Role of ammonium ionic liquid and Pd nanoparticles in cavitation-based graphite decontamination and recycling process

Sonochemical recovery of radioactive contaminants from nuclear graphite has been demonstrated to be quite invaluable in recent studies. However, graphite is a soft material and is prone to erosion and wear. This restricts the recycle of graphite cleaned using ultrasound beyond a few decontamination cycles. Hence, it is an imperative to prevent the surface erosion of graphite in the sonic field. The current work studies the efficacy of ultrasound in decontaminating ceria contaminated graphite coupons using a cocktail of acids (0.25 M HNO₃ - 1 M HCOOH - 0.2 M [N₂H₅][NO₃]). Based on the superlative effects of ionic liquids in lubrication and erosion prevention, the effect of adding ionic liquid stabilized Pd nanoparticles to the leachate was also studied. It was observed that the Trioctylmethyl ammonium chloride (TOMAC) ionic liquid prevented the generation of the carbon residue due to a protective viscous layer formation reducing the mechanical effects of cavitation on graphite surface. It also helped in maintaining the porosity change in graphite microstructure around 5% after 15 cycles of decontamination. TOMAC also proved to offer better surface protection on graphite compared to imidazolium-based ILs, based on the change in compressive strength and porosity in different ionic liquids. The palladium nanoparticles, on the other hand, helped in reductive dissolution of ceria layer by acting as a reducing agent due to its lower reduction potential compared to cerium. With the surge in demand of graphite worldwide, a non-destructive decontamination process for graphite with no secondary waste generation is the need of the hour. This study is an attempt in that direction.