A Promising Superabsorbent Nanocomposite Based on Grafting Biopolymer/Nanomagnetite for Capture of 134Cs, 85Sr and 60Co Radionuclides

A new high-swelling multi-component superabsorbent composite Na-CMC-g-P(AMPS-co-AA-co-AM)/NanoFe(3)O(4) (SANCHs) was successfully designed and utilized for effective removal of Cs-134, Sr-85 and Co-60 radionuclides from radioactive wastewater. The structure and morphology of the superabsorbent composite have been mapped and characterized using different techniques (SEM, XRD, TEM, FTIR, and TGA). Superabsorbent hydrogel composite networks with magnetic iron particles have been disclosed to provide an advantage over previous methods. By using distinct models for kinetic investigation, mathematical fitting was observed to be pseudo-second-order with (R-2) 0.987, 0.999, and 0.998 respectively for Cs-134, Co-60, and Sr-85. In addition, the highest adsorption capability was found to be 23.9, 43, and 47.2 mg g(-1) respectively. The variation in the magnitude of enthalpy (Delta H) and free energy (Delta G) verify the spontaneous state of the adsorption reaction suggesting an endothermic process. Such a functionalized magnetic nanocomposite adsorbent demonstrates excellent prospective applications for effective separation of certain radionuclides from radioactive liquid waste.