Fecha de publicación: -- Fuente: Journal of applied polymer Lugar: RESEARCH ARTICLE A γ-radiation-synthesized PSSS(AA-18C6) composite provides selective molecular recognition of Eu3+ in binary radioactive liquid waste. The porous crown ether-functionalized network achieves rapid sorption, higher affinity for europium than cobalt, and efficient regeneration. These findings demonstrate a promising reusable platform for selective radionuclide separation and radioactive waste treatment.

ABSTRACT
A crown ether-functionalized polymeric composite, PSSS(AA-18C6), was synthesized by γ-radiation-induced polymerization for the selective separation of Eu3+ and Co2+ from radioactive liquid waste. The composite was prepared by copolymerizing sodium styrene sulfonate and acrylic acid in the presence of 18-crown-6 and N,N′-methylenediacrylamide. Optimum synthesis conditions were obtained at an irradiation dose of 20 kGy and 2 wt% crown ether. FTIR, SEM, and TGA confirmed the successful incorporation of 18-crown-6 into a porous, thermally stable crosslinked polymer network. Adsorption performance was strongly pH-dependent, with maximum uptake at pH 5 and equilibrium attained within 90 min. Kinetic data were best described by the pseudo-second-order model (R
2 = 0.99), indicating that adsorption was governed by interactions with the available functional sites. Maximum adsorption capacities reached 115 and 60 mg g−1 for Eu3+ and Co2+, respectively, demonstrating the superior affinity of the composite toward Eu3+. Complete regeneration was achieved using EDTA, confirming excellent reusability. Application to simulated radioactive liquid waste containing 152+154Eu and 60Co resulted in removal efficiencies of 94% and 47%, respectively, demonstrating the potential of PSSS(AA-18C6) as an efficient and selective adsorbent for radionuclide separation and radioactive wastewater treatment.