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Sorption and Fixation of Microquantities of Cesium by Clay Minerals: Effect of Saturating Cations¹

ABSTRACT

Sorption and fixation of microquantities of Cs by six minerals, as affected by the saturating cations, were studied. Micas and vermiculite sorbed more Cs in the presence of Ca and similar divalent cations than in the presence of K and similar monovalent cations. Montmorillonite and kaolinite, on the other hand, sorbed more Cs in the presence of K than in the presence of Ca. While micas and vermiculite fixed large proportion of the Cs sorbed, mont-morillonite and kaolinite did not fix significant amounts of Cs against replacement by neutral salts. Thus, whereas Cs-sorption by montmorillonite and kaolinite appeared to be largely electrostatic, the sorption and fixation of Cs by micas and vermiculite was governed by the size and hydration, rather than valence, of the competing cation. Micas particularly exhibited a large fixation of Cs. It is suggested that the fixation of Cs by micas occurs at the crystal edges where Cs may replace K and thus become a part of the stable mica structure.

¹ Contribution from The Connecticut Agr. Exp. Sta., New Haven. This study was supported in part by the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission under contract number AT (30-1)-2955.

² Assistant Soil Scientist. Technical assistance by F. C. C. Pedersen during this investigation is gratefully acknowledged.

Received for publication June 20, 1963. Accepted for publication August 29, 1963.