Application of Flotation for Removing Barium(II) Ions Using Ionized Acyclic Polyethers in the Context of Sustainable Waste Management

Energy transition is one of the basic actions taken to counteract and prevent climate change. The basic assumption of energy-related changes is its sustainable use according to the closed-loop model, as well as moving away from fossil fuels, in particular from coal, the combustion of which contributes to excessive harmful carbon dioxide emissions. One of the most popular solutions towards green energy is nuclear energy. Its use allows for a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions harmful to the environment and climate, but it also involves the generation of radioactive waste that requires appropriate processing. This paper presents the results of the flotation removal of barium(II) ions from a dilute aqueous solution using ionized acyclic polyethers. The basic factors determining the efficiency and kinetics of the process were defined. It has been shown that as the acidity of the attached polyether molecules increases: the flotation rate constant 1 (0.1667 min −1 ) < 3 (0.2468 min −1 ) < 2 (0.3616 min −1 ) and the separation degree Ba 2+ : 1 (86.8%) < 3 (99.3%) < 2 (99.4%). The presented results of ion flotation tests may facilitate the collective or selective separation of radioactive isotopes, i.e., Cs-137, Sr-90, Ba-133 and Co-60, from radioactive wastewater in the future. The results of the experimental work described in the article can also be used to develop individual processes for separating mixtures of radioactive isotopes (radioactive wastewater) into individual components (isotopes) and subjecting them to subsequent transformation processes. The obtained results allow us to claim that the tested organic compounds can be used in the future in the selective treatment of hazardous wastewater, which will translate into a reduction in unit costs of industrial processes. The selective recovery of individual pollutants is the basis for the next step in waste management, i.e., designing a cheap method of waste disposal, which also directly affects the economics of the process and its use in industrial conditions.