A highly selective adsorbent for removal of 110mAg based on PP-g-GMA@MoS4

Based on previous operational experience, activated corrosion products account for approximately 80% of the radioactive nuclides during refueling outages. After taking measures to control 58 Co and 60 Co, 110m Ag has emerged as the main contributor to the radiation field in the primary loop. Traditionally, ion exchangers in Chemical and Volume Control Systems (CVCS) are responsible for removing 110m Ag. However, their limited adsorption capacity and poor selectivity result in the generation of substantial solid radioactive waste, which directly increases the treatment cost. To address this challenge, we developed PP-g-GMA@MoS 4 , a MoS 4 2− -functionalized PP nonwoven fabric synthesized via irradiation copolymerization and ion exchange. This adsorbent can stably removes >95% of Ag + across pH 1–5.9. Under simulated conditions (pH = 3), its adsorption capacity reached 623.05 mg/g, outperforming previously documented adsorbents. The adsorption process was better described by the Freundlich isotherm and the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. In the presence of an 80-fold excess of competitive ions, the distribution coefficient of Ag + still reached 10 5  mL/g and the separation factors of Ag + relative to each coexisting metal ion (SF Ag,m ) were 10 4 times higher than those of commercial resins. Exposure to 150 kGy of γ-ray irradiation did not significantly affect the adsorption performance of PP-g-GMA@MoS 4 . XPS, TEM, XRD and Raman spectra were conducted to explain the adsorption mechanism. These features—high capacity, outstanding selectivity, excellent irradiation resistance, and low material cost—make PP-g-GMA@MoS 4 a promising candidate for minimizing radioactive waste generation during 110m Ag removal in nuclear power plants.