Titanium Pyrophosphate for Removal of Trivalent Heavy Metals and Actinides Simulated by Retention of Europium

This work addresses the synthesis of titanium pyrophosphate, as well as the characterization and evaluation of the sorption process of europium, for removal of trivalent heavy metals and actinides simulate. The evaluation of the surface properties of titanium pyrophosphate was carried out determining the surface roughness and surface acidity constants. The values obtained from the determination of the surface roughness of the synthesized solid indicate that the surface of the material presents itself as slightly smooth. The FITEQL program was used to fit the experimental titration curves to obtain the surface acidity constants: log⁡K+=3.59±0.06 and log⁡K-=-3.90±0.05. The results of sorption kinetics evidenced that the pseudo-order model explains the retention process of europium, in which the initial sorption velocity was 8.3 × 10−4 mg g−1 min−1 and kinetic constant was 1.8 × 10−3 g mg min−1. The maximum sorption capacity was 0.6 mg g−1. The results obtained from sorption edge showed the existence of two bidentate complexes on the surface.

Improvement of High-Temperature Oxidation of Titanium Alloys by Dipping in a Phosphoric Acid Solution

Gamma-TiAl samples were treated by phosphoric acid solutions at different concentrations. With 15 mol/dm3, a viscous deposit was left on the surface leading, after drying and high temperature oxidation, to a very heterogeneous surface aspect. Concentrations below 0.5 mol/dm3 were then used and allowed to greatly ameliorate the homogeneity of the superficial layer. After heating from ambient to oxidation temperature, however, cracks were always observed, due to the departure of gaseous molecules. Isothermal oxidation tests come out at 800°C and 900°C under reconstituted air showed that weight gains were strongly reduced when TiAl had been treated. A compound containing titanium, oxygen and phosphorus was detected at the end of the heating period, identified as titanium pyrophosphate, TiP2O7. This compound remained the only one detected for 100 h when oxidation was come out at 800°C, but evolved towards TiO2 when oxidation time was increased. In the case of oxidation at 900°C, the evolution from TiP2O7 to TiO2 also happened but appeared to go faster.