The Effect of Ionic Strength on the Sorption and Speciation of Palladium

Abstract

Sedimentary rocks are being considered as potential host rocks for a deep geological repository in Canada. Sedimentary rocks in Canada have been observed to contain brackish, and highly saline solutions and as a result it is of particular interest to determine the effects that ionic strength has on sorption and speciation behavior. This report outlines the method in which the sorption and speciation of Pd, an element of interest due to its presence in used nuclear fuel, can be measured. The Pd sorption onto bentonite MX-80 and shale will be measured using solutions of ionic strengths 0.01M, 0.1M and 1.0M.