METODE PENGENDAPAN DAN PENUKAR KATION UNTUK PEMISAHAN CESIUM DALAM BAHAN BAKAR U3Si2-Al

PRECIPITATION METHOD AND KATION EXCHANGE METHOD FOR CESIUM SEPARATION OF U3Si2-Al FUEL ELEMENT. 137Cs isotope was one of the fission products which could be used as a burn up monitor to study the performance of the fuel during irradiation in a reactor. For analyzed 137Cs isotope in post-irradiation U3Si2-Al fuel element plate (PEB), it was needed a valid method to obtain accurate data. Several methods could be used for 137Cs separation from U3Si2-Al PEB solution were precipitation method in CsClO4 salt form according to ASTM E 320-79 and cation exchange method using Lampung zeolite. The precipitation process was done using CsNO3 powder as a carrier substance and HClO4 reagent, while the cation exchange process was done by the addition of Lampung zeolite. The objective research was getting a valid method for 137Cs separation in post-irradiation U3Si2-Al PEB, especially for the aspects of CsNO3 powder weight influence and weight of zeolite Lampung was added. 137Cs isotope precipitation process was done by pipetting 150 mL U3Si2-Al PEB solution which was added to the 500; 625; 700; and 1000 mg weight variation CsNO3 powder and 4 mL HClO4 in ice media for 1 hour. The precipitation process results was obtained CsClO4 precipitate separated from the supernatant as a liquid phase. Mean while, the cation exchange process was done by adding 700; 900; 1000 and 1200 mg weight variation Lampung zeolite by shaking for 1 hour. The cation exchange process results was obtained 137Cs-zeolite in the solid phase and the other isotopes in the liquid phase. The137Cs content in 137CsClO4 precipitate,137Cs-zeolite solid phase and supernatant was measured using spectrometre-g. The analysis showed that the optimum weight of CsNO3 addition when most binding of 137Cs occurred was 700 mg equal to 0.0472 g 137Cs isotope, while the optimum weight addition of Lampung zeolite was 1000 mg until 1200 mg equal to 137Cs isotope content in137Cs-zeolite obtained was 0.0557 g. The 137Cs isotope separation process using both methods could be concluded that the cation exchange method using zeolite by the addition of 1000 mg Lampung zeolite until 1200 mg had better result than the precipitation method. The other advantages of this method were easier and saver than precipitation methods that the process should be in ice batch (-4oC), using chemicals HClO4, acetone and ethanol which had volatile and exothermic character.