Sodium titanates are remarkably effective ion-exchange materials for the decontamination of radioactive and industrial wastewaters. For example, monosodium titanate (MST) is used at the Savannah River Site to remove Sr-90 and transuranics from high-level waste solutions that feature sodium and hydroxide concentrations in excess of 5.0 M and 1.3 M, respectively. Sodium titanates are also effective for the removal of hazardous metals such as chromium, lead and cadmium from neutral and weakly acidic solutions. These materials have also been shown to be effective for the delivery of biologically relevant metals to living cells under physiological conditions. MST is produced by a sol-gel process as spherically shaped particles of about 1 - 20 microns in size. Very recently we have synthesized sodium titanates that feature nanosize particles. This paper will follow the development of materials beginning with the decontamination of nuclear wastes and concluding with materials for medical and catalytic applications.

Fun with titanates

244th National Meeting (2012)

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