Abstract:
The solidifying of Sr
2+ by carbonate mineralization bacteria, Bacillus pasteurii, in an aqueous solution was investigated. CO
32- was produced by the enzyme digestion process of the species when urea was decomposing. Biochemical properties of urease from bacteria were involved in transforming free radioactive Sr
2+ into stable SrCO
3. Various analysis and testing techniques, such as EDS, SEM, XRD and FT-IR, were used to analyse the precipitate. The experimental results showed that the microbiologically-induced SrCO
3 crystal particles have porous surface in chaotic sizes, bonding together forming irregular groups. Concentrations, cultivation time and urea concentrations of Sr
2+ influenced the forming of SrCO
3 crystal morphology. It was also found that the bacteria participate in the progress of carbonate mineralization bacteria induced Sr
2+ mineralization as nucleation sites. The solidifying rate reached a peak of 98.32% when the Sr
2+ concentration was set as 0.05 mol/L, urea concentration was 30 g/L and pH was 8, cultivation was at 30 ℃ for 72 h, and therefore radionuclide stabilization treatment could be achieved.