Actinide sorption on colloids may be described as a competition between the formation of complexes in solution and the build up of surface complexes. The role of particle and of carbonate concentrations on the sorption/desorption of 241 Am on montmorillonite, illite and hematite colloids is investigated. Since the partition coefficient (K p ) values are virtually independent of the colloid concentrations, within the range 1 to 300 ppm, no significant aggregation takes place in the sorption/desorption experiment. At pH 8, a slight decrease of K p is observed if the concentration of total carbonate exceeds 10~2 M. The formation of the carbonato-(and hydroxo-carbonato-) complexes in the solution competes with the formation of surface complexes on the colloids. A relationship between the sorption coefficient and the complexation of 241 Am in the solution has been found. This leads to the conclusion that, besides free americium cation, the hydroxo-, and carbonato-as well as the mixed hydroxo-carbonatocomplexes are sorbed. Only when the tricarbonatocomplex [Am(C0 3 ) 3 ] 3~ prevails (total carbonate concentration >10~2 M), a significant decrease of the distribution coefficient is observed. At pH 10 this decrease disappears because under these conditions the strong hydroxo-complexes dominate. A pragmatic and relatively simple application of surface complexation model describes the observed features.

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