strontium (ammonium phosphomolybdate, Prussian blue, sabite, clinoptilolite, titanium silicate) were synthesized and characterized using XRD, IR and SEM, and their adsorption performance in mixed solution (containing Li, Na, K, Cs, Ca, Sr and Mg ions, 1 mmol L−1), artificial seawater and salt lake brine were studied under the same conditions; in addition, the adsorption mechanism was elucidated. The results showed that ammonium phosphomolybdate has the largest adsorption capacity for cesium in the mixed solution. In artificial seawater and salt lake brine, Prussian blue displays the highest cesium adsorption capacity and the best selectivity. The multi-adsorption mechanisms are beneficial to the selective adsorption of Prussian blue in complex solutions. These results are useful for choosing adsorbents for cesium and strontium in applications.