Preparation and Characterization of Cesium-137 Aluminosilicate Pellets for Radioactive Source Applications

Preparation and Characterization of Cesium-137 Aluminosilicate Pellets for Radioactive Source Applications
Author: F. J. Schultz
Publisher:
Total Pages: 96
Release: 1981
Genre: Beta decay
ISBN:

Twenty-seven fully loaded 137Cs aluminosilicate pellets were fabricated in a hot cell by the vacuum hot pressing of a cesium carbonate/montmorillonite clay mixture at 1500©C and 570 psig. Four pellets were selected for characterization studies which included calorimetric measurements, metallography, scanning electron microscope and electron backscattering (SEM-BSE), electron microprobe, x-ray diffraction, and cesium ion leachability measurements. Each test pellet contained 437 to 450 curies of 137Cs as determined by calorimetric measurements. Metallographic examinations revealed a two-phase system: a primary, granular, gray matrix phase containing large and small pores and small pore agglomerations, and a secondary fused phase interspersed throughout the gray matrix. SEM-BSE analyses showed that cesium and silicon were uniformly distributed throughout both phases of the pellet. This indicated that the cesium-silicon-clay reaction went to completion. Aluminum homogeneity was unconfirmed due to the high background noise associated with the inherent radioactivity of the test specimens. X-ray diffraction analyses of both radioactive and non-radioactive aluminosilicate pellets confirmed the crystal lattice structure to be pollucite. Cesium ion quasistatic leachability measurements determined the leach rates of fully loaded 137Cs sectioned pollucite pellets to date to be 4.61 to 34.4 x 10−1© kg m−2s−1, while static leach tests performed on unsectioned fully loaded pellets showed the leach rates of the cesium ion to date to be 2.25 to 3.41 x 10−12 kg m−2s−1. The cesium ion diffusion coefficients through the pollucite pellet were calculated using Fick's first and second laws of diffusion. The diffusion coefficients calculated for three tracer level 137Cs aluminosilicate pellets were 1.29 x 10−16m2s−1, 6.88 x 10−17m2s−1, and 1.35 x 10−17m2s−1, respectively.

Cesium-137 Analysis of Seawater

Cesium-137 Analysis of Seawater
Author: J. N. Pascual
Publisher:
Total Pages: 22
Release: 1967
Genre: Cesium
ISBN:

Cs137 and some of the interfering K40 and Rb87 are concentrated from seawater by coprecipitation with ammonium molybdophosphate. K40 and Rb87 are separated from the Cs137 by column chromatography. In these separations zirconium phosphate is used as an ion exchanger for K40 prior to the separation of the Rb87 on Bio-Rex 40. After purification the cesium is mounted for counting as the permanganate and its chemical recovery determined by flame photometry. (Author).