A luminescence line-narrowing spectroscopic study of the uranium(VI) interaction with cementitious materials and titanium dioxide

The aim of this work is to assess the processes controlling of UO22+ sorption in calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H phases) and in hardened cement paste (HCP). This is of particular importance for the assessment of the mobility of this radionuclide in a deep geological repository for low and intermediate level radioactive waste (L/ILW) as this kind of waste is often solidified with cement prior to storage. Broadband luminescence spectroscopy and luminescence line-narrowing spectroscopy were used to study the sorption of UO22+ with TiO2, synthetic C-S-H phases and hardened cement paste (HCP). Broadband luminescence spectra suffered from strong inhomogeneous line broadening resulting from a strongly disordered UO22+ bonding environment. This problem was largely overcome by using luminescence line-narrowing spectroscopy. This technique allowed the unambiguous identification of three different types of UO22+ sorbed species on C-S-H phases and HCP. Comparison with spectra of UO22+ doped TiO2 allowed assignment of these species to a surface complex, an incorporated species and an uranate-like surface precipitate.