Rapidly treatment of simulated An⁴⁺ radioactive contaminated soil by microwave sintering: The influence of Al/Si ratio and mechanism

To investigate a method for the treatment of An(4+) radioactive contaminated soil, a series of simulated An(4+) radioactive contaminated soil were sintered by microwave sintering. The maximum solid solubility of samples was about 15 wt%. Combined with the XRD and FT-IR results, it can be inferred that CeO2 might be wrapped in the network structure. The SEM and EDS results showed that the enrichment of the Ce element appeared on the surface of 16 wt% CeO2 doping soil sample. The results show that the samples possess reliable mechanical stability and chemical durability. Furthermore, the effect of Al/Si ratio on the properties of samples has been discussed. The results showed that a higher Al/Si ratio could increase the number of bridging oxygen bonds in the glass network and improve the mechanical properties of the sample. This work will provide a data basis for the later disposal of radioactive contaminated soil.