Sorption behavior of gamma-irradiated silica gel

The use of ionizing radiation to achieve some desired effect on silica gel, applicable to the adsorption of radionuclides has been investigated as a function of the dose-rate over a wide range of doses, in experiments with strongly alkaline aqueous solutions containing an excess of UO22+ relative to trace concentrations of Y-88, Ru-103, Cs-139 and Ce-141. The results obtained revealed that gamma-irradiation of silica gel was reproduced with an uptake comparable to that measured for the unirradiated-silica gel. Radiation resistance is strongly influenced by the basic macromolecular structure, the presence of water, and the particular environmental exposure conditions.