Open-cell polyurethane foam as a sorbent in the extraction of iodine-131

Abstract

Open-cell polyurethane foams have proved to be effective as sorbents for inorganic and organic species and as supporting materials for various hydrophobic organic phases. They posses outstanding sorption, masstransfer and hydrodynamic properties, which enable them to be used at relatively high flow-rates of aqueous solutions during column operation. Iodine-131 can be extracted from samples of water and milk using resilient open-cell polyurethane foams in static and pulsed column beds, when in the form of a cylindrical packing impregnated with a tri-alkylamine containing dissolved inactive iodine. Pulsed column beds, which have some advantages over static column beds, can be conveniently automated. This may lead to the development of a new type of environmental monitoring device for radioactive iodine.