Behaviors of Acrylamide/Itaconic Acid Hydrogels in Uptake of Uranyl Ions from Aqueous Solutions

Abstract

In this study, adsorptions of uranyl ions from two different aqueous uranyl solutions by acrylamide-itaconic acid hydrogels were investigated by a spectroscopic method. The hydrogels were prepared by irradiating with γ-radiation. In the experiment of uranyl ions adsorption, Type II adsorption was found. One gram of acrylamide-itaconic acid hydrogels sorbed 178–219 mg uranyl ions from the solutions of uranyl acetate, 42–76 mg uranyl ions from the aqueous solutions of uranyl nitrate, while acrylamide hydrogel did not sorb any uranyl ion. For the hydrogel containing 40 mg of itaconic acid and irradiated to 3.73 kGy, swelling of the hydrogels was observed in water (1660%), in the aqueous solution of uranyl acetate (730%), and in the aqueous solution of uranyl nitrate (580%). Diffusions of water onto hydrogels were a non-Fickian type of diffusion, whereas diffusions of uranyl ions were a Fickian type of diffusion.