Study on retardation mechanism of 3H, 99Tc, 137Cs, 237Np and 241Am in compacted sodium bentonite

The apparent diffusion coefficients were measured at room temperature (about 23°C) under atmospheric condition by the one-dimensional non-steady state diffusion method for 3H, 99Tc, 137Cs, 237Np and 241Am in compacted sodium-bentonite saturated with water. Sodium-bentonite, which is commercially available as KunigeIV1 ®, was used in this study. Experiments were carried out in the density range of 0.4–2.0(× 103kg/m3). Bentonite in the cell was prepared to be saturated with distilled water. The measured apparent diffusion coefficient decreases with increasing dry density of bentonite. That the apparent diffusion coefficient of 3H decreased as a function of dry density of bentonite appears to be the effect of the change of porous structure with dry density of bentonite. 99Tc may be retarded by anion-exclusion because dominant diffusion specie of 99Tc is pertechnetate ion under atmospheric condition. Retardation for 137Cs may be caused by ion-exchange on bentonite. The sorption, anion-exclusion and molecular filtration are considered as a retardation mechanism for 237Np and 241Am because those dominant species are negatively charged and of large ionic size.