Removal of Antimony over Nano Titania–Impregnated Epichlorohydrin-Crosslinked Chitosan Beads from a Typical Decontamination Formulation

A nano titania–impregnated chitosan composite (TA-Cts) sorbent for antimony was prepared in the form of crosslinked stable beads and investigated in detail for its suitability for use in the dilute chemical decontamination (DCD) of nuclear power plants. Antimony uptake from the complexing DCD formulation and the irradiation stability of the prepared TA-Cts beads were analyzed in detail. The irradiation stability of the TA-Cts beads was studied up to a gamma dose of 50 kGy and compared with the irradiation stability of Tulsion^® A33, a commercial nuclear-grade anion resin. The TA-Cts beads showed favorable radiation stability and high antimony uptake. The column performance of the TA-Cts beads for removing antimony in the presence of a large excess of iron was excellent. The sorbent preferentially removed antimony when a typical decontamination formulation containing a large excess of iron was passed through the column. The study demonstrates the high potential for the use of TA-Cts beads to remove antimony during the decontamination of nuclear reactors, particularly pressurized heavy water reactors.